On the 10th May, 2015, The Arafura Ensemble performed the hauntingly beautiful Pie Jesu by Lili Boulanger as part of a concert “Women in Chamber Music”. This concert featured music of women composers and arrangers in a number of genres and styles. The soloist was Stevie Kyriacou and the video was made by Dave Newman.
The sheet music for this beautiful work is available on the Petrucci IMSLP site. I arranged the work for our ensemble – simply taking the organ part and dividing it into a keyboard part (organ stop) and double bass part.
Click here for the link to the YouTube video of our Pie Jesu performance
Lili Boulanger (French b. 1893 – died 1918)
Lili was the younger sister of Nadia Boulanger who was also a celebrated composer and teacher. She was a Parisian born child prodigy, and Fauré, who was a family friend, recognised her talents early on. She accompanied her ten-year-old sister Nadia to classes at the Paris Conservatoire before she was five.
In 1912 Boulanger competed in the Prix de Rome but during her performance she collapsed from illness. She returned in 1913 at the age of 19 to win the composition prize for her Faust et Hélène, becoming the first woman composer to win the prize.
As she lay dying at the tender age of 24 (from complications of Crohn’s disease), Lili dictated the work Pie Jesu to her sister Nadia, who faithfully wrote it down.
I am grateful to orchestration teacher and music historian Thomas Goss for introducing me to the music of Lili Boulanger.
Thomas Goss – Orchestration Online
Thomas Goss on RadioNZ discusses Lili Boulanger’s life and music.