2008


The Two Priests & Music and Drum

Composed by John Musto

The Book of Uncommon Prayer Song Collection


"The Two Priests & Music and Drum" is a song from John Musto's song cycle The Book of Uncommon Prayer. The song combines two poems of Archibald MacLeish. The audio recording of "The Two Priests & Music and Drum" is made possible through a collaboration between the Hampsong Foundation and SongFest. The performers are Katharine Dain, soprano, Rachel Calloway, mezzo-soprano, Stephen Ng, tenor, Neil Aronoff, bass-baritone, and Tomasz Lis, piano, and the performance took place at SongFest 2008 at Pepperdine University.

Text

The Two Priests
by Archibald MacLeish

Man in the West
Man in the East

Man lives best
Who loves life the least,
Says the Priest in the West.

Man in the flesh
Man in the ghost

Man lives best
Who fears death most,
Says the Priest in the East.

Man in the West
Man in the East
Man in the flesh
Man in the ghost

Man lives best
Who loves life most,
Who fears death least,
Says Man to the Priest
In the East, in the West.

Related Information

Audio

“The Two Priests & Music and Drum” (from “The Book of Uncommon Prayer”)
Katharine Dain (soprano), Rachel Calloway (mezzo-soprano), Stephen Ng (tenor), Neil Aronoff (bass-baritone), and Tomasz Lis (piano)2:14

John Musto

Composer

Archibald MacLeish

Poet(s)/Writer(s)

2008

Date

Pepperdine University

Location

Collaboration between the Hampsong Foundation and SongFest

Sheet Music