Six Celtic Songs
Five Songs using words from Carmina Gadelica (as collected by Alexander Carmichael), and a Celtic prayer
by Marja Slotemaker
The Guiding Light of Eternity
Christ, King of the Elements
Bless O God My Little Cow
Rune of the Peat Fire
Sleep Prayer (first version)
Sleep Prayer (second version)
God with me lying down
The words of these songs (with the exception of 'Christ, King of the Elements') can be found in either or both of the following publications:
Carmina Gadelica (Hymns & Incantations), published by Floris Books, and
Sundances (no longer in print).
These are both based on the original Carmina Gadelica ("Hymns in the Gaelic") collected by Alexander Carmichael (1832–1912) from the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, published ultimately in six volumes.
The words of 'Christ, King of the Elements' seem to have been used in other places as a 'Celtic Prayer'. They comprise the first two verses of three that can be found as 'The Prayer of St Bride of Iona' by Ann Ellerton in the collection In the Light of a Child by Michael Hedley Burton (editor), published by SteinerBooks USA.
Skill level: B/C.
About the Author
Marja Slotemaker de Bruine was born in Holland in 1898. She was a clergyman’s wife for 25 years and spent many of those years living in Indonesia with her husband. She grew up in a very musical family and she was a very good pianist. Her knowledge of and interest in modern music was phenomenal. She was also always up to date with the latest literature. Her marriage broke up when she was in her fifties and then she became more and more involved with anthroposophy and music therapy. She met Dr Hans Heinrich Engel when she was doing some music in Camphill Christophorus in Holland and she became part of the research group around him in relation to music therapy. She worked together with Hans Heinrich in Glencraig in the therapeutic work, but also began to work on her own ever more.
Marja spent some time as a coworker in Franz Löffler’s home for boys, but she never became a curative educator as such. During that time Marja worked for a time with Annie von Lange and had singing lessons with Maria Führmann. The planetary scales were very close to her heart and she composed many pieces for various instruments in these scales, including the music for passion week, ‘Charwoche’ for 2 voices and instruments, which was performed very regularly in Glencraig for many years.
Marja was a devoted and enthusiastic composer and would write music for any combination of instruments for all possible occasions. She left a large collection of manuscripts into my care at her death in 1990. She still composed until in her late eighties.
Edeline LeFevre, Camphill Community Glencraig
First published by Upper Esk Music
12 pages of music.
29.7 x 21 cms, 11¾ x 8¼ inches.
Stitched.
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