Vituð Ér Enn is an art song for solo voice and piano composed in September of 2020 for Queensland tenor Ryan Paroz. It has since been arranged for SATB choir by Rosie O’Reilly and TTBB choir by John Rotar. An arrangement for soprano voice and piano was created by Jamie for Adelaide soprano Victoria Coxhill in September of 2021 for use in the Adelaide Eisteddfod. Rosie O’Reilly’s SATB choral version premiered in September 2021 as part of Elephant in the Room Productions and the Clipper Ship City of Adelaide’s co-production of Midnight Sun: An Evening of Icelandic Myth and Music. Victoria Coxhill went on to win the “Song by Australian Composer” section of the Adelaide Eisteddfod with this composition before going on to win the major prize of that composition. Victoria reprised her award-winning performance for the composition’s brodacast debut on 5mbs radio’s Eisteddfod winner’s concert.
The text of Vituð Ér Enn comes from the ancient Norse Poetic Edda, specifically verses 59-66 of the Vǫluspá and deals with the redemption of the world after Ragnarǫk. Inspiration for elements such as the sparse sonic palate of the piece were drawn variously from Icelandic folk songs such as Fagurt er í Fjörðum and and the works of the contemporary Icelandic musicians Jónsi and Björk.
The Völuspá is a 66 stanza work from what is known in modern English as the Poetic Edda,
said to be recited by a seeress to the Allfather, Odin to tell him of the creation of the world, the apocalypse Ragnarok yet to come, and the rebirth of the world to come after.
‘Vituð Ér Enn?’ is a piece that deals with that reborn world ending with the ascendence of the great wyrm: Niðhöggr. Niðhöggr is a terrible figure in Norse Mythology: A great dragon who gnaws alternately on the roots of Yggdrasil, the World Tree and the corpses of the unworthy dead, but in this reborn world, redeemed Niðhöggr is no longer dark, but pale and instead of feasting on the unworthy dead, he bears them into the heavens.
Do you understand yet?
To request copies of this work, or any others by Jamie. Please Contact them at the linked page
Jamie Moffatt Music 