Choral

Holst’s “Nunc Dimittis”: Homage to Renaissance Polyphony

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English composer Gustav Holst found inspiration, not only in the folk music of his native land, but also in the early music of William Byrd and Palestrina. Nunc dimittis for eight-part choir is Holst’s homage to Renaissance polyphony. Composed in 1915 for Richard Terry, organist of Westminster Cathedral, the work was performed on Easter Sunday of that year, and then fell into obscurity. It existed in manuscript form until publication in 1979. This …

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John Adams’ “Harmonium”: A Choral Symphony on Donne and Dickinson

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Harmonium, a towering choral symphony set in three movements, is one of the earliest major works of American composer John Adams (b. 1947). It was composed in 1980 for the opening season of Davies Symphony Hall, the home of the San Francisco Symphony. Following such pieces as Common Tones in Simple Time and Phrygian Gates, it is music which expands on the pulse-and-pattern Minimalism of Steve Reich.’ The titles of the three poems …

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Stephen Paulus’ “The Road Home”: A Timeless Early American Melody

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“The most powerful and beautiful message is often a simple one,” wrote American composer Stephen Paulus (1949-2014) regarding the popularity of his brief choral work, The Road Home. Paulus explained the background of the piece further, In the Spring of 2001 I received a commission from the Dale Warland Singers to write a short “folk” type choral arrangement.  I had discovered a tune in a folk song book called “The Lone Wild Bird.” …

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Orlande de Lassus’ “Aurora lucis rutilat”: An Easter Motet

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First recorded in the 9th century, Aurora lucis rutilat (“Dawn reddens with light”) depicts the dawn of Easter morning and the triumph of resurrection. Late Renaissance composer Orlande de Lassus (c. 1532–1594) created a ten-voice motet setting near the end of his life (c. 1592). Born in the Netherlands, Lassus was long employed by the court of Munich. As Lassus’ motet unfolds, we are enveloped in majestic and celebratory polyphonic lines. Two five-voice …

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Rachmaninov’s “Blessed Is the Man”: Meditative Music from the “All-Night Vigil”

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Blessed is the Man forms the third movement of Sergei Rachmaninov’s All-Night Vigil, Op. 37 (also known as the “Vespers”). Scored for a cappella chorus, the All-Night Vigil was composed over the course of two weeks in January and February of 1915. It has been called “the greatest musical achievement of the Russian Orthodox Church.” The monumental liturgical work, completed during the First World War, represents the culmination of a sacred musical tradition which included music …

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Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, “Komm, süsses Kreuz”: Music of Desolation

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The bass aria, Komm, süsses Kreuz (“Come, sweet Cross”), comes near the end of the second part of J.S. Bach’s St. Matthew Passion, BWV 244, first performed in 1727. Its text speaks of the suffering of Christ in his final days. Arriving in the story’s most desolate moments, the veiled accompaniment of the viola da gamba (often played by the cello in modern performances) hovers as a gloomy and inescapable presence. The …

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Berlioz’ “L’Enfance du Christ”: The Shepherds’ Farewell and Final Chorus

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Hector Berlioz’ L’enfance du Christ, Op. 25 (“The Childhood of Christ”) is a Christmas oratorio in three parts. It tells the story of the flight of the Holy Family (Mary, Joseph, and the infant Jesus) into Egypt following King Herod’s decree that all newborn children in Judaea be massacred. Berlioz wrote the text, which is based on the Gospel of Matthew 2:13. The work was first performed at Paris’ Salle Herz on …

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