The session singer Miriam Stockley performed the vocal parts on the first four albums. Additional vocals were provided by Mary Carewe on all but Dances of Time, which saw the introduction of the Finnish Adiemus Singers (who would later reappear on Vocalise). Extra vocals and the chorus effects were created by overdubbing multitracked recordings of the singers (in some cases up to forty times) and varying the speed of the tape. Stockley was described by Jenkins as central to the Adiemus project due to her range and intonation, however for reasons that remain unclear she was not re-engaged for Vocalise.
The Songs of Sanctuary orchestra consisted of a string section augmented by various ethnic percussion instruments, with occasional further additions such as bells, a recorder and a quena. Mike Ratledge, with whom Jenkins had played in Soft Machine, contributed to the first album as well. Jenkins added brass and woodwind for Cantata Mundi, and continued to add more diverse instruments such as acoustic guitar on later albums. From Songs of Sanctuary to Dances of Time, the London Philharmonic Orchestra was used; Jenkins later formed his own Adiemus Orchestra to perform on The Eternal Knot recordings, returning to the LPO for Vocalise.
Cantus Iteratus
Adiemus Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be (2x this line)
a-te-a ka-di e
SOLI: Ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us (2x)
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be (2x)
a-be-a ka-di-a
ma-nia-na a-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-bi-e
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ka--ti-a-be a-di-us
CH. Ya ka ma ya ma_ ma ya ka-ma-e___
(4x)
SOLI: Ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us (3x)
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be (2x)
a-be-a ka-di-a
ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-bi-e
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ka--ti-a-be a-di-us
altos: Ku ma va ma ye ma ye
CH. Ya ka ma ya ma ma ya
ka-ma-e
(4x)
SOLI: Ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us (2x)
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be (2x)
a-be-a ka-di-a
ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us (2x)
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-bi-e
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ka--ti-a-be a-di-us
S.1/A.2: Ku ma ya ma ye____
CH. Ya ka ma ya ma__ ma ya
ka-ma-e___
(4x)
SOLI: Ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us (2x)
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be (2x)
a-bi-e ka-di-a
ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-bi-e
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
ka--ti-a-be a-di-us
The lyrics of Adiemus’s song Cantus Iteratus are unique and intriguing. The lyrics are mostly in gibberish, with only a few recognizable words in Latin. The song includes repetitive phrases with the word “maniana” appearing several times, meaning “tomorrow” in Spanish. The song also includes an unusual array of vocal sounds, including clicks and hums, which emphasizes the rhythmic aspect of the music over the meaning of the lyrics.
It is difficult to discern the meaning behind the lyrics of Cantus Iteratus. It may simply be a composition that focuses on the beauty of sound and rhythm, rather than a piece with a specific message or story. The use of non-lexical vocables, or sounds that do not have any recognizable meaning, is common in vocal music styles from around the world. This style of composing puts the focus on the sounds and rhythms created by the voices, rather than on the lyrics themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
Ma-ni-a-na a-ri-us
Tomorrow is coming quickly and with determination
ma-ni-a-na a-vi-us
Tomorrow flies like a bird
ma-ni-a-na pe-ri-us
Tomorrow arrives steadily and consistently
ma-ni-a-na da-ti-us
Tomorrow will be given to us
ma-ni-a-na a-ti-a-be
Tomorrow is full of promise and potential
a-te-a ka-di e
And yet our hearts are still filled with hope
a-be-a ka-di-a
Our hearts are beating with anticipation
ka--ti-a-be a-di-us
And we grasp onto tomorrow with eagerness
Ya ka ma ya ma_ ma ya ka-ma-e___
Singing a melody of hope for the coming tomorrow
Ku ma va ma ye ma ye
We raise our voices in harmony
a-bi-e ka-di-a
Our hearts beat with even greater anticipation
S.1/A.2: Ku ma ya ma ye____
Our voices rise in hopefulness
Contributed by Elizabeth H. Suggest a correction in the comments below.