The programme is still in preparation, below we reproduce the programme of e previous concert for information
Music of the confraternities of Ceriana
After the evening mass of the Last Supper and during the great procession of Good Friday part of Psalm 51 is sung by the four lay brotherhoods of Ceriana, each of which has preserved its own musical setting as part of its oral tradition. Here we hear the version of the "Reds".
Have mercy upon me, O God, after Thy great goodness
According to the multitude of Thy mercies do away mine offences.
Wash me throughly from my wickedness: and cleanse me from my sin.
For I acknowledge my faults: and my sin is ever before me.
Against Thee only have I sinned, and done this evil in thy sight: that Thou mightest be justified in Thy saying, and clear when Thou art judged.
Behold, I was shapen in wickedness: and in sin hath my mother conceived me.
But lo, Thou requirest truth in the inward parts: and shalt make me to understand wisdom secretly.
Thou shalt purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean: Thou shalt wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.
From the same brotherhood we have this hymn of contemplation of Christ's suffering.
Soul, behold the sufferings of your Redeemer;
you who were the cause of them, cry if you can.
See how sad He is, bending in the orchard,
exhausted on the earth, wet with blood, inspiring compassion.
Barborously has Pilate condemned Him to a cruel death on the cross
where He died.
The "blue" brotherhood preserves this setting of the well-known text by the Franciscan Jacopone da Todi (C13). This too is sung during the processions of Holy Week.
At the cross her station keeping,
Stood the mournful Mother weeping,
Close to Jesus to the last.
Through her heart, His sorrow sharing,
All His bitter anguish bearing,
Now at length the sword had pass'd.
While my body here decays,
May my soul Thy goodness praise,
Safe in Paradise with Thee.
Amen.
Sung on feasts of the Blessed Virgin.
I grew to my full stature as cedar grows on Lebanon, as cypress on Sion’s hill, or a palm tree in Cades, or a rose bush in Jericho
…
but Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us; Thanks be to God.
Songs and ballads in Italian and in Serianescu dialect
Serianascu version of a ballad which is widespread in Italy and southern France. Normally the fisherman replies that he seeks no payment but a kiss; in Ceriana it is apparently possible to get both.
There were three maids, o gigugin
There were three maids, la bela savadai
Cumprai, simunai, gigugin, dai dai
There were three maids, fair as love itself.
Severina the fairest went sailing
She sailed for three days, her ring fell in the water
« O fisherman of the waves, come fish over here
Catch my ring that fell into the sea »
«And if I catch it, what shall you give me? »
«A hundred golden coins in a golden purse»
«A hundred golden coins and a kiss of love.»
At the time of going to press no text was yet available for this song about a little lamb. Listen to Matteo.
Crime and punishment: three Genoese who have fallen on hard times through the wordwide economic crisis decide to rob a stagecoach. They succeed first time and run away with their loot to start a new life in Cremona. Alas they are recognised by an alert policeman and they go to jail.
La Marietta in the midst of the field, she stole a rose flower from me;
Come, come, my beloved,
give me back the flower you stole from me,
I swear that I will marry you.
The pretty flower you gave me
I fastened to my hat;
I picked another one, even more lovely.
When I marry la Marietta
I want to hold her close to me.
La Marietta, I married her, I married her the day before yesterday;
I have no more worries.
La Marietta is now my wife,
she is like a rose flower and I just want to love her.
There are many flowers in the fields,
among them one of jasmine
resembling a beautiful child;
He is the joy of Marietta, for he looks just like his father.