PROGRAM NOTES AND TEXTS
The book of Psalms is a versatile collection of Hebrew poetry that addresses the complexity of our lives: providing words of comfort in distress, giving voice to our adoration, validating our feelings of anger and lament. In an article entitled “Singing the Psalms Anew,” Bert Polman states:
It is a statement to the universal nature of the most basic of human emotions that a collection of Hebrew poetry has long sustained Jews in their history of joys and sorrows and has become the primary songbook for Christians over the centuries. The Psalms contain profound texts for communal worship, praise and prayer, and private devotion, and they give us voice in times of grief, disaster and conflict when our own words fail.
We have noted in previous concert programs that nearly every significant composer has composed a setting, or even multiple settings, of the Ordinary of the Mass (Kyrie, Gloria, Credo, Sanctus, Benedictus, Agnus Dei). Similarly, composers throughout the centuries have returned time and time again to this Old Testament treasure chest for inspiration.
Psalm 150, the final poem in the collection, is frequently called the “Musician’s Psalm” because it contains a grand list of instruments called to “praise the Lord.” The final verse of the final psalm sums it all up: “Let everything that has breath praise the Lord!” We begin and end tonight’s concert with settings of Psalm 150.
Cesar Franck (1822-1890), perhaps known best for to us for his communion anthem “Panis Angelicus,” spent most of his adult life in Paris as a performer, composer and teacher. He was a master of improvisation, and many thought him to be the greatest organ composer after Bach. His setting of Psalm 150 predictably features the organ, beginning with a chromatic introduction which sets up the entrances of the repeated-note-fanfare “alleluia” voices of the choir. The organ remains prominent throughout, sharing the spotlight with the choir in the grand main theme introduced by the men and repeated later with the full choir in unison. The piece ends with a flourish, as a dissonant harmony erupts into a satisfying resolution on the final “alleluia!”
Alleluia!
O praise ye the Lord, praise God in his temple.
O praise ye the Lord in the firmament of his power.
Praise ye him for his mighty acts.
Praise ye him according to his majesty.
Praise ye him with the sound of the trumpet.
Praise ye him with the lute and harp.
Praise the Lord with the timbrel.
Praise the Lord with the dance, with organ and strings.
Praise the Lord forevermore.
Let your praises resound upon the loud cymbals.
Yea, give praise to his name upon the high-sounding cymbals.
Let everything that hath breath praise the Lord.
Alleluia!
Tonight, we are not presenting a setting of the longest Psalm (Psalm 119, with 176 verses). But, we are presenting a setting of the shortest: Psalm 117 by Georg Philipp Telemann (1681-1767). Telemann, a German Baroque composer, was a contemporary of Johann Sebastian Bach and George Frederick Handel. He was very prolific (estimates are that his output exceeded 3,000 compositions), but his compositions have been judged, fairly or not, as being inferior to those of the better-known Baroque masters. His setting of Psalm 117 is performed tonight with two violins and continuo (cello, harpsichord, and organ). It is composed in three distinct sections, each with its own character, meter, and tempo. Verse 1 (“Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!”) is a lilting dance, featuring various voice parts, soli, answered by the full choir and accompanied by happy strings and continuo. Verse 2 (“For great is his steadfast love toward us, and the faithfulness of the Lord endures forever”) is a triple-meter chorale with simple string arpeggios accompanying. The third section is fugue on the word “alleluia” building to a satisfying conclusion with full choir and instruments.
Praise the Lord, all you nations! Extol him, all you peoples!
For great is his steadfast love toward us, and his faithfulness endures forever.
Alleluia.
John Rutter (b. 1945) composed his Requiem setting in 1985. GCA performed the entire Requiem in October 2011. “Out of the Deep” is the 2nd movement of the work. Less by a morose, chant-like cello line, the text begins with a lament to “hear my voice.” As the movement progresses there is assurance of mercy and finally an affirmation of faith: “and in his word is my trust.” After this climactic outburst, the music returns to the depths, again pleading “Lord, hear my voice.” The up-and-down emotion in this movement, from despair to hope and back again, mimics the instability of emotions that frequently affects those who have experienced the loss of a loved one.
Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O Lord: Lord, hear my voice.
O let thine ears consider well: the voice of my complaint
If thou, Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss:
O Lord, who may abide it?
For there is mercy with thee: therefore shalt thou be feared.
I look for the Lord; my soul doth wait for him: in his word is my trust.
My soul fleeth unto the Lord; before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch.
O Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy:
and with him is plenteous redemption.
And he shall redeem Israel: from all his sins.
Charles Villers Stanford’s setting of Psalm 95 (“Come, let us sing to the Lord”) is an example of pointed psalmody. This “formula” treatment of the psalms is common in denominations and traditions that sing psalms on a weekly basis. There is no steady pulse, but rather, the psalm is sung as it would be read. Each phrase begins with a reciting tone (usually for several syllables) and then an indication in the text signifies a move to cadential harmonies. Admittedly easier to experience than to explain, preparing this psalm setting was a challenge for many of us! Following the psalm, it is traditional to conclude with the Gloria Patri (Glory to the Father).
O come, let us sing to the Lord;
let us make a joyful noise to the rock of our salvation!
Let us come into his presence with thanksgiving;
let us make a joyful noise to him with songs of praise!
For the Lord is a great God,
and a great King above all gods.
In his hand are the depths of the earth;
the heights of the mountains are his also.
The sea is his, for he made it,
and his hands have molded the dry land.
Come, let us bow down, and bend the knee,
and kneel before the Lord, our Maker.
For he is our God,
and we are the people of his pasture,
and the sheep of his hand.
Oh, that today you would harken to his voice!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son,
And to the Holy Spirit:
As it was in the beginning, is now,
And will be forever. Amen,
Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) composed “A German Requiem” between 1865 and 1868. GCA performed this complete work in in 2009. The pinnacle of the seven movements of the Brahms Requiem is this fourth movement “How Lovely is Thy Dwelling Place.” Originally scored for a large orchestra of strings and winds, it remains sturdy when accompanied by piano four hands. Originally written in German (instead of Latin) so that the audience could hear the text in their native language, we will perform this piece in English tonight.
How lovely is thy dwelling place, O Lord of hosts!
For my soul, it longeth, yea fainteth, for the courts of the Lord :
my soul and body crieth out, yea for the living God.
Blest are they, that dwell within Thy house : they praise Thy name evermore.
Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina (more commonly known as just “Palestrina”) was a late-Renaissance composer who style greatly influenced composition during his own time and beyond. Characteristics of his compositional style were documented in a music theory treatise by Johann Joseph Fux published in 1725. The “Palestrina style” was characterized by: (1) a dynamic musical flow, (2) melodies with few leaps, (3) when leaps occur they are immediately followed by stepwise motion in the opposite direction, and (4) careful relegation of dissonances to mostly weak beaks with immediate resolution when occurring on strong beats.
In addition to these theoretical considerations, Palestrina’s treatment of text was careful to maintain the clarity and understanding of the text. In polyphonic textures, this means that bits of text are introduced at a point of imitation: one voice starts the line alone followed by other voices imitating the contour of the first voice. Palestrina’s setting of Psalm 42 (“Sicut Cervus”) is a perfect example of a late-Renaissance motet that effectively demonstrates the best of the Palestrina style.
Sicut cervus desiderat ad fontes aquarum,
ita desiderat anima mea ad te, Deus.
As a hart longs for the flowing streams,
so longs my soul for thee, O God.
A contrasting setting of Psalm 42 is “Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks” by British composer Herbert Howells (1892-1983). Accompanied by organ, the work dramatically depicts the longing of the psalmist through dissonance and dramatic dynamic contrasts. Led throughout the piece by the tenors and basses, the soprano voice provides occasional counterpoint to the make voices. The full choir emerges for the cry of longing “When shall I come to appear before the presence of God?” and also the cry of anger “Where is now thy God?”
Like as the hart desireth the waterbrooks,
so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
My soul is athirst for God,
yea, even for the living God.
When shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
My tears have been my meat day and night,
while they daily say unto me,
“Where is now thy God?”
Paul Basler (b. 1963) wrote “Songs of Faith” in 1998 as a sequel to his highly successful Missa Kenya. GCA performed Missa Kenya accompanied by the composer on French horn in May 2013 (“Inspired by Africa”). “Songs of Faith” includes five movements, the last of which is this setting of Psalm 23. Each of the five movements was dedicated to a different choral ensemble, and Psalm 23 was written “For Andre Thomas and the Florida State University Singers.” A calm, undulating ostinato in the low piano characterizes the opening section of the piece. A loud, accented outburst emerges for the text “Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death.” The meter changes to a triplet feel for “Thou preparest a table for me,” and the melody displays a dance-like, Celtic character. Returning to the opening theme, the piece ends with a calm stability fitting for a shepherd protecting his sheep.
The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He maketh me to lie down in green pastures.
He leadeth me beside still waters.
He restoreth my soul.
He leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.
Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death,
I will fear no evil: for thou art with me;
Thy rod and thy staff they comfort me.
Thou preparest a table for me in the presence of my enemies.
Thou anointest my head with oil; my cup runneth over.
Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life:
And I will dwell in the house of the Lord
(The Lord is my shepherd)
Forever. Amen.
Nearly as familiar as Psalm 23 is Psalm 100 (“Make a joyful noise to the Lord”). The setting by Rene Clausen performed tonight is characterized by a whimsical mixed meter, unpredictable and yet highly satisfying as the choir sings its alleluias. Rene Clausen (b. 1953) has been directing choirs at Concordia College in Moorhead, MN, since 1986. A recording of his music entitled “Life and Breath” made by the Kansas City Chorale won two Grammy awards in 2013.
Make a joyful noise to the Lord, serve the Lord with gladness,
Come into his presence with singing, alleluia!
Know that the Lord is God, it is he who made us, not we ourselves.
We are his people, the sheep of his pasture, and we are his.
Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise.
Give thanks to him and praise his holy name.
For the Lord is good.
His mercy endures forever, and his faithfulness endures from generation to generation,
From age to age.
Alleluia. Amen.
We conclude tonight with Psalm 150, making a full circle. Jeffrey Ames is Director of Choral Activities at Belmont University in Nashville, TN. “Let Everything That Hath Breath” is “an exuberant celebration set within the traditional gospel style” according to the cover notes on the octavo. While not carefully sticking to the actual text of Psalm 150, the spirit is certainly consistent as a call to all of creation to rise up in praise of their creator.
