In darkness, a voice speaks on tape, addressing the unseen goddess in Greek:
ΟΝΕΙΡΕ ΜΕΛΑΙΝΑ, ΑΛΓΕΣΙΔΩΡΟΝ,
(translation into English: Black dream, pain-giver,)
ΘΗΡ ΝΥΚΤΕΟΣ, ΑΛΓΕΣΙΔΩΡΟΝ,
(Beast of the Night, pain-giver,)
ΜΗΤΕΠ ΕΜΗ ΡΕΙΗ, ΦΡΙΚΤΟΙΟ ΘΕΑΣ ΣΕΣΟΒΗΜΕΝΟΣ,
(My Mother Rhea, the dreadful Goddess,)
ΡΕΙΑΣ ΟΠΛΟΝ ΟΛΥΜΠΙΑΔΟΣ, ΘΗΡ ΝΥΚΤΙΟΣ.
(Olympian Rhea, Beast of the Night.)
ΧΑΙΡΕ, ϑΥΞΗ,
(Hail, Spirit,)
ΕΠΙΘ, ΛΑΜΠΡΑΙΣΙΝ ΑΣΤΡΑΠΑΙΣΙ, ΛΑΜΠΑΔΩΝ ΣΘΕΝΙ,
(Come, with bright flashes, the torches’ might,)
ΕΠΙΘ, ϑΥΧΑΓΩΓΟΣ,
(Come, Spirit-Raiser,)
ΩΣ ΙΔΟΜΕΝ ΠΟΤΝΙΑ Δ’ΑΥΩΣ, ΞΡΥΣΟΠΑΞΟΣ.
(so that we may see holy Dawn, golden-armed Fate.)
ΞΑΙΡΕ, ΠΟΤΝΙΑ ΝΥΞ, ΕΠΙΘ ΟΡΓΙΑΝ.
(Hail, holy Night, come to your rites.)
An old woman appears, dressed in black, in deep shadow. She stands by a dark tomb, in which lies the Ghost. She laments him, in medieval Catalan:
“Ay! Trista vida corporal! o mon cruel tant de sigual! Trista de mi. Yo que fare?\" (English: Sad is this earthly life ,my cruel fate, my sadness. Yet I can do nothing.)
With the women’s chorus, she sings:
“Lo meu car Fil, quant lo veure?” (English: Oh my dear son, when shall I see thee again?)
From Shields' electronic opera Mass for the Dead, premiered by the American Chamber Opera Company in 1992 in New York City.
Music and libretto by Alice Shields.
Recorded Voice: Alice Shields; soprano: Steffanie Pierce.
Mass for the Dead is published by the American Composers Alliance, Inc. (BMI), info@composers.com www.composers.com
