Adam Lay yBounden

Sebastian ADAMS
Commissioned by RTÉ lyric fm
Adam Lay yBounden

Adam Lay yBounden is a text written in England around 1400. Mediaeval thinkers believed that Adam
(and other notable Old Testament figures) were stuck in limbo until the crucifixion of Christ, and this
idea is the subject of the text, which is ‘macaronic’, meaning it combines different languages1.

I got to know these words from a beautiful setting of them by Boris Ord which I used to sing as a
choirboy in St Bartholomew’s Church in Dublin. The strange text is tense and explosive, and the idea
that the whole story hinged on a stolen apple drew me in as a small child, and I looked forward to
singing it every advent – I think I was by far my favourite carol. When I was commissioned to write a
carol by RTÉ lyric fm, the text jumped at me as I began working on a frosty winter evening.

My setting is dedicated to Malcolm Wisener, who was my choirmaster and without whom I could never
have become a composer.

Synopsis:
Adam lay bound in limbo for so long that 4000 winters passed without his noticing. And his
imprisonment was simply because of the apple that he took from Eve, according to the ancient books.
But if Adam hadn’t eaten the apple, then Mary never would have become Queen of Heaven, because
Christ would not have been born man and died for our sins. Because of this, the time when the apple
was eaten is blessed, and we must praise God.

The poem closes with the words ‘Deo Gratias’, which is a very common Latin refrain meaning ‘Thanks
be to God’. Interestingly, many composers throughout the ages have signed their music with this phrase
and the date it was finished, as a way to devote their work to God.

Line by line explanation of text:

Adam lay ybounden, Adam lay bound,
Bounden in a bond; Bound in a bond
Four thousand winter, Four thousand winters
Thought he not too long. Didn’t seem a long time to him.

And all was for an apple, And all because of an apple,

An apple that he took. An apple that he took.
As clerkes finden, As clerks find written,
Written in their book. written in their book

Ne had the apple taken been, Had not the apple been taken,
The apple taken been, the apple been taken,
Ne had never our ladie, Then Never would our Lady
Abeen heav'ne queen. have become heaven’s Queen.

Blessed be the time Blessed be the time

That apple taken was, That apple taken was,
Therefore we moun singen. Therefore we must sing:
Deo gratias! Deo gratias! (Thanks be to God)

1
the text has also been modernised from Middle English into something more easily readable
Pronuciation of non-standard words:
lay ybounden = lay ee-bounden (lay and bounden as normal, very quick ee)
clerkés = cler - kez
finden = fin-den (as in German, fin as a fish’s fin, den as a fox’s den)
Ne = Nay (rhymes with hay)
Ladie = lady
Abeen heav'ne queen = a-been heav-eh-knee (heav as in heaven) queen
Blessed = bless-ed
moun = (moun as in mound)
singen. = sing-en
Deo gratias! = Day-oh grah-tsee-ahs (In my setting, this word is left unfinished)

Performance Notes:

A good performance of my setting of Adam Lay yBounden will be flexible in tempo, as much or as little
as wished by the performers.

The length of commas between phrases is also flexible, whatever makes musical sense to the
performers.

The semiquaver tied to a crotchet in the first phrase can be seen simply as a very short fermata (pause),
and does not need to be counted accurately.

The passages with staccato repeated notes (first appearing bar 6) should be performed so that they are
dramaticically contrasting with the music around them.

The Maestoso tempo can be particularly free, whatever is most beautiful.

Careful attention should be paid to the expression marks (such as traquillo, misterioso, risoluto), as these
quick changes of feeling are what will make a performance beautiful.

The solo Deo Graci which closes the piece should sound like an unfinishing echo of the opening.
SATB - B minor version To Malcolm Wisener

Adam Lay yBounden

S. Adams
(24 - 30 Nov 15)
Poco Lento (q = c. 60)
p molto legato e misterioso , ,
° ## r
SOPRANO
& œ œ œ ˙ œœ œ
ALTO œœ œ œ ˙™
œ œ œ œ ˙ œ
R
A - dam lay y-bound - en, Boun - den in a bond;
r , ,
TENOR ? ## œ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙™
˙™
BASS ¢ R
p molto legato e misterioso

3
° ## >
& œ œ œ ˙˙ ˙™ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ Œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œ œ ˙™ œ œ
œ œ
Four thou - sand win - ter Thought he not too long, And all for an ap - ple,

? ## œ œœ œœ ˙˙ ˙™
˙™
œœ œœ œœ œœ œ˙ #œ
Œ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ
¢ œ

6 f feroce pp almost whispered Alto SOLO

p legato e misterioso p ,
° ## ‰ bœ . . . . . Œ
& Œ Œœ œ œ œ Œœ
œ œœœœ œ œ œ œ œœ n œœ # œœ œ œœ œœ
. . . . . . . . . -.
An ap-ple that he took, As cler - kès fin - den writ-ten in their book.
. . . . .
œ œ œ œ œ ,
? ## ‰ œ œ . . . . . Œ #œ œœ œœ n œ
œ œ œœ œnbœœ
Œ Œ Œ
¢ pp almost whispered
œ
f feroce p legato e misterioso

(TUTTI)
mp f pp p molto tranquillo
8 . . . . .j non legato
° ## legato
˙ ˙˙ ™™ ˙™
˙™ ˙˙ ‰
bœ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ˙ Œ nœœ ˙ nœ
& ˙™˙™ ˙
. . . . .J œ ˙ œ
And Né had The ap-ple ta--ken been Né had ne - ver our
˙™ ˙™ ˙
? ##n ˙˙ ™™ b ˙˙ ˙™ ˙™ ˙ nœ ˙˙
œ ˙˙ œœ
∑ Œ nœ
¢ ˙™
legato
p molto tranquillo
mp f non legato
2 Maestoso
risoluto
13
° ## Œ ‰ ™ pp.r . . . . . Œ
molto legato p cresc. poco a poco
w wœ œ œ
& ˙˙™™ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ w w œ
w
w w
la - dy
∑ A-been Hea-ve-né Queen Bles - sèd be the
.r . . . . .
˙™ œœ ‰ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ Œ
? ## Œ ˙™ w w
w w w
¢ w w w
risoluto ∑ pp p cresc. poco a poco
molto legato

Tempo Primo
, pp
19
° ## fw dim.
, molto legato e tranquillo
& ˙ œ œ œ ™ œ œ ,nœ œ œ ˙
w
w
˙™ w
œ œ ww w ˙™ w
poco rit.
time That ap - ple ta - ken
f w™ ,
? ## œw #œ œ œ ˙œ œ ww ww ˙™
˙™ w
w
¢ w™
dim. pp molto legato e misterioso

Sop. SOLO
p semplice - poco meno legato
26
° ## œ œ Œ
& ww wœ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ Œ œ
J . . . . . . œ
was. There-fore we moun sing-en De - o Gra - ci
(altos only- others sustain 'was')
? ## w w
∑
¢

28
° ## p p p p
& œ œ Œ Ó œ œ Œ Œ œ œ Œ Ó œ œ
œ œ œ œ
œ œ œ œ
De - o Gra-ci De - o Gra -ci De - o Gra -ci De - o Gra -ci

? ## ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
¢
SATB - D minor version To Malcolm Wisener

Adam Lay yBounden

S. Adams
(24 - 30 Nov 15)
Poco Lento (q = c. 60)
p molto legato e misterioso , ,
° b r
SOPRANO œ œ œ ˙ œœ œ
ALTO & œ œœ œ œ ˙™
œ œ œ ˙ œ
R
A - dam lay y-bound - en, Boun - den in a bond;
r , ,
œ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ œ œœ œœ œœ ˙™
˙™
TENOR ?b
BASS ¢ R
p molto legato e misterioso

3 >
° b ˙ ˙™
& œ œœ œœ œ ˙ ˙™
œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ Œ œœ œ œ œ œœ œ œ
œ œ
œ œ
Four thou - sand win - ter Thought he not too long, And all for an ap - ple,

œ œœ œœ ˙˙ ˙™ œœ œœ œœ œœ œ˙ # œ
?b ˙™ Œ œœ œœ œœ œ œœ œœ
¢ œ

6 f feroce pp almost whispered

. . . . . p legato e misterioso Alto SOLO
p
,
° b
& ‰ bœœ œœœœ œ œ œ œ Œ œœ œ nœœ œ œœ œœ Œ Œœ œ œ œ Œœ
. . . . . nœ . . . . -.
An ap-ple that he took, As cler - kès fin - den writ-ten in their book.
. . . . .
œœ œœ œ œ œ œ œ # œ œœ œœ b œ œœ œnb œœ
,
?b ‰ . . . . . Œ œ Œ Œ Œ
¢ pp almost whispered
f feroce p legato e misterioso
(TUTTI)
mp f pp p molto tranquillo
8 . . . . .j non legato legato
° b ˙ ˙˙ ™™ ˙™
˙™ ˙˙ bœ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ ˙ Œ bœœ ˙ bœ
& ˙™
˙™ ˙
. . . . .J ‰ œ ˙ œ
And Né had The ap-ple ta--ken been Né had ne -ver our
˙™ ˙™ ˙
n ˙˙ ™™ b ˙˙ ˙™ ˙™ ˙ bœ ˙˙
œ ˙˙ œœ
Œ œ
? b
∑
¢ b ˙™
p molto tranquillo legato
mp f non legato
2 risoluto Maestoso
13 molto legato pp p cresc. poco a poco
° b Œ ˙™ . . . . . .
& ˙™ œœ ‰ ™ œr œ œ œ œ œ Œ w w
w
wœ œ œ
œ
w
w w
la - dy ∑ A-been Hea-ve-né Queen Bles - sèd be the
.r . . . . .
˙™
˙™ œœ ™ œ œ œ œ œ œ w w w
? ‰ Œ w w
¢ bŒ
w w w
risoluto ∑ pp p cresc. poco a poco
molto legato

Tempo Primo
, pp
19 f , molto legato e tranquillo
° bw œ œ w ™ dim.
œ œ œ ,bœ œ œ ˙ ˙™ w
& ˙ œ œ ww w
w ˙™ w
time poco rit. That ap - ple ta - ken
,
œ nœfœ œ w™ ˙œ œ ww ww ˙™
˙™ w
w
?b w w™
¢
dim. pp molto legato e misterioso

Sop. SOLO
p semplice - poco meno legato
26
° bw wœ ‰ œ œ œ Œ
& w J .
œ œ œ œ œ
œ
œ
. . . . . ‰ Œ
was. There-fore we moun sing-en De - o Gra - ci
(altos only- others sustain 'was')
w w
?b ∑
¢

28
° b p œ œ Œ Ó p
œ œ Œ Œ p
œ œ Œ Ó p
œ œ
& œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
De - o Gra - ci De - o Gra - ci De - o Gra - ci De - o Gra - ci

?b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
¢
Two part version To Malcolm Wisener

Adam Lay yBounden

S. Adams
(24 - 30 Nov 15)
Poco Lento (q = c. 60) , ,
p molto legato e misterioso
° b œ œ ˙ œ ˙™
œ œ
˙
Soprano & œ œ œ R œ
˙™
œ
œ œ
A -dam lay y bound
- - en, Boun -den in a bond; Four thou - sand win - ter

p molto legato e misterioso

, ,
˙™
Alto ¢& b œ œ œ r œ œ œ œ ˙™ œ œ œ œ˙
œ œ ˙
A -dam lay y bound
- - en, Boun -den in a bond; Four thou - sand win - ter

Poco Lento (q = c. 60) ,

˙ œ œ ˙™
œ œ œR œ
œœ œœ œ ˙˙ ˙˙ ™™
&b œ œ
œœ ˙™
œ
Optional p molto legato e misterioso
Ó
Keyboard r , ,
Accomp. œ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙˙ œ œœ ˙œ˙ œ ˙™
˙™ n ˙œ œ œœ ˙˙ ˙™
˙™
?b
{ °
R
*° *

4
° b œ œ œ œ >œ
S. & œ œ œ ˙ Œ œ œ œ
ought he not too long, And all for an ap - ple,

¢& b œ
A. œ œ œ œ œ œ #œ Œ
nœ œ œ œ œ >œ œ
ought he not too long, And all for an ap - ple,

& b œœ œ œœ œœ ˙˙ Œ Œœ
œ˙ œ
Œœ œ˙˙ œ
œ œ
Pno.
œ ˙œ œ˙ # œ
?b œ œ Œ œœ œœ œœ œœ ˙
{ ˙
2
6 f feroce pp almost whispered p legato e misterioso
,
° b ‰ bœ œ
S. & œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. Œ œ œ œ œ œ Ó Œ
An ap -ple that he took, As cler - kès fin - den

f feroce pp almost whispered SOLO ,

p legato e misterioso p
A. ¢& b ‰ œ œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. Œ œ
œ œ bœ œ bœ
Œ œ. œ. œ. œ. œ
-.
An ap -ple that he took, As cler - kès fin - den writ -ten in their book.

& b ‰ # œœr≈ ŒŒ
Œ Œ œœ œ n œœ b œœ nœœ œœ Ó Œ
Œ #œ œ # œ
œ
R
Pno. f feroce p legato e misterioso
œœ œ œœ œ b œœ
? b ‰ œœ œ Œ
{ œœ
Œ Œ œ Ó Œ

mp f pp p molto tranquillo
8 legato
non legato
° b ˙ ˙™ ˙™ ˙ b œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. ‰ œ ˙ Œ œ ˙ bœ
S. & ˙™ J
And Né had e ap -ple ta -ken been Né had ne -ver our

TUTTI p molto tranquillo

mp f pp
non legato legato
˙E ™™ ˙E ™™ b œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. ‰
¢& b ˙™
A. ˙ ˙ Œ bœ ˙
b e e e e eJ œ n˙ œ
And Né had e ap -ple ta -ken been Né had ne -ver our

(TUTTI)
˙ ˙˙˙ ™™ >˙˙˙ ™™™ ˙˙˙ b œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. ‰ œ ˙ Œ b œœœ ˙˙ b œœ
& b ˙™
˙™ ˙ J œ ˙
mp f sub p. pp p molto tranquillo legato
Pno. non legato
?b
n ˙™
˙™ n˙˙˙ >˙ ™ b ˙ b œ ˙˙
∑ Œ bœ ˙
{ b˙™
b ˙™
œ
 Maestoso 3
13 risoluto pp
° b Œ molto legato p cresc. poco a poco
˙™ œ ‰ ™ œr œ œ œ œ œ Œ w w
S. & w w
. . . . . .
la - dy A -been Hea - ve - né ueen Bles - sèd be the
risoluto
molto legato p cresc. poco a poco

¢& b Œ
A. ∑
˙™ œ w w œ œ œ œ
w%
la - dy Bles - sèd be the
Maestoso
wœ œ œ
& b ŒŒ ˙˙ ™™ œœ ∑ w w
w
˙˙™™ œœ w œ
w w
p cresc. poco a poco
Pno. risoluto
molto legato
?b Œ ˙™ œœ w w
w w w
{ °
Ɯ
œ ˙™

*
∑ w w w

Tempo Primo
19 f dim. , pp molto legato e tranquillo
° b w œ œ œ, œ ˙™ w
S. & bœ œ œ œ w w
poco rit.
time at ap - ple ta - ken

f
, pp molto legato e tranquillo
dim.
A. ¢& b œ n œ œ œ w ™ œ œ w w ˙™
w
poco rit.
time at ap - ple ta - ken
, Tempo Primo
,
w œ œ œ˙ ™ œ œ ˙ ™ ˙ ˙™ w
& ˙
b w w
˙™ œ œ w w ˙™ w
poco rit.
f dim. pp molto legato e tranquillo
Pno.

œ nœ œ œ w™ ˙œ œ ww ww ˙™
˙™ w
w
?b w
{ w™
4 p semplice - poco meno legato
26
° b w SOLO œ
w œ Œ
S. & œ œ
was. De - o Gra - ci
,
¢& b w œ. œ. ‰ Œ
A. œ. œ. œ. œ. œ. ∑
was. ere -fore we moun sing - en

&b w
ww wœœ ‰ Œ Ó ∑
J
Pno. w w
?b ∑
{
28
° b p œ œ Œ Ó p
œ œ Œ Œ p œ œ Œ Ó p
œ œ
S. & œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ
De - o Gra - ci De - o Gra - ci De - o Gra - ci De - o Gra - ci

¢& b
A. ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑

&b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
Pno.
?b ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑
{