Search

Music Notes April 4th

Fantasia in G Major BWV 572 by J.S. Bach

This piece has three parts to it – an opening toccata, and middle improvisatory section, and a closing toccata. The opening is bright and cheerful, employing broken chords. The middle is more characteristic of Bach, with a five voice fantasia with dense texture across the range of the instrument. The fantasia fails to resolve at its close, and a toccata reminiscent of the end of the fugue from the famous Toccata and Fugue in D minor BWV 565, takes the listener on a chromatic journey that ultimately resolves into the dominant, allowing for a cadential close to the suite.

Christ the Lord is Risen Today

This perennial Easter processional hymn was written by Charles Wesley, one of the co-founders of the Methodist tradition in 1739. The hymn portrays not only the resurrection, but also the crucifixion. It tells us that “Love’s redeeming work is done, Fought the fight, the battle won.”  It says, “Death in vain forbids him rise.”  But the resurrection is the dominant theme, as we would expect in an Easter hymn. The original text did not include the alleluias. These were presumably added to fit with the music – one wonders if this hymn would have the same staying power without them!

Christ the Lord is risen today, Alleluia! All creation join to say, Alleluia!
Raise your joys and triumphs high, Alleluia! Sing, O heavens, and earth reply, Alleluia!

Love’s redeeming work is done, Alleluia! Fought the fight, the battle won, Alleluia!
Death in vain forbids him rise, Alleluia! Christ has opened paradise. Alleluia!

Soar we now where Christ was led, Alleluia! Following our exalted head, Alleluia!
Made like him, like him we rise, Alleluia! Ours the cross, the grave, the skies, Alleluia!

Now the Green Blade Rises

This hymn uses the tune “Noel Nouvelete,” a famous French carol melody dating back to late 15th or early 16th century that celebrates Christmastide and New Year’s Eve.

This hymn text first appeared in the 1928 edition of the Oxford Book of Carols and uses vivid imagery to capture the imagination, and speaks to Easter’s coinciding with Spring time, at least for us in parts of the Northern Hemisphere seasonal changes.

The nature imagery of one of his children’s hymns provides insight into his writing style and the images of the natural world found in “Now the green blade riseth.”

To God who makes all lovely things
How happy must our praises be;
Each day a new surprise He brings
To make us glad His world to see.

The imagery of the hymn is inspired by John 12:23-24: “And Jesus answered them, saying, the hour is come, that the Son of man should be glorified. Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone: but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit” as well as 1 Corinthians 15:37-38 “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.”

Now the green blade rises, from the buried grain,
Wheat that in dark earth many days has lain;
Love lives again, that with the dead has been:
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

In the grave they laid the love by hatred slain,
Thinking that Jesus would not awake again,
Laid in the earth like grain that sleeps unseen:
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

Christ came forth at Easter, like the risen grain,
who that for three days in the grave had lain;
Raised from the dead the risen Christ is seen:
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

When our hearts are wintry, grieving, or in pain,
Your touch can call us back to life again,
Fields of our hearts that dead and bare have been:
Love is come again like wheat arising green.

O Sons and Daughters

This text was written in the late 1400s by a Franciscan monk who started a penitential order for women. It has had staying power as an Easter hymn ever since. While one might think it was translated after Vatican II and adopted into the Protestant tradition, it was actually a 19th century hymnologist John Neale, a leader in the Oxford movement (which sought to recover, modernize, and use hymns, liturgy, and architecture) who translated it and popularized it in the Church of England. Translating a hymn isn’t as simple as it sounds – one must ensure it still has some poetic aspects, works with the music, and yet make sure it is compelling textually – especially if modernizing it. Neale also translated and modernized “Good Christian Friends Rejoice” and “Of the Father’s Love Begotten,” two well known Advent and Christmas hymns.
This hymn was likely used as plainchant in worship – a schola cantorum singing the chant melody in unison, but it would have likely been performed outside of the liturgical setting as well – with flutes, percussion instruments, and in more of a dance like form. That is what we try to capture with our interpretation for the service. 

O sons and daughters, let us sing
with heav’nly hosts to Christ our king:
today the grave has lost its sting!
Alleluia!

That Easter morn, at break of day,
the faithful women went their way
to seek the tomb where Jesus lay.
Alleluia!

That night the apostles met in fear;
among them came their Lord most dear,
and said, “My peace be with you here.”
Alleluia!

On this most holy day of days,
to God your hearts and voices raise
in laud and jubilee and praise.
Alleluia! Alleluia!

Good Christians All Rejoice and Sing

Good Christians all, rejoice and sing!
Now is the triumph of our King!
To all the world glad news we bring:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

The Lord of life is risen today!
Death’s mighty stone is rolled away.
Let all the earth rejoice and say:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Praise we in songs of victory
that love, that life which cannot die,
and sing with hearts uplifted high:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Your name we bless, O risen Lord,
and sing today with one accord
the life laid down, the life restored:
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!

Grand Choeur Dialogue by Eugene Gigout

Gigout was known more as an composition teacher, organist and improviser during his life, but he did have a rather prolific output of compositions, some of which are quite well-known to this day. Grand Chouer Dialogue is one of the most famous pieces of music for organ. It is a dialogue, as the name suggests, between two ensembles, or choirs. This piece can also be done with a brass quintet and organ alternating, or in some large cathedrals, with two separate organs playing in alternatim. Here, the two dialoguing parties will be the Grand Chouer ensemble, or a mixture of reed and principal stops (pretty much the organ at full power) and the Tromba stop – a dark, stately trumpet like sound. The Tromba pipes are at the top left of the organ facade and look like praying hands.