Dat wij stromen = Breath Of Life, 1973 - 2001

File

Identifier: 182

Staff Only

Scope and Contents

for a Birth, for Pentecost, a Song for Life an Open-form Dong and Canon for 2 Voices with Keyboard (Organ) Accompaniment

Dates

Publication: 1973 - 2001

Creator

Huijbers, Bernard (1922-2003) (Composer, Person)

Biographical / Historical

The first line of this song in its original Dutch is dat wij vol stromen met levensadem. This is, first and foremost, a wish, a desire, a strong urge, that, (if only) we be flooded with life-breath.... When I was evaluating this song with Jim Hansen, his recommendation was that the first line should read Come, O Breath of Life, surge within us, which he felt had a stronger urgency than the May the breath of life. While I see some merit in this recommendation, I prefer the softer interpretation as the cry of the newly-born. This also conveys the hesitancy of that early community to emerge from its place of hiding and erupt on an unsuspecting world. - Tony Barr