The texts of Jeremy Arden’s four settings are taken from the Exeter Book, a 10th-century collection of poetry in Old English that is generally acknowledged to be one of the great works of the English Benedictine Revival. Included within the anthology are more than ninety riddles and kennings, the latter belonging to an ancient tradition of learning through memorable metaphor, a technique much valued in the Anglo-Saxon world. The kennings presented here, scored for three soprano/treble voices and piano, include an element of theatre. On occasion a singer is required to play a few notes on a violin, or must strike a bell to imitate a six-o’clock chime; the violin part is simply a means of providing a clue (no precision necessary!), the singer-player waving the bow and helping the audience ‘guess my name’.

 Music example (pdf)