Kinderland, with its nostalgic evocation of a lost state of innocence, provides a momentary oasis of wistful calm in the midst of agitation and anguish. The re-awakening to the dreary present, described in the second part of the poem is underlined by a return to the minor.

4. Kinderland [Land of childhood]

Sou daar in my wonderwêreld       
soms nog kinders kaalvoet klouter       
opdraand teen die taaibosrand?                             
[Could there in that world of wonder             
still be children scrambling barefoot 
up the ridge where the taaibos grows?]

Pluk hulle bessies, skilpadbessies,                              
donkerrooies, bruines, geles,                                        
nou nog in my kinderland?
[Do they still pick berries, tortoise-berries,  
dark red, brown and golden ones,                                     
in the land of my childhood?]

Geur dit nog van peperbossies
en renoster- waar die aarde		          
ooplê teen die hemelrand?
[Is the air still fragrant with peper- and
renosterbos – where the earth lies 
open against heaven’s rim?]

Hoe verleë dool ons dikwels
mymerend deur die verre strate,
moeg van stad en stadskoerant;   
[How forlorn and lost in thought 
we often wander the distant city streets,
weary of all that life is there;]

Hunkerend tussen die skare,
eenling, eensaam in ons wese, 
ver van huis en kinderland!
[Yearning among the multitude,
lonely and forsaken exiles,
far from home and childhood’s land!]

Alleenstryd (Hofmeyr) - André Howard, Hendrik Hofmeyr 4. Kinderland

The incantatory slow movement of Hendrik Hofmeyr's Clarinet Sonata is in ternary form. The A section is based on a widely arched theme announced by the clarinet. The brief middle section (Poco più mosso) is more expressive in character and ends with a canonic cadenza for the two instruments, which leads to an abbreviated recapitulation of the A section, but now with canonic imitation by the piano. In the coda elements of both themes are fused into a new melody, which is again echoed by the piano.

Sonata For Clarinet And Piano (Hofmeyr) - Becky Stelzner, Jose Dias [2]

The first song from 'Vier gebede by jaargetye in die Boland' [Four seasonal prayers] on poems by NP Van Wyk Louw
I. Vroegherfs	[Early autumn]
Die jaar word ryp in goue akkerblare, 	
[The year matures in golden oak-leaves,] 
in wingerd wat verbruin, en witter lug 	
[in vineyards turning russet, and paler air]
wat daglank van die nuwe wind en klare 	
[that all day long is washed by the new wind]
son deurspoel word; elke blom word vrug, 	
[and pellucid sun; every flower turns to fruit,]
tot selfs die traagstes; en die eerste blare val 	
[even the tardiest; and the first leaves fall]
so stilweg in die rookvaal bos en laan, 			
[so quietly in the smoke-blue wood and lane,]
dat die takke van die lang populiere al 			
[that the branches of the slender poplars]
met elke ligte môre witter staan. 	
[show paler with every luminous morning]
O Heer, laat hierdie dae heilig word: 	
[ Lord, may these day be sacred:]
laat alles val wat pronk en sieraad was 	
[let fall all that was vanity and display]
of enkel jeug, en vér was van die pyn; 			
[or merely youth, and far removed from pain;]
laat ryp word, Heer, laat U wind waai, laat stort  	
[bring ripeness, Lord, let Your wind blow, topple]
my waan, tot al die hoogheid eindelik vas 	
[my pride, ‘till all that is highest at last emerges]
en nakend uit my teerder jeug verskyn. 	
[firm and unadorned from the tenderness of youth.]

Unknown Album (2008/08/15 12:14:03 PM)

Vier gebede by jaargetye in die Boland 1. Vroegherfs - Andre Howard, Hendrik Hofmeyr

This arrangement of the beautiful South African lullaby 'Thula, thu' takes the form of a set of variations in which the original melody is always present in either the voice or the piano. Exquisitely performed by Paulina Malefane (soprano) and Esthea Kruger (piano) on the album 'The Worlds behind the Words - Art Songs of Hendrik Hofmeyr'

- Hendrik Hofmeyr - Thula, Thu - Paulina Malefane, Esthea Kruger

In these two sonnets, placed consecutively in Petrarch’s great Canzoniere, the poet bemoans the loss of his beloved Laura. In the first sonnet, the dancelike opening theme with its irregular metrical subdivision yields suddenly to an elegiac idea at the start of the third stanza, which is linked to the last by an ascending motif,ending with a semitonal appoggiatura. In the last stanza, this plaintive appoggiatura is superimposed on a reminiscence of the dance theme. The second sonnet opens with a flute solo evoking the nightingale’s song. The vocal line is based on the elegiac idea from the first sonnet, and the reference to the beloved in the third stanza is accompanied by the return of the ascending motif. A fragment of the nightingale’s song concludes the work.

CCCX

Zefiro torna, e’l bel tempo rimena 		
[Zephyr returns, bringing back the fair season]
e i fiori e l’erbe, sua dolce famiglia,  		
[and the flowers and plants, his sweet companions,] 
e garrir Progne e pianger Filomena, 		
[and the warbling Prokne and weeping Philomela,]
e primavera candida e vermiglia; 		
[and spring with its vivid white and vermillion;]

ridono i prati, e’l ciel si rasserena, 		
[the meadows bloom and the sky is serene,]
Giove s’allegra di mirar sua figlia;   		
[Jove is pleased at the sight of his daughter;]
l’aria e l’acqua e la terra è d’amor piena; 	
[love fills the air and the water and the earth;]
ogni animal d'amar si riconsiglia. 		
[every creature is stirred by amorous longings.]

Ma per me, lasso, tornano i più gravi 		
[But for me, alas, return the heaviest sighs,]
sospiri, che del cor profondo tragge 		
[which she draws from the depths of the heart]
quella ch'al ciel se ne portò le chiavi; 		
[to which she, heavenbound, took the key;]

e cantar augelletti e fiorir piagge, 		
[and the singing birds and flowering hills,]
e 'n belle donne oneste atti soavi 		
[and the sweet ways of lovely womankind]
sono un deserto, e fere aspre e selvagge. 	
[are to me like a wild and  bitter wasteland.]

CCCXI

Quel rosignuol, che sì soave piagne 		
[That nightingale, that so gently weeps]
forse suoi figli o sua cara consorte, 		
[perhaps for its children or its dear companion,]
di dolcezza empie il cielo e le campagne 	
[sweetly fills the heavens and the meadows]
con tante note sì pietose e scorte, 		
[with copious music, moving and mellifluous,]

e tutta notte par che m'accompagne, 		
[and all night long it seems to accompany me,]
e mi rammente la mia dura sorte: 		
[and to remind me of my dire fate:]
ch'altri che me non ò di chi mi lagne  		
[for I have no-one to complain of but myself,]
ché 'n dee non credev'io regnasse Morte. 	
[who would not believe that divinity could be mortal.]

O che lieve è inganar chi s'assecura! 		
[Oh how easily deceived is he who is too sure!]
Que' duo bei lumi assai più che 'l sol chiari 	
[Who could foresee those two bright lamps more radiant] 
chi pensò mai veder far terra oscura? 		
[than the sun would e’er become dark earth?] 

Or conosco io che mia fera ventura 		
[Now I know that my cruel destiny would]
vuol che vivendo e lagrimando impari 		
[that living and weeping I should learn]
come nulla qua giù diletta e dura.		
[that all earthly delight is fleeting.]

Unknown Album (2008/08/20 06:28:20 PM)

Due sonetti di Petrarca -  Version for high voice, flute, cello and piano

PIE JESU In memoriam Laura Searle 

Hofmeyr wrote this setting of the words “Dear Lord Jesus, grant them rest”  from the Requiem mass on the day his beloved piano teacher and mentor, Laura Searle, passed away. It was first performed at her funeral.


'Pie Jesu' performed by Pro Arte Singers (USA) conducted by Arthur Sjogren

This flute concerto pays homage to the qualities that contribute most strikingly to the unique charm of the instrument: its seductive sensuality, its haunting lyricism and its silvery brilliance. Darker and more passionate emotions are hinted at, but are never allowed to overwhelm the flute’s innate delicacy. In this respect, as in many others, the work harks back affectionately to the eighteenth century, when the flute reigned supreme among the wind instruments.

The first movement opens with a languid, incantatory idea, which is subsequently  transformed into a slightly melancholic first theme over an uneasy accompanying figure. The same mood prevails in the second theme, based on the wistful inflections of the siciliano, and is only dispelled by the acrobatic brilliance of the third theme. After a brief reference to the introductory idea, the three themes are developed contrapuntally, culminating in an elaborate cadenza, based principally on the second theme. Another reference to the introductory idea leads to the recapitulation of the three main themes.


Hofmeyr - Flute Concerto (a) - Helen Vosloo, NSO, Siffert

This work is dedicated to the memory of Melanie Horne, who had requested Hofmeyr in 1997 to write a concerto for her, but passed away tragically when composition of the work had barely begun.  

The second movement takes the form of an elegiac chaconne, consisting of a theme and nine variations over a descending chromatic bass. After the climactic fifth variation, the theme and first two variations return in varied reprises, while the piano textures gradually dissolve into the upper regions of the keyboard.



Piano Concerto [2nd movement] - Francois Du Toit, NSO, Emmanuel Siffert

An arrangement of one of the most beautiful traditional South African lullabies.

Thula Babana (Hofmeyr) - Stellenberg Girls Choir, André Van Der Merwe

This setting of 'Hodie Christus natus est' employs two alternating ideas. The first is an imitation of the joyous pealing of bells, and the second a more lyrical idea, evoking the singing of the angels. 

Hodie Christus natus est 		
Today Christ was born

hodie Salvator apparuit:		
today the Saviour has appeared:

hodie in terra canunt Angeli, 	
today on earth angels are singing,

laetantur Archangeli: 		
archangels are giving praise:

exsultant justis dicentes:      		
the just rejoice, saying:

Gloria in excelsis Deo, alleluja. 	
Glory in the highest, halleluja. 


Hodie Christus Natus Est (Hofmeyr) [SSAA] - Stellenberg Girls' Choir, André Van Der Merwe

Structurally, the work is conceived as a converging fan, with the disparate threads of the first three movements being drawn together in the last. The first movement, entitled “Canone”, pays homage to the diatonic serenity of the vocal polyphony of the Renaissance, as well as to the meditative introspection and contrapuntal textures of many of the great Classical quartets, and is strictly canonic throughout, even down to the dynamic markings. 

String Quartet I (Hofmeyr) 1 - Odeion Quartet

A version for solo voice and strings of the choral 'Pie Jesu' I wrote in memory of my teacher and mentor, Laura Searle

Pie Jesu - Version for soprano and string orchestra - Zanne Stapelberg, CPO, Xandi van Dijk

A set of variations on the beautiful Xhosa lullaby 'Thula, thu' written for and performed by the wonderful Lieva Starker.

Unknown Album (07/01/2010 10:58:30)

Variations on an African Lullaby for solo violin - Lieva Starker

The Chaconne consists of a set of paired variations on a ground bass. It was commissioned as set-work for the Hennie Joubert National Piano Competition 2000.

Unknown Album (2008/08/20 11:38:37 AM)

Chaconne

This set of variations moves gradually from a dark and sombre mood to one of luminous transcendence. The picture shows a detail of Nicolaas Maritz's 'Night Lagoon'.

Hendrik Hofmeyr

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