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| This Light of Reason: choral work for Jo Cox sung in Westminster This Light of Reason: choral work for Jo Cox sung in Westminster | |
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| A newly-composed piece of choral music created in honour of Jo Cox has been sung in public for the first time, being premiered at the annual Christmas concert by a choir of MPs, peers and parliamentary staff. | A newly-composed piece of choral music created in honour of Jo Cox has been sung in public for the first time, being premiered at the annual Christmas concert by a choir of MPs, peers and parliamentary staff. |
| This Light of Reason, from a John Donne sermon, was composed by Nicholas O’Neill, who has worked with the Parliament Choir for more than a decade. | This Light of Reason, from a John Donne sermon, was composed by Nicholas O’Neill, who has worked with the Parliament Choir for more than a decade. |
| The choir sang the piece in public for the first time as part of its Christmas concert at the St John’s Smith Square church near parliament on Wednesday evening. | The choir sang the piece in public for the first time as part of its Christmas concert at the St John’s Smith Square church near parliament on Wednesday evening. |
| O’Neill told the Guardian he was approached by an MP in July, the month after Cox was murdered by a rightwing terrorist. The MP, a member of the choir, wanted to commission a piece of music anonymously in honour of Cox. | O’Neill told the Guardian he was approached by an MP in July, the month after Cox was murdered by a rightwing terrorist. The MP, a member of the choir, wanted to commission a piece of music anonymously in honour of Cox. |
| “They initially asked for an elegy or a lament, something like that,” O’Neill. “I said I felt the piece should be more positive than that.” | “They initially asked for an elegy or a lament, something like that,” O’Neill. “I said I felt the piece should be more positive than that.” |
| The final piece is based around Donne’s words, beginning: “If thou canst take this light of reason, and light thee a little candle,” and concluding, “That light shall never go out, nor the works of darkness prevail upon thee.” | The final piece is based around Donne’s words, beginning: “If thou canst take this light of reason, and light thee a little candle,” and concluding, “That light shall never go out, nor the works of darkness prevail upon thee.” |
| O’Neill said: “It begins with the sopranos, then it passes to the altos, and then to other voices as well. It’s the idea that it’s a little bit like a candle that’s passed from one person to another, and eventually it takes over the whole choir. | O’Neill said: “It begins with the sopranos, then it passes to the altos, and then to other voices as well. It’s the idea that it’s a little bit like a candle that’s passed from one person to another, and eventually it takes over the whole choir. |
| “There’s a bit towards the end when it’s almost extinguished, but then it comes out again.” | “There’s a bit towards the end when it’s almost extinguished, but then it comes out again.” |
| The composer sent the text to Cox’s widower, Brendan, so he could approve it, he said. “Quite a few pieces composers are asked to write are in memory of people, but what makes this one different in particular is that so many of the members of the choir knew and worked closely with Jo,” he explained. | The composer sent the text to Cox’s widower, Brendan, so he could approve it, he said. “Quite a few pieces composers are asked to write are in memory of people, but what makes this one different in particular is that so many of the members of the choir knew and worked closely with Jo,” he explained. |
| Of the rehearsals, O’Neill said: “As we got more and more into it, and as I explained what the music represented, you could see that it was having a really strong emotional impact. I’ve seen people comes away from it very emotional indeed.” | Of the rehearsals, O’Neill said: “As we got more and more into it, and as I explained what the music represented, you could see that it was having a really strong emotional impact. I’ve seen people comes away from it very emotional indeed.” |
| Jeremy Lefroy, a Conservative MP who sings in the choir, said he liked the new composition: “I like it – I sang it for the first time on Monday and I felt it’s a very appropriate text. I like Nicholas’s music anyway, and it’s a good piece of his music. I think hopefully that Jo’s family will appreciate it, and I think Jo would have appreciated it as well.” | Jeremy Lefroy, a Conservative MP who sings in the choir, said he liked the new composition: “I like it – I sang it for the first time on Monday and I felt it’s a very appropriate text. I like Nicholas’s music anyway, and it’s a good piece of his music. I think hopefully that Jo’s family will appreciate it, and I think Jo would have appreciated it as well.” |
| Separately, some members of the Parliament Choir have joined a collection of rock musicians to record a version the Rolling Stones’ song You Can’t Always Get What You Want as a charity Christmas single. | Separately, some members of the Parliament Choir have joined a collection of rock musicians to record a version the Rolling Stones’ song You Can’t Always Get What You Want as a charity Christmas single. |
| The choir, which will sing in Berlin next week, and is performing at the Royal Festival Hall in 2017, has become “extremely good” over its 15 years of existence, O’Neill said. | The choir, which will sing in Berlin next week, and is performing at the Royal Festival Hall in 2017, has become “extremely good” over its 15 years of existence, O’Neill said. |
| “It started off as a pretty ragtag group of people coming for a sing on a Monday night,” he said. “But we treat them as any other choir. I think they enjoy those two hours a week when they’re away from parliamentary divisions. | “It started off as a pretty ragtag group of people coming for a sing on a Monday night,” he said. “But we treat them as any other choir. I think they enjoy those two hours a week when they’re away from parliamentary divisions. |
| “People always say that music crosses political and religious divisions, and social divides. We see it happening every week on a Monday night in parliament where people who have been entirely at loggerheads through the day come and sit next to each other and literally sing from the same hymn sheet.” | “People always say that music crosses political and religious divisions, and social divides. We see it happening every week on a Monday night in parliament where people who have been entirely at loggerheads through the day come and sit next to each other and literally sing from the same hymn sheet.” |
| This Light of Reason | This Light of Reason |
| If thou canst take this light of reason, and light thee a little candle, | If thou canst take this light of reason, and light thee a little candle, |
| if thou canst find thy Saviour in a manger in his humiliation, and bless God for that beginning, | if thou canst find thy Saviour in a manger in his humiliation, and bless God for that beginning, |
| if thou canst find him flying into Egypt, and accompany him in a persecution, | if thou canst find him flying into Egypt, and accompany him in a persecution, |
| if thou canst follow him into the garden, and gather up some of his precious blood and sweat, | if thou canst follow him into the garden, and gather up some of his precious blood and sweat, |
| if thou canst follow him to his scourging, and to his crucifying; | if thou canst follow him to his scourging, and to his crucifying; |
| if thou canst turn this little light inward and discern where thy corruptions are | if thou canst turn this little light inward and discern where thy corruptions are |
| thou shalt never envy the lustre and glory of the great lights of worldly men – | thou shalt never envy the lustre and glory of the great lights of worldly men – |
| yet shalt thou see that thou by thy light hast gathered pearl and amber, | yet shalt thou see that thou by thy light hast gathered pearl and amber, |
| that that light shall never go out, nor the works of darkness prevail upon thee. | that that light shall never go out, nor the works of darkness prevail upon thee. |