Program notes from the Georgia Festival Chorus' performance of Horizons in the Spring of 2024.
David Scott, Artistic Director
with
Cathy Adams, piano
Randall Romig, organ
Ken Terrell, Assistant Director
Elizabeth Daly, Conducting Intern
LET ALL THE WORLD IN EVERY CORNER SING
“Let All the World in Every Corner Sing” was written by George Herbert (1593-1633), a famous Welsh poet and Anglican priest. First published posthumously in The Temple: Sacred Poems in 1633, it appeared under the title “Antiphon,” defined as a verse or song to be chanted or sung responsively before and after a canticle, psalm, or psalm verse. The refrain says: “Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King.” The verse continues: “The heavens are not too high, His praise may thither fly: The earth is not too low, His praises there may grow.” The hymn expresses Herbert’s faith in God’s sovereignty and glory and reflects his emphasis on the heart as the source of spiritual worship.
English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) helped to bring “Let All the World in Every Corner Sing” back to public awareness when he included it as the final movement of his Five Mystical Songs, which was written between 1906 and 1911 and sets four poems by Herbert. This final “Antiphon” stands out as a triumphant hymn of praise sung sometimes on its own or as a church anthem for choir and organ. This revered classic was transcribed and edited by American composer Craig Courtney in 2006 and features a stirring four-hand piano accompaniment.
“The word ‘Alleluia’ has so many possible interpretations." ~ Randall Thompson
ALLELUIA
“Alleluia” is an unaccompanied choral piece by American composer Randall Thompson. The work was commissioned by the director of the Tanglewood Music Festival, who wanted a fanfare for voices to be performed at the opening of the new Berkshire Music Center (now the Tanglewood Music Center). Composed over the first five days of July in 1940, it was given its world premiere on July 8 of that year.
Instead of the celebratory work expected, Thompson produced a quiet and introspective piece. He was deeply affected by the war in Europe and the recent fall of France and felt it would be inappropriate to write a festive piece. The text of the work consists of the word “alleluia” (the Latin form of hallelujah, Hebrew for “praise ye the Lord”) repeated over and over again. The only other word in the text is “amen” which, appropriately, is used once at the end. Thompson wrote that the “Alleluia” is:
“... a very sad piece. The word “Alleluia” has so many possible interpretations. The music in my particular Alleluia cannot be made to sound joyous. It is a slow, sad piece, and...here it is comparable to the Book of Job, where it is written, ‘The Lord gave and the Lord has taken away. Blessed be the name of the Lord.’ ”
The piece has become Thompson’s most popular work and has opened Tanglewood’s summer season every year since it premiered.
HALLELUJAH, AMEN
This piece is the triumphant final chorus of George Frideric Handel’s oratorio in three parts Judas Maccabaeus composed in 1746, five years afterMessiah, when Handel was 61, based on a libretto written by Thomas Morell. The work was commissioned by Frederic, Prince of Wales, to celebrate the victorious Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland, upon his return from the Battle of Culloden. The libretto is based on Maccabees book 1 and uses motifs from Josephus’ Jewish Antiquities to tell the story of Judas Maccabaeus’ battles against the Greek Seleucid Empire in 170-160 BC. In the end, when Rome forms an alliance with Judas against the Seleucid empire, the people rejoice and sing praises to God for bringing peace to their country.
The next three pieces were composed by the popular American choral composer and Iowa native Elaine Hagenberg:
Oh fairer than the morning,
lovlier than daylight,
Shall rise the glorious
thought to Thee!
STILL WITH THEE
The text is based on the first, fifth, and sixth stanzas of “When I Awake I Am Still With Thee,” the last poem in Hours of the Night; or Watches of Sorrow from the book Religious Poems by author and abolitionist Harriet Beecher Stowe (1811-1896). The anthem is richly scored and exudes confidence, comfort, and assurance. Throughout, it emphasizes that in all circumstances, “I am with Thee,” and beautifully captures themes of faith and God’s comforting presence.
O love that will not let me go,
I rest my weary soul in Thee;
I give Thee back the life I owe
That in Thy ocean depths its flow
may richer, fuller be.
O LOVE
“O Love” was inspired by a hymn written by the famous and popular Scottish minister George Matheson (1842-1906). At the age of nineteen when his already poor eyesight worsened, his fiancé called off their engagement and he had to depend more and more on his eldest sister, who cared for him as he endured new challenges. One of the greatest pieces Matheson ever wrote, this simple hymn was penned on the eve of his sister’s wedding, facing the painful reminder of his own heartache and loss. His sister, the one he was so dependent upon, was starting a new chapter of her life. The hymn was entitled, “O Love that Wilt Not Let Me Go.” When he later wrote about the hymn’s conception, he recounted the following:
“My hymn was composed in the manse of Innellan on the evening of the 6th of June, 1882, when I was 40 years of age. I was alone in the manse at that time. It was the night of my sister’s marriage, and the rest of the family were staying overnight in Glasgow. Something happened to me, which was known only to myself, and which caused me the most severe mental suffering. The hymn was the fruit of that suffering. It was the quickest bit of work I ever did in my life. I had the impression of having it dictated to me by some inward voice rather than of working it out myself. I am quite sure that the whole work was completed in five minutes and equally sure that it never received at my hands any retouching or correction. I have no natural gift of rhythm. All the other verses I have ever written are manufactured articles; this came like a dayspring from on high.”
AWAKE, MY SOUL
This captivating and energetic piece with a rhythmic vocal counterpoint and sparkling piano accompaniment is based on Psalm 57:8-11, which is regularly used in Jewish, Catholic, Lutheran, and Anglican, as well as other Protestant liturgies. The Psalm was written when King David was fleeing from Saul and his enemies and is David’s combination of prayer for deliverance with praise for God’s expected rescue, calling for a confident expectation of deliverance and stirring up the soul to praise.
THE NAME OF JESUS
This is a beautiful setting that combines the first lyric from “All Hail the Power of Jesus’ Name” by Edward Perronet and all verses of the hymn text “How Sweet the Name of Jesus Sounds” by John Newton, forming this new anthem by Craig Courtney. The inventive a cappella arrangement celebrates the power and majesty of Christ’s name, combining vocal harmonies with rhythmic elements to create an uplifting musical experience.
COME, CHRISTIANS, JOIN TO SING!
Randall Kempton’s arrangement of this spirited anthem features a lively four-hand piano accompaniment and exudes an early American style, evoking a sense of vigor and celebration. The hymn was composed by Christian H. Bateman and first appeared in 1843 in a collection published in Edinburgh, Sacred Melodies for Children. It was originally a Sunday school song for children titled “Come, Children, Join to Sing” set to the Spanish tune MADRID. The name was later changed when its author realized everyone loved to sing his hymn! Celebrating Christ as our King and Guide, it invites all believers to join in joyful praise.
Each stanza begins with an exhortation: an imperative command to “Come” or “Praise.” In stanza one, Bateman provides the children with the reason for singing: we offer “loud praise to Christ our King... before his throne...” Christ desires our praise: “praise is His gracious choice...” Stanza two reassures the children (and all of us) that this King is also “our guide and friend” and that “His love shall never end.” This King will “condescend” to be a friend to the children. To condescend surely did not mean to patronize as it tends to mean today, but means that Christ the King humbles himself to be in a personal relationship with us. Stanza three reassures children that they need not fear death. Beyond life, our songs will continue on “heaven’s blissful shore...singing forevermore: Alleluia! Amen!”
I’LL FLY AWAY
The old gospel favorite “I’ll Fly Away” was written in 1929 by Albert E. Brumley and published in 1932 by the Hartford Music company in a collection titled Wonderful Message. Brumley has been described as the “pre-eminent gospel songwriter” of the 20th century with over 600 published songs. Brumley came up with the idea for the song while picking cotton on his father’s farm in Rock Island, Oklahoma. He said that as he worked, he was “humming the old ballad that went like this: ‘If I had the wings of an angel, over these prison walls I would fly,’ and suddenly it dawned on me that I could use this plot for a gospel-type song.” The song Brumley described appears to be the 1924 secular ballad “The Prisoner’s Song.” It was an additional three years later until he worked out the rest of the song, paraphrasing one line from the secular ballad to read, “Like a bird from prison bars has flown” using prison as a metaphor for earthly life. Brumley has stated, “When I wrote it, I had no idea that it would become so universally popular.” This energetic and engaging arrangement by Craig Courtney features four-hand piano accompaniment.
HOMEWARD BOUND
Elegant in its simplicity with poetic lyrics and a memorable lilting melody, this song is one of the most popular and widely-performed contemporary choral pieces today. It has touched thousands of musicians and audiences with its warmth and sincerity and has become an anthem for many soldiers returning home from foreign wars. There are various interpretations of its meaning, among them coming full circle to the end of life and preparing to meet God, praying for connection and purpose, and a longing to return to the familiar comforts of “home,” either physically or metaphorically.
Composer Marta Keen wrote the following Facebook post about her original composition:
“Finding your true calling in life; knowing that those who love you trust that you will return… I wrote this song for a loved one who was embarking upon a new phase of life’s journey, to express the soul’s yearning to grow and change. ... I continue to be delighted at the wide range of performances and interpretations of this song, which now truly seems to have a life of its own.”
DEEP WATERS
“Deep Waters” is an a cappella choral composition by Pepper Choplin, a full-time composer, conductor and humorist from North Carolina. The work is based on the lesson of faith in the fifth chapter of the Gospel of Luke, where Jesus instructed Simon and the others to “go out to deep water; cast your nets once more” following an unsuccessful night of fishing. Although doubtful, Simon obeyed the Lord and encountered unexpected blessings and divine provision. Choplin skillfully weaves storytelling aspects into the composition, capturing the essence of the biblical text. The anthem uses simple harmonies, harkening to early American hymns, and ends with a congregational section where the audience is encouraged to join in.
EZEKIEL SAW DE WHEEL
This is a classic a cappella version of the traditional African American spiritual by American composer, choir director, professor, and musicologist William Levi Dawson (1899-1990). Inspired by the biblical book of Ezekiel, the spiritual vividly portrays the prophet Ezekiel’s vision of a divine chariot with wheels within wheels. The repetitive and rhythmic nature of the text reflects the cyclical motion of the heavenly wheels. The climax of Dawson’s masterful arrangement features 12 parts singing different individual lines, creating a sense of movement and momentum, while evoking imagery of wheels turning, angels ascending, and a divine presence!
“The unison represents the oneness of God and Christ (who is the Word).”
~ Rosephanye Powell
THE WORD WAS GOD
Dr. Rosephanye Dunn Powell is one of America’s premier female composers of choral music. She is a Professor of Voice at Auburn University and has created choral works in a variety of genres, including spiritual and secular. This work, “The Word Was God,” is a sacred choral anthem based on John 1:1-3 written in 1996, and is one of her most popular works known for its rhythmic energy and drive. The rhythmic structure develops from the superb interplay between the voices, and the layering of sound upon sound creates a captivating musical tapestry.
Notes from the composer:
“The text and the theme of the piece are introduced simply, beginning in unison and growing into homophony in the men’s voices. The simplicity represents the “nothingness” that existed before creation. The unison represents the oneness of God and Christ (who is the Word). The homophony represents the distinctness of God and Christ in their roles. All that existed was God and the Word (Christ). All of creation grew out of these two who are one.”
TOTAL PRAISE
Richard Smallwood is a very successful Atlanta composer, music director, pianist, and arranger of gospel music. Here are his words about the genesis of “Total Praise,” his most popular song:
“I don’t remember specifically trying to write a song that day in October. I just sat down at the piano in my living room and started playing, and ‘Total Praise’ just started coming out. I remember distinctly recognizing that it was a praise song, in terms of a theme, but I was trying to pull it back the other way and go into a ‘pity party’ kind of song: “Lord, I will lift mine eyes to the hills, I know you’re my help, so I need you to hold me, to dry my tears,” that kind of thing. But the more I pulled it that way, the more it pulled the other way, in terms of praise...
When I finished, God spoke to my spirit and began to explain that he deserves praise in whatever season we find ourselves. What I call “mountaintop praise,” when everything is going well and you have so much to praise God for, is easy. But the opposite of that is what I call “valley praise,” when you are in a dark situation, and you can’t see the light at the end of the tunnel. But yet we praise God anyhow, because we understand that this too shall pass, and even though it’s a dark situation, God is with us through it. Writing that song, for me, was a teaching moment from God.”
ALL CREATURES OF OUR GOD AND KING
“All Creatures of Our God and King” is a traditional hymn that expresses and celebrates that all creatures and other things of nature are created by God and belong to Him. The original words were written by St. Francis of Assisi, the 13th-century Italian saint who founded the Franciscan order and advocated for peace and harmony with nature. Virtually blind and unable to endure daylight, St. Francis wrote this text in Italian during the summer of 1225 as Laudato sia Dio mio Signore (Praise be to You, my Lord). It is a meditation on the creation Psalm 148, and is known as the “Song of All Creatures” and “Canticle of the Sun.” English hymnodist and clergyman William H. Draper (1855-1933) translated and paraphrased the words and set them to music in about 1910. The music he chose, Lasst Uns Erfreuen, originated from Germany in 1623 and was widely used during the Easter season and other festive occasions with its triumphant melody and repeated “alleluia” phrases. The resulting hymn we know today enumerates various features of the creation and summons all to praise the Lord. Although not found in the original text, the “alleluias” make splendid sense and are necessary for the tune. Repeating the words “O praise him,” each stanza emphasizes the cosmic praise of all creation: the sun and moon; wind, clouds, and light; water and fire; the earth and its produce; and finally, all creatures.
Molly Ijames, a contemporary Christian singer and songwriter, has arranged this hymn for chorus with a bright and uplifting four-hand piano accompaniment creating a rich and harmonious sound that celebrates the diversity and beauty of God’s creation.
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