Black Shuck Lament uses two texts, cut up, re-ordered, and intermingled: firstly, a poem by me made from fragments of the Book of Lamentations – anguished in tone but largely without the religious context. Secondly, extracts from contemporary accounts of ‘black shuck’, a demonic black dog that seems to have roamed East Anglia from around the 12th century, terrorising locals at best and killing them at worst.
The tone is largely dark and desolate. There is clock-like ticking in plucked strings for large portions of the piece, though it is a tired clock that keeps winding down, before regaining its tempo.
Black Shuck’s claws are said to be visible on the door of the church in Blythburgh, the venue for the piece’s premiere.
Instrumentation:
tenor voice & strings (min. 1.1.1.1.1)
Duration:
10 mins
Commission:
Commissioned by Aldeburgh Festival
Performances:
21 June 2025
Allan Clayton & Dunedin Consort
Aldeburgh Festival, Blythburgh Church, Suffolk, UK
World premiere