Jakob Lorentzen

L'Enfant Mourant (The Dying Child)

L'Enfant Mourant (The Dying Child) by Jakob Lorentzen. For equal voices (SSA, SSA, SSA), Harp (or Piano) and Dabachi (or Triangle). Text by Hans Christian Andersen. Commissioned by the 8th World Symposium on Choral Music. Premiered July 21 2008 at Operaen, Copenhagen by Norwegian Women's Choir VOCI NOBILI, conducted by Maria Gamborg Helbekkmo. Programme Note Hans Christian Andersen wrote the poem Det doende Barn (The Dying Child) in 1826, when he was at school in Elsinore, where he had a hard time, living in the severe headmaster, Simon Meisling's home. His host had forbidden him to write poetry – the pupil should not waste time on such nonsense! However, H. C. Andersen wrote this sentimental poem. He simply could not resist the urge to read it aloud. The qualities of the poem were soon recognized and a new way of writing had begun: It had never happened before that the child was the narrator in a poem! The committee behind The 8th World Symposium on Choral Music has suggested a choice of texts to be song by many choirs from all around the world. Hence, I have asked Bendt Deegen to translate the poem into French.