Salem, 1692: Cantata for Mixed Chorus
by THEODORE SPENCER
1
WHOLE CHORUS: Bless the inheritance of the Lord
That he may be intrented for the Land,
That he may be intrented for the Land,
HALF CHORUS (Victims of the witchcraft persecutions):
We were hanged on a hill by the sea
Because of the evil delusions
Spread by the Powers of Darkness,
Spread by the Prince of the Air.
We were hanged on a hill by the sea
Because of the evil delusions
Spread by the Powers of Darkness,
Spread by the Prince of the Air.
HALF CHORUS (The jury at the witchcraft trials):
We have shed innocent blood;
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
Bless the inheritance of the Lord
We have shed innocent blood;
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
Bless the inheritance of the Lord
THE VICTIMS: That he may be intreated for the Land.
WHOLE CHORUS: Bless the inheritance of the Lord
That he may be intrented for the Land.
That he may be intrented for the Land.
2
THE VICTIMS: Nineteen hanged, one pressed to death:
Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes,
Elizabeth How —
Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes,
Elizabeth How —
CONTRALTO SOLO: Elizabeth How.
A saintly woman, swinging from the gallows,
Who had led her blind husband
Tenderly by the hand.
When the neighbor’s boy cried to his sister,
“Say she is a witch! Say she is a witch!”
Elizabeth How saw the face of God
Smile down to her, saying, “Mine.”
A saintly woman, swinging from the gallows,
Who had led her blind husband
Tenderly by the hand.
When the neighbor’s boy cried to his sister,
“Say she is a witch! Say she is a witch!”
Elizabeth How saw the face of God
Smile down to her, saying, “Mine.”
THE JURY: We have shed innocent blood;
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
THE VICTIMS: Hanged on a hill by the sea:
Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse, George Burroughs —
Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse, George Burroughs —
BARITONE SOLO: George Burroughs.
A little black minister at Casco Bay,
A little black man, but tiger-strong.
They said George Burroughs killed three wives,
Two for himself and one for a friend;
And the first wife came in a winding sheet,
Pale as a white wall.
And they said George Burroughs blew on a trumpet,
Blaring to Andover, echoing up the Merrimac,
Sounding over Cape Ann at midnight
For witches to fly and feast in the orchard.
He stood on the gallows, saying Our Father,
And they saw the devil dictating the words.
But little George Burroughs with the strong arms,
Looking deep in his heart, saw only
God, the humbling providence of God.
A little black minister at Casco Bay,
A little black man, but tiger-strong.
They said George Burroughs killed three wives,
Two for himself and one for a friend;
And the first wife came in a winding sheet,
Pale as a white wall.
And they said George Burroughs blew on a trumpet,
Blaring to Andover, echoing up the Merrimac,
Sounding over Cape Ann at midnight
For witches to fly and feast in the orchard.
He stood on the gallows, saying Our Father,
And they saw the devil dictating the words.
But little George Burroughs with the strong arms,
Looking deep in his heart, saw only
God, the humbling providence of God.
THE JURY: We have shed innocent blood;
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
THE VICTIMS: Hanged on a hill by the sea:
John Procter, George Jacobs, John Willard,
Martha Carrier, Martha Corey —
John Procter, George Jacobs, John Willard,
Martha Carrier, Martha Corey —
SOPRANO SOLO: Martha Corey.
Martha Corey laughed, and denied it.
“You are all against me; I cannot confess.
I saw nobody; I know nothing.
No yellow bird sits on my shoulder;
No man comes whispering in my ears.”
And she laughed, laughed; laughed and denied it.
“I never thought of a witch,” she said.
“You are all against me, and I cannot help it.”
She told the ministers their eyes were blinded;
She laughed, laughed; laughed and denied it:
“Whom do I worship but God who made me?”
Martha Corey laughed, and denied it.
“You are all against me; I cannot confess.
I saw nobody; I know nothing.
No yellow bird sits on my shoulder;
No man comes whispering in my ears.”
And she laughed, laughed; laughed and denied it.
“I never thought of a witch,” she said.
“You are all against me, and I cannot help it.”
She told the ministers their eyes were blinded;
She laughed, laughed; laughed and denied it:
“Whom do I worship but God who made me?”
THE JURY: We have shed innocent blood;
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
We humbly beg forgiveness.
THE VICTIMS: Hanged on a hill by the sea:
Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator,
Margaret Scott, Wilmot Reed, Samuel Wardwell,
Mary Parker —
Mary Easty, Alice Parker, Ann Pudeator,
Margaret Scott, Wilmot Reed, Samuel Wardwell,
Mary Parker —
BASS SOLO: And Giles Corey would not be hanged.
Giles Corey would not be tried.
Brought to court he would not plead.
His eighty-year-old mouth stayed dumb.
And following the law they pressed him down
With stones, more stones, upon his chest
Until his tongue pushed through his lips,
But he did not speak one word.
Giles Corey would not be tried.
Brought to court he would not plead.
His eighty-year-old mouth stayed dumb.
And following the law they pressed him down
With stones, more stones, upon his chest
Until his tongue pushed through his lips,
But he did not speak one word.
(Together)
THE JURY: We have shed innocent blood;
THE VICTIMS: Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes, Elizabeth How,
Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse, George Burroughs —
THE VICTIMS: Bridget Bishop, Sarah Good, Sarah Wildes, Elizabeth How,
Susannah Martin, Rebecca Nurse, George Burroughs —
(Together)
THE JURY: We were sadly deluded and mistaken;
THE VICTIMS: John Procter, George Jacobs, John Willard, Martha Carrier,
Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Alice Parker —
THE VICTIMS: John Procter, George Jacobs, John Willard, Martha Carrier,
Martha Corey, Mary Easty, Alice Parker —
(Together)
THE JURY: We humbly beg forgiveness.
THE VICTIMS: Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Wilmot Reed, Samuel Wardwell,
Mary Parker, Giles Corey.
THE VICTIMS: Ann Pudeator, Margaret Scott, Wilmot Reed, Samuel Wardwell,
Mary Parker, Giles Corey.
WHOLE CHORUS: Bless the inheritance of the Lord
That he may be intreated for the Land.
That he may be intreated for the Land.
3
THE VICTIMS: The blindness that killed us is healed,
But blindness past and to come
Darkens the east and the west
And darkens the sun at noon.
Oh because of our death may darkness
Die for a little into light,
And the garden of compassion grow
Roses with new names.
But blindness past and to come
Darkens the east and the west
And darkens the sun at noon.
Oh because of our death may darkness
Die for a little into light,
And the garden of compassion grow
Roses with new names.
THE JURY: Because we were blind, may blindness
Perish with our delusion;
May blindness seem to our children
Only the black side of silver
To reflect the freedom of a smile.
May the terrible ghost of our evil
Haunt the midnights of Justice
That day’s right words be found.
Perish with our delusion;
May blindness seem to our children
Only the black side of silver
To reflect the freedom of a smile.
May the terrible ghost of our evil
Haunt the midnights of Justice
That day’s right words be found.
THE VICTIMS: Now evil and innocence meet;
THE JURY: Cleanness and cruelty meet;
THE VICTIMS: Two halves of the broken world;
THE JURY: Joining to pray for the world:
THE JURY: Cleanness and cruelty meet;
THE VICTIMS: Two halves of the broken world;
THE JURY: Joining to pray for the world:
WHOLE CHORUS: Bless the inheritance of the Lord
That he may be intreated for the Land.
That he may be intreated for the Land.