L´homme armé
VOICING:
SSATTB - a cappella
LYRICS:
French medieval tune
YEAR OF COMPOSITION:
2012
DURATION:
2:20
Lyrics:
L'homme armé doibt on doubter.
On a fait partout crier
Que chascun se viegne armer
D'un haubregon de fer.
L'homme armé doibt on doubter.
English translation:
The armed man should be feared.
Everywhere it has been proclaimed
That each man shall arm himself
With a coat of iron mail.
The armed man should be feared.
L’homme armé is a setting of the famous French medieval tune that frequently appeared as a cantus firmus in the parody masses of Renaissance polyphony. My arrangement is written in the spirit of that era, evoking the character of medieval instruments and capturing the exalted, martial quality of the melody. It pays tribute to a centuries-old tradition while offering a fresh, contemporary perspective on one of the most enduring themes of European musical history.