The Dream of the Rood (Fragments)

I'm fascinated by the influence of Anglo-Saxon, Germanic and Norse mythology on Christianity in the Middle Ages. Christian poets attempted to appeal to those still embedded in the pagan traditions, adapting the gospels to fit the cultural climate. The earliest English poem, The Dream of The Rood, exists in three forms: on runes on the 7th-century stone Ruthwell Cross in Dumfriesshire, Scotland (although it was possibly added later, a sort of Middle Ages graffiti); in Old English on parchment on the 10th-century expanded version in the Vercelli book in Northern Italy; and on silver, in Roman letters on the Brussels Cross made in Wessex. It's an incredibly evocative poem notable for its mystical, dream-like quality and a sense of heroism.

I created my own loose, fragmentary translation of the text, and borrowed fragments of the original Old English poem for the ‘tree-speak’. I also roughly transcribed a keening song as sung by Kitty Gallagher and recorded by Alan Lomax in 1951.

The Dream of the Rood was commissioned by the London Contemporary Church Music Festival, and premiered at St Pancras Church, May 13th 2015 and broadcast live on BBC Radio 3.