Lament of the Mother of God (Tavener) — Winchester Cathedral Choir with Solveig Kringelborn

The Choir of Winchester Cathedral, under the direction of David Hill, perform John Tavener’s ’Lament of the Mother of God’, an Orthodox text chanted and sung on Great and Holy Friday to mark the death of Christ on the cross and remember the sorrows of His mother. Norwegian soprano Solveig Kringelborn solos here with the words of the grieving Mary in a stunning, ethereal setting by John Tavener that has been described as ’the Pietà in sound’. The text below is incomplete. Any corrections or additions would be very appreciated. [ Text: ] Woe is me, my Child! I see Thee, dearest and beloved Child, hanging upon the cross, and my heart is bitterly wounded. But in Thy love, speak some word to Thy handmaiden. Woe is me, my Child! I wish to take my son down from the wood and to hold Him in my arms as once I held Him when He was a little child; But alas, there is no-one to give Him to me. Woe is me, my Child! I