The Engulfed Cathedral

At the 2006 Winter Concert, L. D. Bell's Varsity Band plays The Engulfed Cathedral, composed by Claude Debussy. The story behind the Cathedral was based on an ancient French legend about a lowland kingdom whose dikes kept the sea from rushing in and drowning its subjects. The pride of this tiny kingdom was its great cathedral with its one hundred bells to call the faithful. It was said that the sound of the bells had the power to purify the heart, and indeed the subjects of this kingdom were by and large honest, good, and pious people. But one notable exception was the king's beautiful daughter, who was spoiled, vain, and would stop at nothing to get her way. When the king refused to raise taxes in order to satisfy the princess's appetite for golden gowns and precious jewelry, she decided that if she couldn't have the riches of the kingdom for herself, then nobody would. She obtained the key to the dikes by seducing the innocent and naive hunchback lad with whom the king had entrusted it. Once having the key in hand, she proceeded to the sluice gate and opened it. The sea, of course, flooded in, drowning everybody in the kingdom, including the princess, and flooding every building, covering even the highest spires of the cathedral. But it is said that those who are pure of heart who stand at the sea's edge can still today hear the one hundred bells chiming beneath the waves. It is also said that the Cathedral rises from the depths of the sea every hundred years, for only a few moments, before disappearing back into the sea.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Band
• Bell
• Cathedral
• Claude
• Debussy
• Engulfed
• High
• L.D.
• School
• The

[hiddenmarcovich]

pretty nice !! excelent version, where i can get it ??

[miclwilson]

this is a personal copy of a concert recording of a HS band concert i performed in years ago. there's really nowhere to get it, sorry.

[pofacimo]

Where is the cathedral in the photograph?

[miclwilson]

i wish i knew! unfortunately i dont, i just found it on google images...

[WenchesOfRedemption]

@hiddenmarcovich

On itunes. Performed by the US Airforce Band

[k3nXDal]

when you invision the song you dont want to imgain the kingdom drowing but the cathedral rising from the ocean every hundred years

[abogadorodriguez]

One of Anton LaVey´s favorite pieces

[TuboEspectador]

Band! I would never have guessed that La Cathedrale Engloutie would be arranged for band! How good! So glad that these performers get to do this piece!

[ChloetheHarpist]

Great recording! I personally am not a fan of the quicker tempo at the climax (as a solo pianist), I prefer the slower and majestic (mind you, not boring) tempo, but still, this is the best band arrangement on YouTube that I can find. Very nice, thank you for uploading!

[Twonez]

Wow. I NEVER thought there could be a band arrangement of Debussy that I would like. Props to whoever did that!

[tlcambell]

This sounds like an Aaron Copland cover.

[muscimath]

If I were Debussy, I would really love to play this at this tempo.. alternation of 6/4 and 3/2 is allowed. It depends on the interpretation. Anyway, whether slow or faster, it's undoubtedly beautiful and optimistic.

[muscimath]

I really like the interpretation. I'm just bothered on the percussion sound at 0:31 ..

[tubeulator1946]

Decades ago, I played in high school band, college orchesta and night orchestra at my high school. This is a good recording. Amazingly clear. Whoever did the recording on this did a beautiful job. Very good for a high school concert band! I think Debussy's music is great and this is wonderful either as a piano solo or orchestrated. I could listen to this piece for hours! Thanks for the posting.