A Hymn to the Father

Description

Soprano, Alto, Tenor, Bass, Violin, Violoncello — This short piece will require a lot of work to secure a rewarding performance. Within its thirty-two bars it covers a wide range of dynamics, and its harmonic language moves from a simple G minor to end on a D major chord but during this journey there are passages of dissonance and harmonic tension. Of note is the wide range of dynamics from ppp to ff throughout the piece. While starting slow and mysterious and in fact ending the same way as the music fades virtually to nothing, the anguish of the text is highlighted in bars seventeen to twenty-four with the climatic question “My God, why have you forsaken me” with the voices in very close harmony creating a great moment of dissonance. The string writing adds an effective supporting line to the choral parts and at the climatic point they play tremolo triplets which adds to the harmonic tension. Like the vocal parts they fade away at the end in their upper registers. This effective work is a great addition to the repertoire and will be suitable for performance especially at Easter both in the concert hall and as a motet for liturgical use.