Choral

John Ireland’s “The Hills”: Sir Mark Elder and the Hallé Choir

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The English composer, John Ireland (1879-1962), was a mystic and an introvert. He found spiritual significance in ancient pagan sites which dot the “green and pleasant” countryside of his native land. Throughout his life, he was drawn back to the Channel Islands, the archipelago off the rugged Normandy coast. An a cappella choral setting of a poem by James Kirkup, The Hills is an ode to the timeless majesty of the English countryside. It …

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Elgar’s “As Torrents in Summer”: Cambridge University Chamber Choir

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Scored for a cappella chorus, As Torrents in Summer is an excerpt from the epilogue of Sir Edward Elgar’s 1896 cantata, Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf, Op. 30.The text is an adaptation of a poem by Henry Wadsworth Longfellow which tells the story of Olaf Tryggvason, the medieval king of Norway, who brought Christianity to the Scandinavian country. In As Torrents in Summer, the sustaining force of a far-off summer rainstorm, …

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Spirituals of William L. Dawson: The St. Olaf Choir

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Through his numerous a cappella choral arrangements, African-American composer William Levi Dawson (1899-1990)  helped to preserve and promote the rich tradition of spirituals. When Dawson was awarded an honorary doctor of music degree from Ithaca College, president James J. Whalen honored this legacy eloquently, stating, You, William Dawson, have spent a lifetime immersed in the folk music of your peoples…You have committed your life to bringing this music of the heart, this …

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Verdi’s Requiem at 150

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Today marks the 150th anniversary of the first performance of Giuseppe Verdi’s Requiem. The premiere, led by the composer, took place on May 22, 1874 at the Church of San Marco in Milan, and was followed by subsequent performances at La Scala and in Paris. Powerfully dramatic, Verdi’s Requiem is liturgy through the lens of opera. Scored for four vocal soloists (soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, and bass), double chorus, and orchestra, it is …

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Mozart’s “Ave Verum Corpus”: Sublime Simplicity

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Austrian pianist Artur Schnabel insisted that Mozart’s Ave verum corpus, K. 618 is “too simple for children, and too difficult for adults.” Indeed, this simple choral, unfolding over 46 measures, imparts a cosmic “rightness.” It says all that needs to be said. The score is inscribed with a single interpretive marking—sotto voce, which implies a hushed, reverent tone. This motet was composed in the final six months of Mozart’s life, concurrently with The …

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Villa-Lobos’ Bachianas Brasileiras No. 9 (Version for Choir): Valentina Peleggi and the São Paulo Symphony Choir

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In a 1945 letter to the Bach Society of São Paulo, composer Heitor Villa-Lobos wrote, The music of Bach is without question the most sacred gift to the world of art…Since Bach expressed his thoughts of God and the universe through his musical creations originating from his own country, he gave the most spiritual expression of human solidarity, we should also understand, love and cultivate the music that is born and lives, …

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Handel’s Sonata in D Major, HWV 371: Music Ripe for Reuse

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After 300 years, the music of Handel continues to draw us in with richly expressive melodies and a vivid sense of drama. Both are apparent in the Sonata in D Major, HWV 371 for violin and basso continuo. In the opening of the first movement (Affettuoso), the violin line appears to outline an ascending D major triad, only to arrive on an E, one pitch too far. The next phrase extends even …

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