Born in 1626, Richard Ayleward was the son of a minor canon at Winchester Cathedral, also called Richard. Ayleward sang as a chorister in the Winchester cathedral choir under the director of music Christopher Gibbons, son of Orlando Gibbons. Ayleward must have paid attention, or received a significant amount of tuition since his handwriting style for text and music is almost identical to Gibbons! During the English Restoration, Ayleward was organist and choirmaster of Norwich Cathedral from 1661-1664, and again from 1666-1669. It's not clear why Ayleward gave up his post temporarily in 1664 but he was reappointed in 1665 and remained until his death in 1669.
During the Civil War Interregnum Ayleward must have privately composed many choral pieces, since after the Restoration he was able to quickly produce twenty highly original anthems, one written for the Coronation of Charles II. Ayleward seems to have had distinct Royalist sympathies, and possible connections to the Royal Court, which would have not made him a popular figure during the Interregnum and hence suggests a possible reason for composing privately until the Restoration.
However Dr. Hugo Janacek, a member of a Facebook Choral Evensong group, piqued my interest recently when he shared some research of his. Janacek researches East Anglian choral music, and has used a complete set of 17th century partbooks written in Ayleward’s hand and signed by him. All the manuscripts of Ayleward's compositions were owned by Norwich Cathedral, purchased by A. H. Mann in the nineteenth century and published. However whilst Mann deserves much credit for preserving Ayleward's work, he seems to be the source of some confusion around Ayleward's dates, writing in 1886 that Ayleward's birth year was 1626, later admitting he was without proof. As part of his research, Janacek ha in fact uncovered a good candidate for Ayleward’s baptism record, which suggests he was in fact baptised in April 1625 in a village close to Winchester.
The surviving choral music consists of 20 verse anthems, 2 verse settings of the evening canticles (the Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis) and the Short Service, which contains settings of music for the whole daily office. it is his Short Service which is best known. His responses, with which I was already familiar, are from this Service.
History
The name Lammas Day comes from the Anglo-Saxon hlaf-mas, meaning "loaf-mass". It is a Christian holiday celebrated on August 1st in the Northern Hemisphere, and February 1st in the Southern Hemisphere, also known as Loaf Mass day due to the tradition of making a loaf from the first wheat harvest and bringing it to the church to bless of the "first fruits" of the harvest. A similar religious offering of the first agricultural produce of the harvest was present in classical Greek, Roman and Hebrew religions. In Judaism it corresponds with the Hebrew Festival of Unleavened Bread in April when a sheaf from the barley harvest was offered, followed by the Festival of Weeks in May when the first wheat harvest was offered up; both as an act of thankfulness for bringing the Israelites into the Promised Land. (Deuteronomy 16; 10-16).
In the Bible, Jesus' resurrection was referred to as "First Fruits" in Corinthians 1:-
"But now Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who are asleep."
In the Middle Ages the idea of offering the first fruits was adapted by the Christian church. This was called a tithe and was basically a tax to support the local clergy and church demesne. In England, every tenth egg, sheaf of wheat, lamb, chicken, and all other animals were given to the church as a tithe, farm products were expected to be donated throughout the year and not only on Lammas Day.
Biography
Antonio Lucio Vivaldi was an Italian Baroque composer, virtuoso violinist, teacher and Roman Catholic priest. Born in March 1678 in Venice, Vivaldi's health was problematic as a child. It is now believed that he suffered from asthma, and prevented him from learning to play wind instruments. However he learned to play the violin, and at age fifteen began training for the priesthood. Not long after his ordination, in 1704, he was given a dispensation from celebrating Mass most likely because of his ill health and Vivaldi appeared to withdraw from liturgical duties, saying Mass as a priest only a few times though he remained a member of the priesthood.
In 1711 Vivaldi begin work at Ospedale della Pietà in Venice as Master of Violin. An all-female orphanage, music school and convent Vivaldi composed most of his work whilst there, writing concertos, cantatas and sacred vocal music for them. These sacred works number over sixty and include solo motets and large-scale choral works for soloists, double chorus, and orchestra. Vivaldi had to compose an oratorio or concerto at every feast and teach the orphans both music theory and how to play certain instruments.
Venice in the early 18th century was the cultural centre of Europe, and a visit to the opera was part of the court and social life of the city. Opera houses were however required to close for all important religious festivals, but Venetians still wanted to be entertained. Vivaldi’s all-female orchestras and choirs were legendary sensations, but the girls needed to be protected from noblemen and travellers to the city. To keep them sheltered from the corruption of the visiting public, the choir sang from the upper galleries of the church, hidden behind the patterned grills, which only added to the theatrical sense of drama matched by Vivaldi’s music.
"Those young men in Venice for a stop on the Grand Tour flocked to Vivaldi’s church to hear these mysterious women seen only in silhouette, but sounding like angels."
At the height of his career, Vivaldi received commissions from European nobility and royalty including the French court of Louis XV. Vivaldi's Opus 9, "La cetra" was dedicated to Emperor Charles VI. He gave Vivaldi the title of knight, a gold medal and an invitation to Vienna. It is also likely that Vivaldi went to Vienna to stage operas, especially as he took up residence near the Kärntnertortheater. However, shortly after his arrival in Vienna in 1741 Charles VI died, which left the composer without any royal protection or a steady source of income. Having squandered his fortune Vivaldi became impoverished and died during a pauper in July 1741, aged 63.
Gloria in D
Vivaldi's Gloria in D is probably one of his best known sacred works, but it also reflects Vivaldi’s
other skill as an opera composer which he regarded as a distraction from his day job at the Pieta.
As a Renaissance composer in England during the sixteenth century William Byrd achieved what few other of a similarly high profile did, namely to remain in favour no matter which way the religious wind prevailed in England. Like Thomas Tallis (who is believed to have been his teacher at the Chapel Royal) Byrd managed to navigate the fall out of the Reformation in Elizabethan England and remained popular and published. More than that, sometime during the 1570s he became a Roman Catholic and wrote Catholic sacred music later in his life, whilst keeping his job, and his head!
Byrd's early years
In his will of 15 November 1622, Byrd described himself as "in the 80th year of [his] age", suggesting a birthdate of 1542 or 1543. However a document dated 2 October 1598 written in his own hand states that he is "58 yeares or ther abouts", indicating an earlier birthdate of 1539 or 1540.
There is no documentary evidence on his early musical training. His two brothers were choristers at St. Paul's Cathedral, although evidence suggests William was a chorister with the Chapel Royal where he was a pupil of Thomas Tallis. His first known professional employment was his appointment in 1563 as organist and master of the choristers at Lincoln Cathedral. Lincoln had a strong Puritan influence and in both 1569 Byrd was in trouble for both over-elaborate choral polyphony and organ playing during the liturgy. Perhaps then he realised there was a fine line to tread within the bounds of acceptability?
The Chapel Royal
Byrd obtained the prestigious post of Gentleman of the Chapel Royal in 1572 following the death of Robert Parsons. Byrd was listed as "organist" but this was not a specific role in the Chapel at that time, he was merely most capable of playing it.
Queen Elizabeth (1558-1603) was no Puritan, and retained a fondness for elaborate ritual. Many still presume Elizabeth held a "laissez faire" attitude to religious practise in her country but this was far from the truth. Whatever her personal preferences, she expected compliance and insisted upon it.
In 1559, Queen Elizabeth I of England issued a set of solemn Injunctions to strengthen the nation's Oath of Supremacy and its worship by the Book of Common Prayer. They specified that services should contain a hymn or song of praise to God, "in the best sort of music that may be conveniently devised." This phrase firmly ensconced choral music within the English church service and it helped establish the genre that would later be known as the anthem.
Twitter users may be aware of the recent hugely popular "World Cup" of Evensong Canticles, run by @TheEvensongCup account. The canticles cup was won by Howells' Gloucester Service (no, I didn't vote multiple times, nor bribe anyone!) but most importantly the process introduced many choral music lovers to canticles they had not heard previously, new composers, and of course gave us all a wonderful opportunity to enjoy and discuss old favourites at a time when most of us would cut off our right arm to be back in church singing them with our choirs....
The account is now hosting a "World Cup" of evensong anthems, and after much discussion and preliminary voting, the two page list below has been put together. Voting has (only just) begun, and there is a pinned thread to explain the process here.
Because I obviously don't have anything better to do (what could be better than listening to hours of evensong anthems?!) I have put together a Spotify playlist of all but the most recent compositions which are yet to make it to Spotify. You can click the image below and it should take you to my playlist, which is public. I found most of the missing anthems on Youtube with little effort - I highly recommend Sarah MacDonald's "Crux Fidelis" which is on Soundcloud and Anna Thorvaldsdottir's "Heyr þú oss himnum á".
Franz Joseph Haydn (born 31/03/1732 in Rohrau, Austria - died 31/05/1809 Vienna) was an Austrian composer who was one of the most important figures in the development of the Classical style in music during the 18th century. Haydn helped establish the forms and styles for both the string quartet and the symphony and is often referred to as the "Father" of both. He was also instrumental in the development of chamber music such as the piano trio. He was the principal engineer of the classical style.
Biography
Having exhibited an unusual talent for music at an early age, Haydn left home at 5 years old to live with his cousin who was principal of a school in Hainburg and a choirmaster there. He was never to return to his home except for rare brief visits.
Haydn's life changed decisively when he was eight years old and the musical director of St. Stephen’s Cathedral in Vienna invited him to serve as chorister in 1740, an offer which his parents accepted. He stayed at the choir school for nine years, acquiring an enormous practical knowledge of music by constant performances but to his disappointment he received little instruction in music theory. When his voice changed, he was expelled from both the cathedral choir and the choir school.
George Friderick Handel was born on 23 February 1685 in Halle, in Brandenburg-Prussia. He was a German (later naturalised British in 1727) Baroque composer who spent the bulk of his career in London. Handel is well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, concerti grossi and organ concertos.
"Handel received important training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712. Born the same year as Johann Sebastian Bach and Domenico Scarlatti, Handel is regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era, with works such as Messiah, Water Music, and Music for the Royal Fireworks remaining steadfastly popular. " Wikipedia
Handel's "Water Music" is a collection of orchestral movements, often published as three suites, which premiered on 17 July 1717, in response to King George I's request for a concert on the River Thames. It is frequently played at garden parties in "high society" to this day, and would in my view by a wonderful accompaniment to any "Stay at Home" garden parties planned for this Friday as we celebrate VE day. VE Day is not, as the jingoistic press would have us believe, "Victory OVER Europe", but Victory IN Europe, by a massive combined effort from the Allies against the tyranny of Nazism. VE Day should celebrate - and represent - the success of partnership and working together for the common good, something not only worth celebrating from an historical perspective but extremely relevant today as we battle together to fight COVID-19. Born a German and naturalised as an Englishman, Handel epitomises the fluidity of nationality, the need to adapt and the focus on end results rather than isolation and protectionism.
Messiah - originally written to be performed at Easter
On Easter Sunday our choir would have sung the "Hallelujah Chorus" as our eucharist anthem.
The Hallelujah Chorus appears in the baroque oratorio “Messiah” composed in 1741.
Now the green blade riseth, from the buried grain,
Wheat that in the dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again, like wheat that springeth green.
John MacLeod Campbell Crum (1872-1958) wrote this text to be paired with the popular French carol melody "Noël Nouvelet", sometimes referred to as "French Carol".
During his life, Crum was highly active in the Church of England. After his education at Eton and New College in Oxford, he took Holy Orders becoming Deacon in 1897. He held various positions including chaplain to the Bishop of Oxford, Francis Paget (1901-1910), assistant curate at Windsor, vicar of Mentmore at Ledburn (1910-1921), and finally canon at Canterbury (1928-1943).
While serving the church, Crum worked in a variety of theological areas and wrote on biblical and architectural topics, as well as studying historical works, and writing children's books. He wrote many hymns which ranged from translation of Latin hymns by the fourth-century poet Aurelius Clemens Prudentius to children's hymns. He published a "Songs of Praise for Boys and Girls" in 1929 and a play (The Play of St. George in 1911), and a pageant, (Children's Missionary Pageant in 1910) with musical score.
This hymn text first appeared in the 1928 edition of the Oxford Book of Carols. For those in the northern hemisphere who live in areas where springtime usually coincides with Easter, the image of growing plants and vegetation speaks clearly as a metaphor for Jesus' resurrection.
The vivid imagery of the hymn is biblically based on selected verses. 1 Corinthians 15:37-38 connects the image with the resurrection: "And that which sowest, thou sowest not that body that shall be, but bare grain, it may chance of wheat, or of some other grain: But God giveth it a body as it hath pleased him, and to every seed his own body." (KJV)
Notably, in the fourth verse, Crum emphasises that no matter what we are going through, "Jesus' touch can call us back to life again."
Our choir have recorded a multi-tracked version of "Now the Green Blade Riseth" arranged by Terry.
Johann Sebastian Bach (March 1685 – 28 July 1750) was a German composer and musician of the Baroque period. He is known for instrumental compositions such as the Brandenburg Concertos and the Goldberg Variations, and for vocal music such as the St Matthew Passion and the Mass in B minor. Since the 19th-century Bach Revival he is generally regarded as one of the greatest composers of all time.
Below is a whistle-stop-tour of Bach Cantatas, of which I'm no expert! I've thoroughly enjoyed my research for this post however and have listened to some beautiful music in the process.
Cantatas
Cantata means "sung" or "to sing". It is a vocal composition with an instrumental accompaniment, typically in several movements, often involving a choir.
The meaning of the term changed over time, from the simple single voice madrigal of the early 17th century. Cantatas for use in the liturgy of church services are called church cantata or sacred cantata; other cantatas can be indicated as secular cantata. Several cantatas were, and still are, written for special occasions, such as Christmas cantatas.
The Bach Cantatas are a body of work consisting of over 200 surviving independent works, and at least several dozen that are considered lost. J. S. Bach composed cantatas for both secular and sacred use, his church cantatas composed for use in the Lutheran church, mainly intended for the occasions of the liturgical year.
Bach started composing cantatas around 1707, when he was still an organist in Arnstadt. Bach's early cantatas are "Choralkonzerte" (chorale concertos) in the style of the 17th century, different from the recitative and aria cantata format that he began to use for church cantatas in 1714 when in Weimar.
The texts for the early cantatas were drawn mostly from biblical passages and hymns. These early cantatas include 17th-century elements such as motets and chorale concertos. Recitatives and arias on contemporary poetry were not yet present, although Bach may have heard them in oratorios by Buxtehude who was his teacher, or even earlier. His early cantatas often begin with an instrumental sinfonia or sonata. Bach worked at the ducal court in Weimar from 1708 to 1717 and from 1714-1717 he was commissioned to compose one church cantata a month. In the course of almost four years there he thus covered most occasions of the liturgical year. These cantatas have become known as the "Weimar Cycle".
Bach was appointed Thomaskantor, (director of music) in Leipzig 1723, and was responsible for the Thomasschule and the church music at these main churches. A cantata was required for the service on Sundays and additional church holidays of the liturgical year, and Bach composed many, preserved in five annual cycles. The Lutheran church of Bach's time prescribed the same readings every year, a Gospel passage and, recited before this, a corresponding section from an Epistle. A connection between the cantata text and the readings (or at least one of the prescribed hymns for the occasion) was the aim, facilitated by repetition and prescription with readings and hymns linked to the church cantata for each occasion.
A typical Bach cantata from his time in Leipzig follows the pattern below:
Opening chorus
Recitative
Aria
Recitative (or Arioso)
Aria
Chorale
The opening chorus is usually a polyphonic setting, with the orchestra presenting the themes or contrasting material first. Most arias follow the form of a da capo aria, repeating the first part after a middle section. The final chorale is typically a homophonic setting of a traditional melody.
Eastertide
Eastertide is the period of 50 days, spanning from Easter Sunday to Pentecost Sunday, celebrated as one great event. Each Sunday of the season is treated as a Sunday of Easter. Following the Sunday of the Resurrection, they are named Second Sunday of Easter, Third Sunday of Easter, etc. up to the Seventh Sunday of Easter, concluding with Pentecost Sunday. Bach wrote cantatas each year for each of these Sundays whilst in Leipzig. Our girl choristers recorded "Den Tod niemand zwingen kunnt" (BWV 4) for the first Sunday after Easter, embedded below:-
Misericordias Domini
This Sunday (26th April) is the Third Sunday of Easter, known as Misericordias Domini Sunday.
The gospel readings for Misericordias Domini is Luke 24:13-35 (Walk to Emmaus) and a suggested Bach Cantata for this reading is Cantata 66, "Erfreut euch, ihr Herzen" (Rejoice, you hearts)
Bach composed this cantata for the Second Day of Easter in Leipzig and first performed it on 10 April 1724. The cantata was Bach's first composition for Easter as Thomaskantor in Leipzig, first performed in Köthen on 10 December 1718. You can read more about it here and listen below! A translation is available here.
My inbox has been flooded with opportunities to sing at home during the lockdown. Granted, it's absolutely not the same singing alone in front of your computer, and my heart yearns to sing with my choir here in church again, but in the current situation I have found them a reasonably good alternative!
Most of these options are linked from the home page of this blog, but to update you all on some exciting new opportunities I have included the following update:-
Apologies for the radio silence, I took a few days off!! Another favourite today - John Ireland. Pupil of Stanford, teacher of Benjamin Britten and with a significant compositional repertoire, his music ranges through choral, orchestral, chamber, song, organ and piano genres, with over 200 published pieces and around 400 CDs already made representing his work.
Biography
John Ireland was born August 13, 1879, in Bowdon, Cheshire. His father, Alexander Ireland, was a publisher and newspaper proprietor, John was the youngest of five children from Alexander's second marriage, and Alexander was already aged 69 at John's birth. John's mother died when he was 14, and his father a year later, leaving the young John with sufficient means to study music at the Royal College of Music.
Born in London on 14 August 1810, Samuel Sebastian was the son of the celebrated organist and composer Samuel Wesley, grandson of Charles Wesley the hymn writer and great nephew of John Wesley, the founder of the Methodist church. (His middle name was given as a sign of his father's lifelong admiration for the music of Bach.) Despite the stigma attached to being illegitimate – a very considerable burden at the turn of the nineteenth century – Samuel Sebastian Wesley was to become the most important English church composer between Purcell and Stanford.
His father Samuel frequently found himself in debt, burdened by substantial maintenance payments, with an ever-growing family and an inability to live within his means. In 1817 he jumped from a first floor window to escape imagined creditors and for his own safety was placed in a private asylum for close on twelve months. It was then that his seven year old son’s formal musical education began with his acceptance as a Child (chorister) of the Chapel Royal, St James’s Palace, by the Master of the Children, William Hawes.
Although beginning to make a name for himself in London at the time, Samuel Sebastian accepted an appointment as organist at Hereford Cathedral in 1832. During his career he held appointments at Leeds Parish Church (now Leeds Minster), Winchester Cathedral, Winchester College and Gloucester Cathedral. In 1839 he received both his Bachelor of Music degree and a Doctor of Music degree from Oxford, becoming Professor of Organ at the Royal Academy of Music in 1850. He died at his home in Gloucester on 19 April 1876 aged 65 and is buried next to his daughter in St. Bartholomew's Cemetery in Exeter by the old City Wall. There is a wonderfully full and interesting biography of his life here on The Church Music Society.
Music
Famous in his lifetime as one of his country's leading organists and choirmasters, he composed almost exclusively for the Church of England, which continues to cherish his memory. Wesley himself considered that his best work was the 1853 collection of Anthems and all of these pieces would become cornerstones of the Anglican Church repertoire. Wesley produced 38 anthems in all, and almost 20 works for the organ. He composed service music in both Latin and English, secular songs, a tiny bit of orchestral music, and a handful of works for the piano. Certainly the originality of Wesley’s work stands out, but rather than blaze a trail he tempered his originality with conservatism as he represented the summit of old traditions of composition, musical technique and organ composition. One notable feature of his career is his aversion to equal temperament, an aversion which he kept for decades after this tuning method had been accepted on the Continent and even in most of England. Despite this he made substantial use of chromaticism in several of his published compositions which would have sounded quite different from a performance on a modern organ. SS Wesley, with Father Willis, can be credited with the invention of the concave and radiating organ pedalboard, this joint idea was adopted as an international standard for organs.
His better-known anthems include "Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace" and "Wash me throughly". He also wrote several rather late examples of verse anthems, which contrast unison and contrapuntal sections with smaller passages for solo voice or voices. Blessed be the God and Father is an example of this and a favourite here.
Blessed be the God and Father Wesley composed this piece to be sung at Easter Sunday 1834 in Hereford Cathedral where only a small number of trebles and a solitary bass was available to sing. Rumour persists that the only bass present was in fact the Dean's butler! It sets the verses from I Peter i. 3-5, 15-17, 22-25 in the Bible to music and reminds us of Jesus' final commandment to his disciples at The Last Supper to love one another. I have extremely fond memories of my youngest son singing the treble solo in this wonderful verse anthem three years ago.
Today is Maundy Thursday - also known as Mandatum Thursday, Holy Thursday and Commandment Thursday. Maundy is the name of the Christian rite of footwashing, which traditionally occurs during Maundy Thursday church services. Most scholars agree that the English word maundy in that name for the day is derived through Middle English and Old French mandé, from the Latin mandatum (also the origin of the English word "mandate"), the first word of the phrase "Mandatum novum do vobis ut diligatis invicem sicut dilexi vos" ("A new commandment I give unto you: That you love one another, as I have loved you, that you also love one another.") This statement by Jesus in the Gospel of John 13:34 by which Jesus explained to the Apostles the significance of his action of washing their feet.
Another theory is that the English name "Maundy Thursday" arose from "maundsor baskets" or "maundy purses" of alms which the king of England distributed to certain poor at Whitehall before attending Mass on that day. Thus, "maund" is connected to the Latin mendicare, and French mendier, to beg.
Holy Thursday is the beginning of the Easter "Triduum" which commemorates the passion, death and ressurrection of Jesus. Our choir would have been singing Shephard's "A new commandment" and Morley's "Nolo mortem peccatoris" at our Maundy Thursday Eucharist of the Last Supper this evening. Instead, our online choir have separately recorded Tallis' "O Salutaris Hostia" which our multi-talented music director has multitracked into the recording below.
Biography
Much has been written about Stanford, undoubtedly one of the leading musicians of his generation who had a profound effect on the development and history of English music as a performer, conductor, composer, teacher and writer.
Sir Charles Villiers Stanford (30 September 1852 – 29 March 1924) was an Irish composer, music teacher, and conductor. Born and raised in Dublin, he was the only son of a prosperous Protestant lawyer. Stanford was educated at the University of Cambridge, initially as an organ scholar at Queen's College, before studying music in Leipzig and Berlin. While still an undergraduate, Stanford was appointed organist of Trinity College, Cambridge. In 1882, aged 29, he was one of the founding professors of the Royal College of Music, where he taught composition for the rest of his life. From 1887 he was also Professor of Music at Cambridge. You can read more on the pages of the Stanford Society here.
As a teacher Stanford was sceptical about modernism, and based his instruction predominantly on classical principles as exemplified in the music of Brahms. (Brahms' music is firmly rooted in the structures and compositional techniques of the Classical masters. The diligent, highly constructed nature of his works was a starting point and an inspiration for a generation of composers. Embedded within his meticulous structures, however, are deeply romantic motifs.)
Stanford was a traditionalist during his teaching career. Ironically though his own rejection of conservatism in his youth in favour of Brahms' style was precisely the route adopted by many of his pupils, who diverged from the path he instructed them on and with considerable success. Surely this is the fundamental role of the teacher though, to provide a secure foundation for pupils from which to launch their own careers? This was certainly the view of George Dyson.
"In a certain sense the very rebellion he fought was the most obvious fruit of his methods. And in view of what some of these rebels have since achieved, one is tempted to wonder whether there is really anything better a teacher can do for his pupils than drive them into various forms of revolution."
Among his pupils were rising composers whose fame went on to surpass his own, such as Herbert Brewer, George Dyson, Gustav Holst, Ralph Vaughan Williams and Charles Wood. (The latter succeeded him as Professor of Music at Cambridge University.) As Professor at the Royal College of Music Stanford taught Herbert Howells, and also Ivor Gurney and George Butterworth, both casualties of the Great War. His legacy in my view is as the grandfather of twentieth century Anglican music.
Music
Stanford's best-remembered pieces are his choral works for church performance, composed in the Anglican tradition. (Choral Wiki has a list here. )He was a prolific composer, although many of his non-ecclesiastical works declined in popularity after his death this was not true of his church compositions. Anthems such as "Beati Quorum Via", "Justorum Animae", "Coelos Ascendit Hodie" and "For lo I raise up" are staples in the repertoire of many churches and cathedrals. Who hasn't sung his Evening Canticles in B flat, C and G? His services in A (1880), F (one whilst at Queen's, Cambridge and known as the "Queen's Service" (1872), a second in F Op36 (1889) and C (1909) are less well known to me, although considered the most important and enduring according to historical musicologist Nicholas Temperley. His second Magnificat in F is beautiful, listen to it here . As with all composer's, Stanford's style did change over time - no matter how conservative his stylistic views. Compare his Queen's Service Magnificat in F (Op2) written in 1889 here :- With his well known Magnificat in B flat written in here :-
Here is his Magnificat in A Major, complete with score to sing long to :-
So it seems yesterday's choice of Thomas Weelkes' setting of "Hosanna to the Son of David" was significantly downvoted in favour of that by Orlando Gibbons'! Thing is... I had already planned to write about Gibbons today, so Weelkes was the natural choice for Palm Sunday!
Orlando Gibbons was appointed a gentleman of the Chapel Royal by King James I around May of 1603 and a senior organist by 1605. By 1606 he had graduated from King's College, Cambridge with a Bachelor of Music and received an honorary Doctor of Music from Oxford in May of 1622. In 1623 he was appointed organist at Westminster Abbey, a position which he held for 2 years until his death on the June 5th, 1625.
Due to his untimely death Gibbons was not such a prolific composer as his (older) contemporary William Byrd, but he still managed to produce many secular and sacred polyphonic vocal works, including consort songs, services, motets, more than 40 full anthems and verse anthems, a set of 20 madrigals as well as at least 20 keyboard works and various instrumental ensemble pieces including nearly 30 fantasies for viols. his most famous works are "This is the Record of John", "O Clap your Hands Together" and "The Silver Swan".
Gibbons was a key transitional figure in the early seventeenth century, bridging the later Renaissance to early Baroque eras. Dubbed by the composer Frederick Ouseley as "the English Palestrina" and many believed he paved the way to the new era of music.
Music The Silver Swan is a famous and much loved madrigal which presents the legend that swans sing only just before their deaths. The words might be Gibbons creation or more likely, that of his sponsor Sir Christopher Hatton . Whilst not "sacred", it is a hauntingly beautiful piece deserving of inclusion here!
It's a beautiful piece, and there are many recordings online. My favourite is the one below by The Gesualdo Six. (We tried to record our own at home but are missing a reliable bass part!!)
The score can be downloaded from Choral Wiki here.
The Silver Swan who, living, had no note,
When death approach'd, unlock'd her silent throat.
Leaning her breast against the reedy shore,
Thus sung her first and last, And sung no more:
"Farewell all joys, O death come close mine eyes.
More geese than swans now live, more fools than wise."
Palm Sunday marks the beginning of Holy Week, the last week in Lent, the Sunday before Easter. In the Palm Sunday Gospels crowds play a significant role as they acclaim Jesus Son of David, the one who comes in the name of the Lord - yet soon after the same crowds are shouting for his condemnation and execution.
John's gospel, "they took palm branches and went out to meet Him" (12:13 HCSB)
As an historian I know it was far from unusual for men of note (particularly local Roman governors) to be fêted in this way, riding on horseback with an entourage; crowds lining the route into Jerusalem or indeed any significant city at the time. What was so significant about Jesus' arrival into Jerusalem on Palm Sunday was that he did not enter by the main gate; neither did he ride a noble steed - but instead chose a humble donkey.
One of my favourite books as a child - now sadly out of print - was "Donkey's Glory" by Nan Goodall, the tale of a family of donkeys who were there servicing Jesus. The grandmother donkey who carried Mary, the donkey who helped them flee in the dead of night from Herod's men, and the donkey who carried Jesus into Jerusalem. It's a beautiful story about humility and service, reminding us that neither requires show or ostentation. Jesus drew crowds without request, without Caesar's instruction and people chose to celebrate him as their King laying palm branches in front of him- an act of particular symbolism in the ancient world.
The palm branch is a symbol of victory, triumph, peace, and eternal life originating in the ancient Near East and Mediterranean world. The palm (Phoenix) was sacred in Mesopotamian religions, and in ancient Egypt represented immortality. In Judaism, the lulav, a closed frond of the date palm is part of the festival of Sukkot. The palm has meaning in Christianity as well Christian iconography to represent victory, i.e.,the victory of the spirit over the flesh, Revelation 7:9.. Wikipedia
Photo courtesy of Adam Birkett, Unsplash
Palm Sunday questions our modern interpretation of the word "King". The crowds recognised Christ riding a donkey into Jerusalem as a declaration of victory and salvation. The word "Hosanna" in Hebrew literally means, “I beg you to save,” or “please deliver us.”
Solomon was David’s first descendant to ride the king’s mule, and be celebrated as the next King of a kingdom that would have no end (1 Kings, Chapter 1). Jesus would be David’s last descendant to be King of the Jews forever.
The prophecy from Zechariah 9:9-10, riding into Jerusalem on the foal of a donkey was an unmistakable fulfillment of God’s word, declaring to all he is the rightful successor to the King, from this moment on, and that his kingdom would be eternal.
Palm Sunday 2020
The image of crowds is a sobering one for us during this period of lockdown. With churches closed we are deprived of our usual route of celebration. However Palm Sunday also marks victory over sin, and the end of Jesus' earthly ministry. We can be present in our hearts as we remember this, because in reality Palm Sunday was indeed a procession of a virtual kind - one that celebrated a king who would die not only to save his people, but to redeem the whole world.
There are so many anthems to choose from to mark Palm Sunday, but one of my favourite is "Hosanna to the Son of David" by Thomas Weelkes which I've linked via YouTube below.
Hosanna to the Son of David is a famous example of the English 'full' anthem – as opposed to the 'verse' anthem, and opens with a majestic six-voice proclamation. It's glorious thick texture shows how effectively music can conjure up an image, it's a joy to sing!
There are currently so many opportunities to participate in virtual choirs, a superb creative response to the lack of real choir opportunities during the lockdown. The nation's singers are being asked to record their contributions and send them to choir directors who have the unenviable task of layering and editing to produce a "whole choir" sound. If we are really lucky, the result is one which sounds as if there is some level of acoustic (even if it's not quite a cathedral) rather than a group of individuals singing in their bedrooms! (Members of our choir might find this a novelty, our church is known for its lack of acoustic!)
The video below, via YouTube, is an excellent tutorial made by our Music Director on precisely how such a recording can be made. It takes a few minutes to get the hang of the set up, but it's actually really straitforward. (What is perhaps most disconcerting is hearing your voice played back to you afterwards!!) Our choir members have had the benefit of written instructions and a video tutorial already, but I thought the latter was worth sharing here since it's extremely clear and well-paced.
"There is a green hill far away" is an Anglican hymn. The words are by Cecil Frances Alexander; and the most popular tune by William Horsley. It was written to create a musical version of the words from the creed 'Suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead and buried.’"
It is a hugely evocative hymn for me, one I have loved since school assembly days; and the words are particularly pertinent right now. Our "green hill" is currently beyond the horizon, hidden from view as we all stay at home during the Covid-19 enforced lockdown. We must trust in God as we approach Holy Week; remembering Jesus' suffering and perhaps using this time away from the rollercoaster of our busy lives to consider our own faith. This period of "lockdown" is useful for contemplation, a gift of time during turbulent world events. One day soon we can emerge from our isolation and celebrate Christ's resurrection with perhaps a more enlightened understanding of his Passion and the Easter story.
Cecil Frances Alexander lived 1818-1895 in Dublin, Ireland. She also wrote "All things Bright and Beautiful", and "Once in Royal David's City" amongst many others. She was a prolific verse writer, her hymns heavily influenced first by Dr. Walter Hook, Dean of Chichester, and later her connections within the Oxford Movement.
Whilst many of us are unfamiliar with the controversies surrounding both the Movement and Alexander's endorsement of the class system, her hymns are known and loved by Christians the world over. Alexander also published poetry in english and french, for adults and children.
Below is a recording of the hymn by Kings' College Choir, my friend's son is a current chorister and will miss his first Easter with the choir.
Those of you who know me are well aware of my love of Howells' wonderful music, and will be unsurprised to learn of my support on Twitter for Howell's in G over Dyson in D in the "World Cup of Evensong Canticles! Sadly my "team" were knocked out of the second round, but I graciously concede we lost to an equally impressive canticle setting!!
(If you want to follow the "World Cup" of evensong canticles, follow @TheEvensongCup on Twitter! You can even vote for the equally wonderful Howell's Gloucester service later today...)
The wonderful Rodolfus foundation under the baton of Ralph Allwood, is launching a Virtual Choir to create a Choral Evensong, inviting everyone to take part. This will be a wonderful chance to unite in musical harmony at a time when we will be missing our usual singing.
There is an introductory video (below) publicly available on YouTube. Instructions to download material are here if you want to get involved!
Biography
George Dyson (1883-1964) began his musical career in the world of Church and organ music. By way of several scholarships, Dyson received formal musical training on the organ and in composition at the Royal College of Music. In 1904 he won the Mendelssohn travelling scholarship which enabled him to study in Italy and Germany for four years. It was during his stay in Dresden in 1907 that Dyson composed the Magnificat and Nunc dimittis in D major. After the War, Dyson became head of music at Wellington College and joined the staff of the Royal College of Music. From 1924 to 1937 he was director of music at Winchester College.
In his Evening Service in D Dyson uses broad, expansive phrases and imaginative, descriptive writing like his predecessors Parry and Stanford, and he also understood the power of unison writing. The overall feeling in this setting is one of exaltation.
One of my favourite nuggets of information on Dyson is that in addition to composing and writing books on music he also authored a Manual of Grenade Fighting, which was adopted by the War Office in the First World War!
Music
You can sing along with the Kings' College, Cambridge recording on Youtube below, and you can currently download the score from the Rodolfus links above. If you are ready to sing with only an organ accompaniment, download the Rodolfus .mp3 file and have a go!
