January 27, 2013 - Epiphany 3

Elegiac Prelude on "Jerusalem" - Charles Callahan
The Spacious Firmament - Charles Hubert H. Parry
We Shall Walk Through This Valley - William Appling
Ode for the New Year - William Selby

Hymns:#536 Torah Song, 321 Pockingham, #537 Moscow

This week’s music has English roots that are carried over into America. The prelude and gradual anthem are settings by Charles Hubert H. Parry (1848-1918) the postlude is a short piece by William Selby (1738-1798), a London born organist that immigrated to Boston; and the communion anthem is a setting of a traditional spiritual by the American composer William Appling (1932-2008).

Charles Hubert H. Parry is an English Romantic composer that has gone all but unnoticed in the canon of music history. He is perhaps best known for his setting of William Blake’s poem Jerusalem, which is the basis for the prelude this week. Parry began his musical studies at Eton and then Oxford. While his father always encouraged his musical abilities, he had a different career path in mind for his son. Parry worked as a clerk for Lloyd’s of London and pursued his musical studies on the side. It was during this time that he began his studies with pianist Edward Dannreuther. These studies marked a turning point in the young composer’s life. He was introduced to the music of the piano virtuosos of the day as well as the music of Wagner. Parry’s compositional career took off with many commissions for oratorios and cantatas which marked a “renaissance” in English music. In 1875 he was appointed assistant editor of the Dictionary of Music and Musicians by George Grove and was given the post of professor of music history and composition at the Royal College of Music by the same. In 1895 he took over the directorship of the school and served until his death. From 1900-1908 he also served as a professor at Oxford, a post he abdicated at his doctor’s recommendation. After this “retirement” Parry wrote most of his best-known pieces including Jerusalem and The Songs of Farewell.

The setting of Jerusalem that I am playing today is described as an “Elegiac Prelude,” a piece with mournful qualities. This setting by Charles Callahan (b. 1951) begins with a plaintive reed solo played in the tenor register with lush chordal accompaniment. The solo ends and the accompaniment seamlessly takes over before returning to the texture of the opening. This time, however, it’s reversed with the accompaniment in the left hand and the melody, played on a solo flute in the right.

The gradual anthem is a setting of Joseph Addison’s (1672-1719) The Spacious Firmament on High, one of several hymn texts that he contributed to The Spectator, a daily publication written by Addison from 1711-1712. The mission of this paper was "to enliven morality with wit, and to temper wit with morality...to bring philosophy out of the closets and libraries, schools and colleges, to dwell in clubs and assemblies, at tea-tables and coffeehouses” and “is introduced at the close of an essay on the proper means of strengthening and confirming faith in the mind of man.” (hymnary.org). The anthem, in three verses, begins with the women singing the first half of verse one followed by the men. Verse two depicts a quieter, more subdued view of praise which leads to the triumphal return of the opening theme in verse three.

The postlude by William Selby is entitled Ode for the New Year. Despite the fact that we are at the end of the first month of the New Year, I thought this piece was well suited to the day of the Annual Meeting as the church prepares to enter a new year of growth and leadership. Selby was born in London and served as an organist and choirmaster there before his immigration to the United States in 1771. While in the States he served as the organist of King’s chapel in Boston while running a grocery store and liquor store. This short piece in ABA form opens and closes with a trumpet tune. The B section is a dance-like duet in 6/8 for cromorne (a stop which sounds like a very buzzy clarinet), and flute.

The communion anthem is an arrangement of the spiritual We Shall Walk Through This Valley in Peace by conductor, pianist, arranger, and educator, William Appling. Appling served as Choral Director for Glenville High School. Later in life went on to hold other prominent positions including Director of Choral Activities at Vassar College. In 1979 he founded the William Appling Singers and Orchestra, a professional ensemble which performs music from all periods and styles. This piece is very straight-forward. This anthem (like the Parry) has three verses but this one peaks in the middle and tapers to a soft smooth ending. The message is simple. We shall walk through the valley in peace IF Jesus is our leader. It is Jesus that brings peace

January 20, 2013 - Epiphany 2

Concerto in Bb Major Op. 4 No.1: "Largo"
                                                                     - Antonio Vivaldi
Gloria RV589: "Laudamus te" - Antonio Vivaldi
There is a Balm in Gilead - William Dawson
Messe de Mariage: "Laus Deo" - Theodore Dubois

Hymns: #7 Ratisbon, #507 Julion, #138 Carlisle

This week’s music continues our Epiphany theme with the spiritual There is a Balm in Gilead, and draws on the writing of Vivaldi and the lesser known French composer Theodore Dubois for some celebratory music. These pieces draw from the uplifting mood of the gospel reading and psalm for the day for their inspiration.

The prelude is an arrangement of the second movement of Concerto in Bb Major “La Stravaganza” Op. 4 No. 1 by Anotnio Vivaldi (1678-1741) arranged by Rollin Smith. This set of concerti is known for its daring harmonic writing and the bizarre passage work. These pieces were not well received by the 1712 audience. They were appreciated for their technical complexity but passed off as something fun to watch and not hear. This set of concerti was dedicated to Vivaldi’s former student Vettor Delfino and was written for solo violin and string orchestra with continuo. The Largo from the first concerto begins very simply just outlining triads but quickly becomes more and more complex harmonically. The piece is in a typical arch form starting and ending simply back at the tonic.

The second offering by Vivaldi this week is Laudamus Te from his Gloria RV589. Antonio Vivaldi composed three known settings of the Gloria, one of which has been lost and is identified only in catalogs of his works. Of his two surviving settings the two works have a great deal of similarities. The two works were probably composed while he was employed by Pio Ospedale della Pietà, and seem to draw inspiration from one another. This duet for two sopranos in praise of God is very typical of Vivaldi’s instrumental writing. The two equal voices are forced to compete for dominance, which in Vivaldi’s time these types of competition could get quite fierce. The piece is filled with beautiful dissonances and lovely echoes. The word “glorificamus” is set in a way that one singer enters and the follows but up a step, almost trying to “out-do” the first.  This is all sung to (when done with orchestra) the accompaniment of a violin and viola trying to do the same.

The spiritual for this week is a setting of There is a Balm in Gilead by William Dawson (1899-1990). Dawson ran away from home at age 13 to enroll in the Tuskegee Institute. From there he was accepted at the all-white college, Horner Institute of Fine Arts where he earned his B.M. but was not allowed to walk across the stage. After completing further study at the Chicago Musical College and American Conservatory he taught public school in Kansas City. Then, from 1931-1956 He taught at the Tuskegee Institute where developed the choral program.  There is a Balm in Gilead is an interesting combination of Old and New Testament ideas. The balm in Gilead is referenced in Jeremiah 8:22 “Is there no balm in Gilead, is there no physician there?” The word balm comes from the word balsam, a type of tree from which balms are often made.  Gilead is a mountainous region East of the Jordan river and its name means “hill of testimony” or “mound of witness” which actually ties in with the second verse of the piece which tells us that even if we can’t do some things we can still go and preach the gospel. The prophet’s question is answered in this piece that, there is a balm in Gilead; and the sickness that it heals is our sin-sick soul, thus making Jesus the balm. The notion of a healing balm in Gilead has become a popular literary and cultural idea. In doing some reading about the anthem I came across several balms marketed as the “Balm of Gilead.” This phrase from Jeremiah also makes an appearance in the 15^th stanza of Poe’s classic poem, The Raven: “Is there – is there balm in Gilead? – tell me – tell me. I implore!” Quoth the Raven “Nevermore.” The verses of this spiritual (sung by a soprano soloist) bear a message of encouragement. The first reflects that mood of the prophet Jeremiah while the second states that there are gifts that some have been given but regardless, we can all share the” Love of Jesus.”

I really struggled to choose a postlude this week. I wanted something that would capture the happy and celebratory nature of the scriptures but would fit in with the other music. I settled on Laus Deo from Messe de Mariage by Theodore Dubois (1837-1924). This seems fitting since the gospel lesson is about the Wedding at Cana. Dubois followed the typical path of a 19^th century French organist/composer. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire and then took a position as an assistant at the Church of the Madeleine. He then became choirmaster at St. Clotilde before returning to the Madeleine in 1877 as titular organist. In 1871 he began teaching at the Paris Conservatoire and from 1896-1905 he was its director. Dubois is relatively unknown today outside of his Seven Last Words of Christ and the Toccata in G for organ which are still sometimes performed. His real love was opera though he found little commercial success in the theatre world. This piece is a typical French “sortie” or postlude. It opens with loud full organ chords and closes the same way (with a bit more sound). In between the opening and the closing there are spinning toccata style figures which alternate between hands and move from keyboard to keyboard. A sense of lightness is felt throughout the middle section before the reeds of the organ come back on and lead to the big finish.

January 13, 2013 - First Sunday after the Epiphany

Improvisation on I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light
                                                                         - Paul O. Manz
Wade in the Water - arr. Edwin Fissinger
This is My Beloved Son - Dan Uhl
How Firm a Foundation - Jean Langlais

Hymns: MHSO#95 Restoration, #490 Houston,
              #636 Foundation

Continuing with the theme of American music this Epiphany season, all of this week’s selections have some connection to the United States despite the fact that not all of them were written by American composers. In addition to our theme of American music, this week also includes a Spiritual which is a genre that we will be taking a look at over the next several weeks.

The prelude was written by the American composer Paul O. Manz (1919-2009). [For biographical information see the post from 11/25/12.] Manz was known for his “hymn improvisations” which he wrote in all styles. These settings of well-known hymn tunes are loved by organists and listeners for their accessibility. The pieces are highly original and of excellent quality while still being easy to learn. Improvisation on I Want to Walk as a Child of the Light is a setting of Kathleen Thomerson’s (b. 1934) hymn tune, Houston. Thomerson is Organist and Music Director at Mt. Olive Lutheran Church in Austin, Texas. This hymn (#490) in the Hymnal 1982 is an excellent combination of a statement of faith and a prayer. It is well suited to the season of Epiphany which reminds us that Christ came as the light of the world. This improvisation starts softly and builds to full organ before suddenly dropping down to the original registration. In addition to Houston Manz also includes quotes of Oh Come, Little Children played on a solo 8’ flute. Houston is the hymn at the offertory and is well suited to this week’s service with both a baptism and first communion.

Wade in the Water is a traditional Negro Spiritual which has been sung and recorded by countless artists since its publication in 1901 by the Fisk Jubilee Singers. As with many traditional Spirituals this draws on the Old Testament story of the Israelites and their journey out of Egypt (a common theme for us this season). This song also served as an instruction to escaping slaves to stay by the water so that they could use the waterways to throw off the dogs. This setting by Edwin Fissinger (1920-1990) forgoes the simple triadic harmonies of many spirituals for spicier jazz influenced harmonies, including the final f#m9 chord. The setting opens with a soprano solo which then transitions to the rhythmic refrain. A bass soloist sings the first verse in a call and response fashion with the choir responding “God’s gonna trouble the water.” The second verse follows in similar fashion with the sopranos and altos singing the verse and answered by full choir. The text of this response is taken from John 5:4 “For an angel went down at a certain time into the pool, and troubled the water: whosoever then first after the troubling of the water stepped in was made whole of whatsoever disease he had.” (KJV). It is interesting to combine this text with the “instructive message” of the song. Slavery could be viewed as the disease that the water cleansed them of.

The communion anthem also deals with the topic of water in celebration of the Baptism of Jesus. Dan Uhl’s (b. 1948) This is My Beloved Son is a setting of Jesus’ baptism in ABA form. The A section is a dance like unison line accompanied by organ. The opening A section is set to a simple sustained accompaniment while the closing A section is a bit more active. The organ part in the final section features a solo 4’ flute which could be viewed as a depiction of the Holy Spirit descending upon Christ at his baptism. The B section is a beautiful invitation for the Holy Spirit to come upon us and “lead us to salvation.”

The postlude is a setting of How Firm a Foundation (also the closing hymn) by the French Composer Jean Langlais (1907-1991). Despite being blind from age 2 Langlais had an incredible career as a concert organist and toured throughout the US and Europe. This is setting of the American folk hymn showcases the influence of jazz harmonies on Langlais’s compositional style. He took an American folk tune and arranged it using the uniquely American language of jazz. The setting opens with a simple statement of the theme which is then varied. The first variation places the tune in the tenor register with accompanying fourths and fifths in the right hand. The next further obscures the tune and stretches the harmonies before cutting the tempo in half and changing from the loud full ensemble of the organ to the soft 8’ foundation stops of the Swell. The piece returns to the opening theme before moving to full organ with the theme in the pedals accompanied by loud chromatic chords in the hands. It is an interesting insight into hymn playing and Langlais’s treatment of preexisting themes.

January 6, 2013 - Epiphany

La Nativite du Seigneur: "Dessieins Eternels"
                                                                  - Olivier Messiaen
Beautiful Star of Bethlehem - R. Fisher Boyce
The Three Kings - arr. Patrick Forbes
Wie Schon Leuchtet - Dietrich Buxtehude

Hymns: #124 Puer Nobis, #128 Three Kings,
              #497 Wie Schon Leuchtet
This week’s music centers on the celebration of Epiphany. The familiar elements of the star and the Magi combine to complete the story of the Birth of Christ. The music stretches across time and traditions capturing a variety of different styles. In subsequent weeks we will be singing more Gospel music and spirituals. This is a style of music that is a bit more expressive in an overt way as opposed to the more reserved music which lies ahead with the arrival of Lent. The season of Epiphany is a time to celebrate the light triumphing over darkness and the joy that results.

The prelude is taken from La Nativité du Seigneur (The Birth of the Lord) by Olivier Messiaen (1908-1992). Messiaen was the son of an English Literature scholar and a poet. He began composing at the age of seven and taught himself the piano. After World War I ended his family moved to Paris where he enrolled in the Paris Conservatoire to study organ and composition. In 1929 Messiaen was deputized as the assistant organist at Sainte Trinite and in 1931 took over as titular organist when Charles Quef died. Messiaen’s life was again affected by war. At the outbreak of World War II Messiaen was enlisted as a medical auxillary and in 1940 was captured and imprisoned. During his year at Görlitz he composed the 20^th century masterpiece Quatuor pour la fin du temps ("Quartet for the End of Time”). Upon his release he was appointed Professor of Harmony at the Paris Conservatoire. One of Messiaen’s other interests was birdsong. He was known for carrying around a notebook in which he would notate the songs of various birds. He would make hundreds of notations for each bird and then combine and create an amalgamation of the various bird calls to create a “typical” call.

 Dessieins Éternels (Eternal Purposes) is the third movement of nine from his suite on the Birth of Christ. Each movement bears a line of text from scripture and makes use of the composer’s “Modes of limited transposition” which are scales that the composer devised and used which can only be transposed a limited number of times before repeating (unlike a major or minor scale which can start on all twelve notes.) This movement bears the text of Ephesians 1:5-6, “he predestined us for adoption to sonship through Jesus Christ, in accordance with his pleasure and will to the praise of his glorious grace.” This piece is marked “extremely slow and tender” with a winding solo line played above a mysterious sustained accompaniment.

The gradual anthem is taken from the Southern Gospel tradition. It is one of the few (and perhaps the only) traditional Southern Gospel Christmas carols. It was written by R. Fisher Boyce (1887-1968), a Tennessee farmer. From an early age Boyce was interested in music. He sang in a quartet and later went on to teach “singing school.” His first song Safe In His Love was published in a 1911 hymnal and Boyce went on to write more songs in this style – never receiving royalties for them because the copyrights were held by the publishing company not the composer. Beautiful Star first appeared in the shape-note hymnal “Beautiful Praise” and later was reprinted in the “James D. Vaughan Radio Favorites” a greatest hits collection of the day. The song went on to be recorded by many country and gospel artists including the Ralph Stanley, Emmylou Harris, the Judds, and even the group Chanticleer. The text starts with the guiding star in the manger, the second verse brings the star to the present as a guide for pilgrims and the last brings us to the land of rest and depicts Christ (the Light of the World) as the Star.

The communion anthem is a setting of a traditional Catalan carol. This arrangement in three verses begins and ends in a simple four part texture. The second verse acts as a B section with the melody passed between tenor and soprano. As with the Gradual anthem, the piece is a progression. The first verse uses the metaphor of the rose, the second describes the scene at the nativity and the last instructs us to bring our gift to the manger.

The postlude comes out of the final hymn Wie Schön Leuchtet. This excerpt from the chorale partita by Dietrich Buxtehude (c.1637-1707) develops the chorale tune into a gigue like dance. This final portion of the piece again has the organist jumping from one keyboard to the other and for the final portion I thought it would be fun to use the Zimbelstern, or “cymbal star” a set of bells that on some organs are mounted on a revolving wooden or metal star. The setting as a whole is a great piece. The tune is passed throughout the range of the organ with opportunity to exploit many colorful registrations.

This week’s Epiphany offerings go from France to the American South, to the Catalan region of Spain and finally back in time to North Germany. The topics range from Kings to stars and progress from the story of the manger to its relevance in our daily lives. May you find the meaning and relevance for Epiphany in your daily life.