Dark & Luminous Night

SATB, piano, string quartet
Lyrics: St. John of the Cross
Language: English
Duration: 7:45
Publisher: Walton Music

The original version of Dark Night of the Soul was written in 2010 for the Phoenix Chorale, while Luminous Night of the Soul was written as a sequel for Cantare Houston in 2011.

Since the two works are fairly long (13:30 and 9 mins.), I wanted to create short versions of both, featuring the parts that are the closest to my heart in the originals. These short versions can be combined into one work – though both can be performed independently as well – with Luminous Night functioning as a kind of exuberant coda. The pieces are mainly linked through the theme at the end of Dark Night that comes back as the main theme of Luminous Night.

 

In darkness, and secure,
by the secret ladder, disguised,
– ah, the sheer grace! –
in darkness and concealment,
my house being now all stilled.

O guiding night!
O night more lovely than the dawn!
O night that has united
the Lover with his beloved,
transforming the beloved in her Lover.

– from St. John of the Cross’ Dark Night of the Soul