The Immortal Hour

Trackliste The immortal hour (A music-drama) (Gesamtaufnahme) Boughton, Rutland A wood, dark and mysterious. In the background the faint glimmer of a lake (Akt 1, Szene 1) Dalua (slowly coming out of the shadow) Voices in the wood Dalua: Ye know not who I am Dalue: I have com hither, led by dreams and visions A voice (unexpectedly near) Dalua: I am old A voice: Brother and kin to all the twilit gods The sound of mocking laughter is heard from the wood Dalua: Laugh not, ye outcasts of the invisible world Etain wanders into view, looking lost and bewildered Dalua (stepping forward with a courtly bow, faintly touched with mockery) Dalua (touching her lightly with the shadow of his hand) Etain: I have forgotten all A king of men Dalua: Led here by dreams Etain: I will go back Eochaidh: Sir, I am glad Dalua: I have come Look, o King! Eochaidh: There is no backward way for such as I Eochaidh: I have heard you calling Manus: I've seen that man before who came tonight (Akt 1, Szene 2) Manus: Yes, woman, yes, I know: for silence. Hush! Etain: But sometimes... sometimes... Tell me: have you heard Eochaidh: Good folk, I give you greeting Manus: Good sir, you are most welcome. Eochaidh: At last I know Etain: And your name, fair lord? Eochaidh: Truyl, I now know full well Etain: I, too, am lifted with the breath Eochaidh. Who laughed? Etain: None laughed. Unseen voices: How beautiful they are Druids: By the voice in the corries (Akt 2) Maidens: The bells of youth are ringing Warriors: But this was in the old, old, far-off days Bards, Maidens and Warriors: Hail, Eochaidh, High King of Eire, hail! Bards, Warriors and others: Green fire of Joy, green fire of life Eochaidh: Etain, speak, my Queen Eochaidh: No, no my Queen Etain: I, too, have heard Warriors and others: The Queen! Midir: Hail, Eochaidh, King of Eire! Midir: I am a king's first son Druids: Dagda, Lord of thunder and silence Eochaidh: Fair lord, my thanks I give Midir: Have not great poets sung Midir: In the days of the great fires when the hills were aflame Eochaidh: Hear us, OEngus, beautiful, terrible, Sun-Lord and Death-Lord! Midir: O king, it is a little thing Old Bard: I have seen all things pass and all things go Eochaidh: Welcome, my queen Eochaidh: This nameless lord Midir: How beautiful they are Etain: I have heard... I have dreamed that song Midir: I am a song Etain: I am a small green leaf in a great wood Eochaidh: O do not leave me, Star of my desire! Midir: Hasten, lost love, found love! Voices: In the land of youth Voices: They play with lances