Cantata for SATB choir, Soprano and Mezzo-Soprano soloists, Brass Quintet, Timpani, English Handbell Choir, and Organ

I wrote this piece on a commission from the Union Church of Hinsdale, IL to celebrate the retirement of their long time Director of Music (and my one time boss), Michael Surratt.

Mike is a great guy and a really great organist, so I wanted to give him something to bite into.  The church suggested I set the text of Psalm 46 (as one of Mike’s favorites) and I seized the opportunity to use a translation that has fascinated me for years, namely, Young’s Literal Translation of 1862 (which you can read about on Wikipedia.)  What makes this this version of the bible so truly unique is that Mr. Young, a self-educated Scotsman, translated from the Ancient Hebrew, Aramaic, and Greek without rendering said languages grammatically into Modern English.  Strangely though, he still uses the vocabularic style and tense endings of the King James Version, lending the text a very distinct flavor of the ancient and the modern.

For comparison, here is the New Revised Version of Psalm 46:

God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble

Therefore we will not fear, though the earth should change, though the mountains shake in the heart of the sea;

Though its waters roar and foam, though the mountains tremble with its tumult. Selah.

There is a river whose streams make glad the city of God, the holy habitation of the Most High.

God is in the midst of the city; it shall not be moved; God will help it when the morning dawns.

The nations are in an uproar, the kingdoms totter; He utters his voice, the earth melts.

The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge. Selah

Come, behold the works of the LORD; See what desolations he has brought on the earth

He makes wars cease to the end of the earth; He breaks the bow, and shatters the spear; He burns the shields with fire.

“Be still, and know that I am God! I am exalted among the nations, I am exalted in the earth.”

The LORD of hosts is with us; The God of Jacob is our refuge.  Selah.

And here is Young’s Literal Translation:

God [is] to us a refuge and strength, a help in adversities found most surely.

Therefore we fear not in the changing of earth, and in the slipping of mountains into the heart of the seas.

Roar — troubled are its waters, mountains they shake in its pride. Selah.

A river — its rivulets rejoice the city of God, Thy holy place of the tabernacles of the Most High.

God [is] in her midst — she is not moved, God doth help her at the turn of the morn!

Troubled have been nations, moved have been kingdoms, He hath given forth with His voice, earth melteth.

Jehovah of Hosts [is] with us, a tower for us [is] the God of Jacob. Selah.

Come ye, see the works of Jehovah, who hath done astonishing things in the earth,

Causing wars to cease, unto the end of the earth, the bow he shivereth, and the spear He hath cut asunder, chariots he doth burn with fire.

Desist, and know that I [am] God, I am exalted among nations, I am exalted in the earth.

Jehovah of hosts [is] with us, a tower for us [is] the God of Jacob! Selah.

I made just a few tiny adjustments to this text, mainly for musical purposes, and also because of Mike’s aversion to the use of the masculine pronoun for God.  The piece was premiered in Hinsdale, IL in May of 2011, and I recorded it in Cincinnati, OH in December of the same year using funds from a Kickstarter campaign (which I discuss here.)

Astute listeners may recognize two hymn tunes which are quoted extensively (and often hidden) in the piece: “A Mighty Fortress Is Our God” and “O God Our Help In Ages Past”.  Both are paraphrases of the Psalm 46 text and favorites of Mike’s.

Anthem for Choir, Organ, Bells, Brass and Timpani (with a little solo soprano bit).

The traditional text for Christmas Eve, this piece was premiered at about 11:30 PM on December 24, 2006.  Here’s me conducting a concert performance of it:

Anthem for 2 Flutes, Choir and Organ (or Strings)

The first number from Thy King Cometh, this is my little ode to pastoral music in 6/8.  It’s also the fullest realization of my modal ideas.

Here’s a clip from a concert performance of the whole oratorio, re-orchestrated for strings instead of organ.  I think it works much better this way:

Response for Choir, Organ and Brass

Just a little pentatonic melody.  The one problem with this piece is that I can NEVER seem to get choirs to sing it like the piece of pure pop indulgence that it is.  My life is so hard sometimes.

Anthem for Choir, Organ, Brass and Timpani

This piece continues my little idea of having a sort of Greek Chorus of Men narrate the Passion.  The main body of the movement is built over a descending tetrachord ostinato played as a wicked tango rhythm.

Introit for Choir, Organ and Brass

A nice little ditty to a familiar set of words.  I particularly like the cutsy-pootsy way this piece ends.

Anthem for Women’s Chorus and Strings

I think this is the best piece I have yet written.  The entire thing is based on the simplest possible scalar motive (C Major) and in the second half, only two pitches change.  Despite this tremendous economy of means, I think the piece works.  I certainly intended it for women, but I’d love to hear it done with a good boys’ choir sometime.

Anthem for Choir, Strings, and Piano

The text of this piece is the continuation of Jesus’ quote from the cross, “Father, why hast Thou forsaken me?”  The piece is the emotional center of my Good Friday Music.  The string parts for this and the other Good Friday music are necessarily simple because I had no idea who would be playing them.  There ended up being a mix of my friends from town and some suburban high school students.  I was glad I had written conservatively.

Introit for Choir and Organ

Just a little piece to set-up Pal(u)m Sunday.

Anthem for Choir, Strings, and Piano

This seems to be the big hit of the whole oratorio.  It’s more commonly known as “Crucify Him!”  The main musical premise is that the tempo steadily accelerates from the beginning of the Allegro to the end of the piece.  Even I find it pretty creepy.