Benjamin Britten — Offertorium

[BOYS] Domine Jesu Christe, Rex gloriae Libera animas omnium fidelium Defunctorum de poenis inferni Et de profundo lacu: Libera eas de ore leonis, ne absorbeat eas Tartarus, ne cadant in obscurum [Chorus] Sed signifer sanctus Michael Repraesentet eas in lucem sanctam: Quam olim Abrahae promisisti Et semini ejus [TENOR AND BARITONE] So Abram rose, and clave the wood, and went And took the fire with him, and a knife And as they sojourned both of them together Isaac the first-born spake and said, My Father Behold the preparations, fire and iron But where the lamb for this burnt-offering? Then Abram bound the youth with belts and straps And builded parapets and trenched there And streched forth the knife to slay his son When lo! and angel called him out of heaven Saying, Lay not thy hand upon the lad Neither do anything to him. Behold A ram, caught in a thicket by its horns; Offer the Ram of Pride instead of him But the old man would not so But slew his son, - And half the seed of Europe, one by one {BOYS] Hostias et preced tibi Domine Laudis offerimus; tu suscipe pro Animabus illis, quarum hodie Memoriam facimus: fac eas, Domine De morte transire ad vitam Quam olim Abrahae promisisti En semini ejus [Chorus] Quam olim Abrahae promisisti Et semini ejus