THE BRITISH MUSIC SOCIETY OF NORTHERN IRELAND 1950-1951 FIRST RECITAL under the auspices of THE QUEEN'S UNIVERSITY OF BELFAST PIERRE BERNAC (baritone) FRANCIS POULENC (piano) The Sir William Whitla Hall FRIDAY, 3rd NOVEMBER 1950

TRE ROMANZE PROGRAMME "Non t'accostare all' urna" Verdi Don't come near the urn which holds my ashes I despise your grief You should have pitied me while I lived "Brindisi" Pour me wine! Friends, lovers pass in time, but Thou O Cup fearest not destruction . Age but increases your worth. "Deh, Pietoso, Oh Addolorata" Pity, O Mother of Sorrows! . . Thou alone understandest my suffering . O that through Thee I might be saved from death and dishonour. ZIGEUNER LIEDER "He, Zigeuner" Brahms Ho there Gypsy! Strike resounding every string, and the song of false and faithless maiden sing. "Wisst ihr" Know you when my child at her sweetest is? When her lips so soft, jest and laugh and kiss . . "Hochgetürmte Rimafluth" High and towering Rima stream, why art thou so drear? On thy shore I mourn aloud. "Lieber Gott" Dear God! Thou knowest oft I've rued this, that I gave my lover once a little kiss. "Brauner Bursche" Sunburned youth leads pretty blue-eyed lass to the dance. Spurs clash! The Czardas begins!

"Rothe Abendwolken" Red clouds are slowly passing in the evening sky. Full of longing, for you my love, my heart is burning. "Kommt dir manchmal" Dost thou ever now remember, love so dear What thou once with holy vow to me did swear? "Röslein Dreie" Loving God, if love had been denied All the world, the beauteous world, since had died. Single life's a sin beside. THREE SONGS "L'Invitation au Voyage" Duparc Little sister, see what a joy life down there would be, we two together finding love and peace till death. "Le Manoir de Rosemonde" Like a hound love has wounded me with its cruel bite. Go follow my trail of blood if you would trace my wandering. "Soupir" I shall never see her, never say her name aloud, yet, faithful, I shall always wait, always love. INTERVAL TROIS BALLADES DE FRANCOIS VILLON "Ballade de Villon à s'amye" Debussy False beauty, which has cost me so dear! One day your blossom will fade and wither away. Then I shall laugh. I shall be old but thou ugly and colourless. Yet turn from thy disdain and succour me. "Ballade que feit Villon à la réqueste de sa mère" Mother of Heaven, Earthly Queen, Empress of the infernal regions, receive this humble Christian soul who would be under thy care. "Ballade des femmes de Paris" The garrulous beauties of Florence and Venice may be good enough as servants or companions, but there's none of them can talk like the girls of Paris.

LA FRAICHEUR ET LE FEU Poulenc Sept Mélodies sur un Poème de Paul Eluard (First performance in Ireland) "Rayons des yeux" Light of the sun and sky, of man, and the memory of man! The sky darkens. Suddenly the light is gone. Death alone remains. "Le matin les branches attisent" In the morning, the branches quiver with the song of the birds. In the evening, the quiet trees are still, and the day goes to rest. "Tout Disparait" Even the roofs and the sky are invisible. The stars shine round my window. My eyelids close in sleep. "Dans les ténèbres du jardin" In the garden shadows, come invisible maidens, more slender than the midday shadow. "Unis la fraicheur et le feu" One are Chill and Fire. "Homme au sourire tendre" Man with soft smile. Man with calm eyes "La grande rivière qui va" + One are Lips and Eyes. Woman with soft glance Woman with burning lips The river which moves large in the sunlight, puny in the moonlight, through all its adventurous path, will not have me to point the way. lives without me. And nothing COMBAT DEL SOMNI "Damunt de tu només les flors" Mompou Covered with flowers, a world of fragrance in their kiss, bathed in light you shine forth. Oh that I had been a flower! "Aquesta nit un mateix vent" This night the same wind, the same fiery mist should guide our thoughts across the seas, where love changes to music and to crystal. "Jo et Pressentia com la mar" I divined in you the sea, the wind, vast, immense, free, high, through every hazard, to every destiny. Yet when I hold you, I see you are beyond the limits of my dream.