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Liberté for Refuge

by Naomi Burrell

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about

‘Liberté’ is a French poem from the war years (1942) by Paul Eluard, about FREEDOM in its broadest sense.

I have set this poem to music using the voices and instruments of 26 women and children, from novice neighbours to seasoned professionals in their own homes, to create something I’m not quite sure how to define!

What does freedom mean to us?
What does it mean currently, within our changed and confined circumstances and going forward into a new life?
How much did we take for granted the freedom that was in our previous day-to day-lives?
What might it mean in particular to those who are suffering at this time?

The poem says, ‘And by the power of a word, I started my life anew,’ so it is also about flexibility, regeneration, changing our perspectives, reframing and adapting what we know, who we are, what we do …
As we grapple for answers as to how the world will emerge from this crisis, we are forced to see things anew - the best recipe for total freedom!

This commission came about through the fascinating composer Sarah Angliss, for BBC Radio 3 - listen out in the coming weeks for our little suite of pieces on the radio. A huge thank you to Sarah for the opportunity and the tech support. (Also to Leo Burrell and David Gerrard for the latter!)

A big thank you to the Giral family for introducing me to the poem, and to all the other performers, and finally to Help Musicians UK and Arts Council England for the support.

I hope you find it soothing, inspiring and thought provoking.
Please share!

NB All proceeds will be donated to Refuge until June 5th.

lyrics

The track is a mixture of the original French poem and the translation (below):

Paul Eluard
Poésie et vérité 1942

Liberté

Sur mes cahiers d’écolier
Sur mon pupitre et les arbres
Sur le sable sur la neige
J’écris ton nom

Sur toutes les pages lues
Sur toutes les pages blanches
Pierre sang papier ou cendre
J’écris ton nom

Sur les images dorées
Sur les armes des guerriers
Sur la couronne des rois
J’écris ton nom

Sur la jungle et le désert
Sur les nids sur les genêts
Sur l’écho de mon enfance
J’écris ton nom

Sur les merveilles des nuits
Sur le pain blanc des journées
Sur les saisons fiancées
J’écris ton nom

Sur tous mes chiffons d’azur
Sur l’étang soleil moisi
Sur le lac lune vivante
J’écris ton nom

Sur les champs sur l’horizon
Sur les ailes des oiseaux
Et sur le moulin des ombres
J’écris ton nom

Sur chaque bouffée d’aurore
Sur la mer sur les bateaux
Sur la montagne démente
J’écris ton nom

Sur la mousse des nuages
Sur les sueurs de l’orage
Sur la pluie épaisse et fade
J’écris ton nom

Sur les formes scintillantes
Sur les cloches des couleurs
Sur la vérité physique
J’écris ton nom

Sur les sentiers éveillés
Sur les routes déployées
Sur les places qui débordent
J’écris ton nom

Sur la lampe qui s’allume
Sur la lampe qui s’éteint
Sur mes maisons réunies
J’écris ton nom

Sur le fruit coupé en deux
Du miroir et de ma chambre
Sur mon lit coquille vide
J’écris ton nom

Sur mon chien gourmand et tendre
Sur ses oreilles dressées
Sur sa patte maladroite
J’écris ton nom

Sur le tremplin de ma porte
Sur les objets familiers
Sur le flot du feu béni
J’écris ton nom

Sur toute chair accordée
Sur le front de mes amis
Sur chaque main qui se tend
J’écris ton nom

Sur la vitre des surprises
Sur les lèvres attentives
Bien au-dessus du silence
J’écris ton nom

Sur mes refuges détruits
Sur mes phares écroulés
Sur les murs de mon ennui
J’écris ton nom

Sur l’absence sans désir
Sur la solitude nue
Sur les marches de la mort
J’écris ton nom

Sur la santé revenue
Sur le risque disparu
Sur l’espoir sans souvenir
J’écris ton nom

Et par le pouvoir d’un mot
Je recommence ma vie
Je suis né pour te connaître
Pour te nommer

Liberté.

TRANSLATION

On my school notebooks
On my school desk and the trees
On the sand on the snow
I write your name

On all the pages read
On all the white pages
Stone, blood, paper or ash
I write your name

On the golden images
On the warriors’ weapons
On the kings’ crown
I write your name

On the jungle and the desert
On the nests on the brooms
On the echo of my childhood
I write your name

On the wonders of the nights
On the white bread of the days
On the engaged seasons
I write your name

On all my rags of azure
On the pond mildewed sun
On the living lake of moonlight
I write your name

On the fields on the horizon
On the birds’ wings
And on the mill of shadows
I write your name

On each whiff of dawn
On the sea on the boats
On the insane mountain
I write your name

On the foam of the clouds
On the sweat of the storm
On the thick and dull rain
I write your name

On the scintillating figures
On the bells of colors
On the physical truth
I write your name

On the awaken paths
On the unfurled roads
On the overflowing squares
I write your name

On the lamp that is alight
On the lamp that dies out
On my reunited houses
I write your name

On the fruit cut in two
Of the mirror and of my room
On my bed, an empty shell
I write your name

On my gourmand and tender dog
On his pricked-up ears
On his clumsy paw
I write your name

On the springboard of my door
On the familiar objects
On the flood of the blessed fire
I write your name

On any granted flesh
On my friends’ forehead
On each outstretched hand
I write your name

On the window of surprises
On the attentive lips
Well above the silence
I write your name

On my destroyed shelters
On my crumbled beacons
On the walls of my boredom
I write your name

On the absence without desire
On the bare solitude
On the steps of death
I write your name

On the returning health
On the disappearing risk
On the unremembering hope
I write your name

And by the power of a word
I started my life anew
I was born to know you
To name you

Freedom.

credits

released May 23, 2020
All listed women and children are vocalists with some doubling on instruments:

Catriona McDermid (bassoon)
Margareta Burrell (accordion)
Sophie Cotton (piano)
Hattie Webb (harp)
Naomi Burrell (percussion)
Iris, Aure, Luce, Eloi and Alice Giral
Octavie Dostaler-Lalonde
Katie Bray
Emma Kirkby
Mary Bevan
Jenny Miller
Rebecca Burrell
Esme Awaya Margareta Hutton-Mills
Amanda Kibble
Berit Norbakken
Wendy Pacey
Violet Braithwaite
Verity Peterken
Flora Spencer-Longhurst
Sarah Angliss
Lily and Melisande Gutierrez
Emma Claughton

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about

Naomi Burrell UK

Professional violinist, composer, improviser and workshop leader, Naomi Burrell plays with some of the world’s leading international baroque ensembles including the Academy of Ancient Music and Barokksolistene from Norway. She is passionate about growing new audiences in classical music and often tries out new ways of doing this, from interesting programming to working with communities. ... more

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