Songs

Melmoth’s Serenade (2020)

by Cheryl Frances-Hoad From Six Songs of Melmoth (2020)

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Text

Melmoth’s Serenade (2020)
English source: Sophie Rashbrook

And so
Melmoth the Wanderer
became Melmoth, the Singer of Sorrows

It may sound glamorous
but it’s a lonely life,
and the wandering plays havoc with your feet

For I – am she
The punished one
Condemned to bear witness through melody
And all for a spot of blasphemy

_[To the audience]_
Stay!
I know your secrets
I see the shame that torments you at night
Do not be afraid
I promise deliverance
For Melmoth never abandons her friends in misfortune

So
Will you take my hand?
Will you come with me?
Will you consent?

Composer

Cheryl Frances-Hoad

Cheryl's music has been described as “like a declaration of faith in the eternal verities of composition” (The Times), with “a voice overflowing not only with ideas, but also with the discipline and artistry necessary to harness them” (The…

Poet

Sophie Rashbrook

Sophie Rashbrook is a writer, librettist and opera dramaturg. https://sophierashbrook.com/. 

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