Anthem for AATTBB Choir and 2 x SSA Soloists (or Choirs) – with optional Organ and Instrumental accompaniment (reinforcing and/or vocal part replacement):

1. AATTBB Choir [Choir 1] (minimum 2 voices per line) (stage middle front) +
2. SSA Soloists [or Choir 2, if doubling parts]* (stage left back, or left gallery) +
3. SSA Soloists [or Choir 3, if doubling parts]* (stage right back, or right gallery)

= 1. AAAATTTTBBBB + 2. SSA + 3. SSA; or a minimum of 18 singers: 4 sopranos; 6 altos; 4 tenors, 4 basses
(* If treating 2 & 3 as Choirs rather than Soloists, min.6 per choir = 2. SSSSAA + 3. SSSSAA: thus 24 overall – being effectively a 12-part ‘Triple Choir’)

(From excerpts of text attributed to John Skelton) (composed June-August, 2016)

Written to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of the National Boys’ Choir of Australia (founded 1964), and dedicated to the memory of Harold Bird, OAM (1922-2015). The score is marked, “Slow and Spacious”, and “Maestoso (In Wonder)” – with the refrain becoming ever-more decorated on each return. Despite the subject matter, the mood of the refrain is more one of glory and awe, rather than mere dolefuleness. The intimate verses, by contrast, are marked, “Teneramente e sostenuto” (“Tenderly and sustained”).

Abridged versions of Woefully Arrayed can be performed by commencing the work from either the Second or Third Refrains. This allows for performances of approximately 26 minutes (in full), 19 minutes (from the Second Refrain), or 12 minutes 30 seconds (from the Third Refrain).

FIRST REFRAIN

Wofully araide,
My blode, man,
For thee ran,
It may not be naide;
My body blo and wanne,
Wofully araide.

VERSE ONE

Beholde me, I pray thee, with all thine whole reson,
And be not hard-herted for this encheson,
That I for thy saule sake was slaine in good seson,
Begylde and betraide by Judas fals treson;
Unkyndly entretid,
With sharpe corde sore fretid,
The Jewis me thretid,
They mowid, they grynned, they scornyd me,
Condempnyd to deth, as thou maist se,
Wofully araide.

SECOND REFRAIN

Wofully araide,
My blode, man,
For thee ran,
It may not be naide;
My body blo and wanne,
Wofully araide.

VERSE TWO

Thus nakyd am I nailid, O man, for thy sake!
I love thee, then love me; why slepist thou? awake!
Remembir my tendir hart rote for thee brake,
With panys my vaynys constreyned to crake;
Thus toggid to and fro,
Thus wrappid all in woo,
Whereas neuer man was so,
Entretid thus in most cruell wyse,
Was like a lombe in sacrifice,
Wofully araide.

THIRD REFRAIN

Wofully araide,
My blode, man,
For thee ran,
It may not be naide;
My body blo and wanne,
Wofully araide.

VERSE THREE

Of sharpe thorne I haue worne a crowne on my hede,
So paynyd, so straynyd, so rufull, so red;
Thus bobbid, thus robbid, thus for thy loue ded,
Onfaynyd, not deynyd my blod for to shed;
My fete and handes sore
The sturdy nailis bore;
What might I suffir more
Than I haue don, O man, for thee?
Cum when thou list, wellcum to me,
Wofully araide.

FINAL (expanded) REFRAIN

Wofully araide,
My blode, man,
For thee ran,
It may not be naide;
My body blo and wanne,
Wofully araide.

Attributed to John Skelton (ca.1463-1529)

ISMN PENDING. ASCAP/MCPS Registered.

First recorded 19th November 2016 in the Romanesque Revival “Church of the Holy Name”, West Roxbury (Archdiocese of Boston), USA, by Vox Futura, directed by Dr. Andrew Shenton, with the historic Wicks 1938 3-manual pipe organ (designed by Henry Vincent Willis), played by Heinrich Christensen.

[Part of a large-scale, contemporary, "Polychoral Music Composition and Recording Project"]