March 29, 2015 - Palm/Passion Sunday

Valet will ich der geben - J.S. Bach

The Crucifixion - John Stainer

Saw Ye My Savior? - David N. Johnson

Hymns: #154 Valet will ich der geben, #147 Bourbon,

              #160 Cross of Jesus

The music this week is geared toward the life of the simple parish church. John Stainer’s The Crucifixion and David N. Johnson’s Saw ye My Savior are both examples of well written but very simple music that is easy to sing but also has a message that’s easily relatable. The prelude is a setting of Valet will ich der geben by J.S. Bach. This tune was combined with the text All Glory, Laud, and Honor, a nearly required hymn of the Palm/Passion Sunday literature.

Sir John Stainer’s  cantata was written in 1887 and dedicated to his assistant organist at St. Paul’s Cathedral, William Hodge. The work received its first performance at the Marylebone Parish Church with Stainer conducting and Hodge (who served as organist and choirmaster at this church) at the organ.  The libretto was written by Rev. William Sparrow Simpson and draws on all four gospels for the recitatives and composing the texts of the hymns and choruses himself.  The work is modeled on the much larger St. Matthew’s Passion of J.S. Bach with recitatives and arias telling the story and choruses and chorales providing dramatic commentary on the action. The design of this piece however, was to be accessible to the average parish choir.

The work was an immediate success but quickly fell subject to harsh criticism. The text was viewed as highly sentimental and the music was seen as “Victorian” in style which was quickly being cast aside in favor of the music of Stanford and Parry. The piece does what it set out to do. It is an extended setting of the passion for the average church choir. It is scored for four part choir of mixed voices, tenor and bass soloists and organ. The work was orchestrated in the 20^th century and has enjoyed great success becoming a Lenten tradition in many parishes. The tenor soloist, like in the Bach, sings the role of the Evangelist narrating the story while the bass teeters back and forth between singing as the voice of Jesus and commenting on the events of the story. The men of the choir sing the “seven last words of Christ” while the full choir sings the two large “mob scenes” at the Triumphal entry and the Crucifixion.  In addition to these arias, recitatives, and choruses there are beautiful chorales for choir and congregation included that bring the storyline to the audience of today. While the cantata is at times very sentimental and not without its shortcomings, it has moments of real beauty. God So Loved the World is an anthem that continues to be performed in churches around the world. The Victorian sensitivities do not overshadow the sincerity that is captured in the text and in the imagery shown in the music.  It is a truly heartfelt piece that is not only accessible to the average parish choir but is also accessible to the typical church congregation.

David N. Johnson(1922-1988) was educated at the Curtis Institute and earned his doctorate at Syracuse University.  He served as head of the music department at St. Olaf College in Minnesota, head of the Organ Department at Syracuse University, and professor of music at Arizona State University. Many of his compositions are based on hymn tunes and Saw Ye My Savior ? is no different. This tune taken from the rich Southern Harmony tradition is set with flute and organ in a simple and unadorned setting for soloists and choir. Johnson, as always, preserves the integrity of the tune itself. The piece opens with a verse played by the flute and organ before the sopranos come in for the first verse. This is followed by an a cappella verse for four part choir (the only verse that the choir sings). After a short organ interlude there is a solo verse for tenor which fades into a restatement of the opening verse sung by a solo soprano.

The organ prelude is Bach’s setting of Valet will ich der geben. The text is actually a funereal hymn, “I want to bid you farewell” but has since been paired with the text “All Glory, Laud, and Honor.” This odd little piece in 24/16 places the tune in the pedal with florid counterpoint in the upper three voices. The piece feels a bit like a gigue with its lilting rhythms. The prelude captures the lighter more jubilant spirit of the day.