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Complete Program Notes
performance at Gualala Arts Center
Orlando Gibbons was another Englishman and slightly younger contemporary of Byrd's. In Hosanna to the Son of David, Gibbons indulges in some word painting, but not to the extent that Byrd does. The opening "Hosanna" is a fanfare like figure that is imitated from voice to voice. Most of the piece is written in this imitative, interwoven style typical of the period which gives it a constant motion until the words "peace in heaven" arrive, where Gibbons uses block chords to portray the peace, both by dropping the number of voices and the relative stillness of the chordal writing. Later in the piece the phrase "in the highest" soars up to the top of each part's range.
The next set is comprised of three Spanish pieces. Soberana Maria and En Belen estan mis amores are beautiful examples of the fifteenth and sixteenth century Spanish villancico, a short three- or four-part song sung traditionally at Christmastime. Both of these pieces are of anonymous provenance; however, the first is postulated to be by Mateo Romero, the court composer for Philip IV of Spain, who, despite his disastrous political record, presided over an unprecedented flourishing of the creative arts in Spain. The music is typical of the style, with the voices alternately singing together and then moving in different rhythmic patterns against one another.
The third Spanish piece by Antonio Estevez is inspired by a poem of Alberto Arvelo Torrealba, Mata del Anima Sola. The piece begins with a slow meditative section for tenor solo in improvised style, which represents the llanero or man of the plains and which evokes the high plains of Venezuela, the llanos. This is followed by a fast section in the style of a dance called a joropo, with highly syncopated rhythms. The choir sound imitates guitars and harps, and the soprani sing the solo in this section. A slow section follows with another tenor solo, and then the fast section repeats leading to the conclusion. It is completely delightful and quite fun to sing.
The next set of three pieces could be called the luscious, contemporary section. These three composers are all known for the rich, lush harmonies and seamless writing. Lux Aurumque is by Eric Whitacre (b. 1970). Although young, he has rapidly become one of the leading voices of contemporary choral composition in the world. The majority of his work is for a capella chorus and he glories in cluster chords where there can be as many as eight or nine notes. The setting of the text in this piece is relatively simple. The poem by Edward Esch was translated by Charles Anthony Silvestri into Latin. Whitacre sets it exquisitely, moving from chords to clusters of notes that simply "shimmer and glow".
René Clausen (b. 1953) is a well-known choral composer. His compositional style is varied and eclectic, ranging from works appropriate for high school and church choirs to more technically-demanding compositions for college and professional choirs. He lives and teaches at Concordia College in Moorehead, MN. His setting of Set Me as a Seal is lush and moving, with the text drawn from the Song of Solomon, verses 6 & 7.
And the final piece in this set is by Morton Lauridsen (b. 1943). He is a long-time professor of Composition at USC, and was also Composer in Residence of the Los Angeles Master Chorale from 1994 to 2001. He too uses chords with clusters of notes, but not as extensively as Whitacre does. O magnum mysterium refers to the great mystery of the birth of the Christ child from the womb of the Virgin Mother. Relative simplicity and long phrases give a lush and perhaps meditative quality to the piece, reflecting the nature of the text.
Next, we return to the Renaissance for three secular pieces. The first, If Love Be Blind by Englishman Thomas Bateson (c.1570 -1630), is typical of the secular style of madrigal, alternating sections of imitative entrances amongst the voices with sections of chordal writing. Bateson occasionally shifts the meter from four to three for effect, and pairs the voices in duets throughout the piece. One notable element of word painting is near the end where the text speaks of living "in dread", and he shifts momentarily and suddenly to a minor key.
William Byrd's I Thought That Love Had Been a Boy is a charming little madrigal, filled with rhythmic surprises. The voices often move in different rhythmic patterns at the same time, typical of Byrd's writing. It also shows that Byrd was equally at home in either sacred or secular compositions.
All Creatures Now by John Bennet (1575-1614), yet another Englishman is one of a set of madrigals called the Triumphs of Orianna. This is a collection of 25 madrigals, from a variety of composers, compiled by Thomas Morley and published in 1601 in honor of Queen Elizabeth I. All of the major composers of the era were asked to write a madrigal for this collection. They were allowed to select any text, but it had to end with the phrase "Then sang the shepherds and nymphs of Diana, Long live fair Oriana." Oriana was a reference to the Queen. The madrigal is filled with word painting, from the rapid and jolly "merry, merry" of the beginning, to the "shepherd's daughters playing" where the voices weave in and out and imitate one another, playing back and forth: from "Yond Bugle" set in a very declamatory manner to the birds "hovering" where the voices weave in and out but the harmony remains static, hence hovering, to the setting of "long live" in very long note values.
The second half of the concert begins with three canons or rounds, one by Mozart and two by Haydn. Like Three Blind Mice, only more sophisticated, they are, however, delightful and amusing. We sing them through once for you to hear and then launch into the rounds. Enjoy the texts and the lively interplay of the voices.
The next set begins with a lovely setting by Gustav Holst of a Welsh folksong, My Sweetheart's Like Venus. A strophic and chordal setting, the first and third verses are identical music while in the second verse Holst moves the melody from voice to voice to the accompaniment of "ah" in the other voices.
Then we give the men an opportunity to shine. Based on a poem by Alfred, Lord Tennyson, contemporary composer Robert Young's (b. 1923) setting of Now Sleeps the Crimson Petal is typical of his simple yet lush choral settings. Varying between unison singing and four parts for the men, the sonorities of the male voices and lower range suit the music well. Dr. Young, a California native, has a Ph.D. from USC and has been active in choral groups and churches throughout his life. He has some 90 choral pieces currently in publication.
James Erb has written a lovely setting of the American folksong, Shenandoah. The women begin singing the familiar melody in unison, and the men take over also unison for the second verse. The soprani get the melody for the third verse over a gently rolling accompaniment in the lower voices, leading to the women in three parts singing the melody like a round. This closes to a gentle and soft repetition of "Shenandoah" over a gently rocking rhythm that slowly settles to a quiet end.
This set concludes with John Rutter's setting of Sing a Song of Sixpence. Rutter is a noted choral composer and conductor in England, and this piece is from a group of settings of children's nursery rhymes. A rhythmic and steady chorus of "sing a song of sixpence" permeates the piece, moving from male voices to female voices, with the other parts taking up the melody. Hang on to your hats because it really flies by!
To finish off the program, we turn to American spirituals. The first is a moving setting of Stand By Me, arranged by Moses Hogan. The second is a lively spiritual arranged by Jack Halloran, called Witness. The text talks about Nicodemus and Samson, and has great dramatic effect with solo lines and back and forth repartee among the voices. Rene Clausen's setting of Deep River is another marvelous, moving and rich piece. Familiar to all, the setting emulates the deep river by the slowly rolling rhythms and the low range of many of the voices. The last of the spirituals is Daniel, Daniel, Servant of the Lord, arranged by Undine S. Moore. Similar to Witness, this spiritual is sprightly and dramatic and tells the story of Daniel and the lion's den, with tenor and bass solos.
~Shafiq Spanos
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