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The DeKalb Choral Guild
P.O. Box 1931
Decatur, GA
30031-1931
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Georgia Council for the Arts

 

Te Deum

Bryan F. Black, Director
Leanne Elmer Herrmann, Accompanist

With Special Guests:
The Oglethorpe University Singers, directed by Dr. W. Irwin Ray
The Atlanta Community Symphony Orchestra, directed by Juan Ramirez

In conjunction with Arts & Ideas at Oglethorpe University

Saturday, April 20, 2002
Conant Center for the Arts
Oglethorpe University
Atlanta, Georgia

Featuring the combined forces of all three groups:

The Star Spangled Banner (1814), tune by John Stafford Smith (1750-1836), Poem by Francis Scott Key (1779-1843), arrangement by Dr. W. Irwin Ray
    Dr. W. Irwin Ray, guest conductor

Te Deum (1769) by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791)

Te Deum (1798-1800) by Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809)

Featuring the DeKalb Choral Guild:

Te Deum 4th Century Chant
    Tama Locklair and Travis Vaughn, cantors

Te Deum (1902) by Charles Villiers Stanford (1852-1924), Traditional English translation

O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf (1877) Opus 74, No. 2, by Johannes Brahms (1833-1897)
Hymn: Friedrich Spee von Langenfeld (1592-1635)
Tune: Augsburg, 1666

Aftonbön - Evening Prayer (1990) by Egil Hovland (b. 1924), Poem by Karin Boye (1900-1941)
    Tama Locklair, alto

Zion's Walls (1954) by Aaron Copland (1900-1990), Original melody and words by John G. McCurry, compiler of Social Harp (1855), Choral arrangement by Glenn Koponen

Rhythm of Life (1966), Music by Cy Coleman (b. 1929), Lyrics by Dorothy Fields (1905-1975)
From the Broadway musical "Sweet Charity"

Program Notes

by Michaelene Gorney, Bryan F. Black and Cliff Norris

"The Star Spangled Banner", our national anthem, is an interesting combination of American words and English music. The poem's author, Francis Scott Key, was born in 1779 in Frederick County, Maryland, and became a successful lawyer and amateur poet. During the war of 1812, British troops burned Washington, D.C., and headed toward a bigger prize, the thriving city of Baltimore. On September 13, 1814, Key was dispatched to the British fleet in Chesapeake Bay to arrange a prisoner transfer. The British were preparing for an assault on Fort McHenry and held Key's party until the battle ended. Before the battle begain, Key saw that the enormous flag, which the fort's commander Major General George Armistead ordered so large that "the British would have no trouble seeing it from a distance", was flying steadily in the breeze. While detained on his ship, Key watched the "perilous" battle progress as British rockets and very unreliable bombs, which tended to "burst in air" instead of at their intended targets, pummeled the fort through the night. At the break of dawn, Key looked out across the bay and saw that "the flag was still there." Inspired, Key wrote his famous poem on the back of a letter he had in his pocket. After returning to Baltimore, Key took the poem to a printer and its publication caused a sensation from Georgia to New Hampshire.

In October of 1814, a note appeared with Key's poem indicating that it should be sung to the tune "To Anacreon in Heaven," written by Englishman John Stafford Smith in 1780. Born in 1750, Smith was educated at the Gloucester Cathedral School and the Chapel Royal in London. Because of his excellence as an organist and composer, Smith was selected to be a member of the Anacreonic Society, whose members have included J.S. Bach, Henry Purcell and James Boswell. The tune Smith composed, celebrating the pleasures of wine and love, was used as the constitutional song of the society and was inspired by a 6th century Greek poet. The song became a popular drinking song in England and America. Legend has it that Smith wrote the tune with such challenging high notes as a test to determine whether his colleagues had drunk too much to reach them.

After the coupling of Stafford's tune with Key's poem, "The Star Spangled Banner" became one of a number of American patriotic tunes. After a twenty-year lobbying effort, it was finally designated as the national anthem by Congress in 1931. To this day, the Stars and Stripes still fly both at Fort McHenry and at Gloucester Cathedral in honor of these two men.

"Te Deum Laudamus" are the opening words of an original Latin hymn written in rhythmical non-Biblical prose. Donald J. Grout places its origin in the latter half of the 4th Century (though the supplications and responses were probably added later) and says that its melody resembles that of one used in ancient Synagogue services. The Te Deum is often referred to as "The Ambrosian Hymn." Legend has it that St. Ambrose was moved to sing this hymn of praise when he baptized St. Augustine, and that the two men ecstatically improvised the verses in alternation. There appears to be no scholarly proof of this, however, and other attributions-to Sts. Nicetus, Hilary, Abundius and Sisebulus-have not been substantiated. Thus the author of this inspiring hymn, widely sung for centuries and still sung today, remains unknown but certainly much appreciated.

The original intonation of the Te Deum, part of which is heard at the opening of Charles Villiers Stanford's work, was used as a cantus firmus for polyphonic Masses in the Middle Ages and has since formed the basis of innumerable hymns and musical works. Its celebratory, joyful text, spiritually akin to that of the Gloria within the Mass, makes it highly appropriate for inclusion in special occasions, such as consecrations, canonizations, public professions of faith, significant state functions, coronations, etc. Among those who have composed settings of the Te Deum (though not necessarily using its original melody) are Palestrina, Cherubini, Berlioz, Handel, Rutter, and, as heard on tonight's concert, Mozart, Haydn, and Stanford. Due to the prominence of the Roman Catholic Church as an employer of musicians and due to the popularity of the text, composers often wrote more than one setting of the Te Deum for different occasions. Translations into English include "Thee, Sovereign God, our grateful accents praise" by poet John Dryden and the Rev. Clarence A Walworth's "Holy God, we praise Thy Name," written before his conversion to Catholicism and set to a tune that is often found in Catholic hymnals.

Within the Catholic Church, the Te Deum officially serves as the finale of Matins, a series of psalms and responses, hymns, and lessons that are recited at dawn. The power of this hymn is such that the faithful who recite the Te Deum in thanksgiving or publicly on the last day of the year are granted indulgences, or remissions of temporary punishment for sin.

The Te Deum of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart (1756-1791), written in 1769, is one of his last "boyhood" works, one which pays tribute to the musical traditions of Salzburg in its homophonic declamation of text, with all choristers singing the text as one, and the double fugue in the final movement, with choral sections in imitation of each other. Alfred Einstein, in Mozart: His Character, His Work cites the fact that, in this work, Mozart imitates almost measure for measure one of the six settings of the Te Deum by Michael Haydn (1737-1805; brother of Franz Joseph). It should be noted that it was common practice during this time for composers to copy the works of others verbatim as a learning tool, but Mozart rendered his re-iteration of the Te Deum unique with subtle changes. That Mozart chose to imitate Michael Haydn is no surprise; Mozart had chosen him as an early model in Salzburg and had great respect for him. Haydn, in turn, recognized and supported the talents of the young Mozart, never displaying toward him the envy and doubt so often displayed by others.

Anchoring the first section of Mozart's Te Deum in C major is a distinctive opening melodic figure, heard most clearly in the sopranos and duplicated with embellishment by the violins. The bass vocal line is typically doubled throughout by the bass instrumental lines. From the section marked "Adagio," and beginning with the words "Tu ergo quae sumus," the piece adopts a more subdued tone which is maintained to the end, even through the dance-like "Allegro" which follows. The final section, beginning with the words "In te, Domine, speravi," offers a double fugue, with pairs of voices-basses and tenors, sopranos and altos-in imitation of each other. The pairs of voices then "trade" melodies while maintaining the fugal treatment. Following the fugue, a declamatory style returns and the Te Deum ends with the familiar subdominant-to-tonic (IV-I) harmonic progression so often heard on the word "Amen."

The Te Deum of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), written from 1798-1800, offers a contrast to Mozart's work in that it was written late in the life of a mature composer whose reputation was well established. Returning in 1795 to the court at Esterhazy in Austria after visiting London, where he was hailed as an international celebrity, Haydn was now largely a figurehead for the current prince, Nicholas II. Nicholas cared not for Haydn's music but for the glory that was his by association with Haydn, the famous. For Haydn, the artist, what an ideal situa-tion! No longer required to meet others' demands for concerts and operas, he could now write what he pleased. And during these, his final years, Haydn chose to write six Masses, the C major Te Deum, and his last two oratorios, The Creation and The Seasons.

Haydn's Te Deum was written for the Empress Maria Therese, the second wife of Emperor Franz II, who herself was a musician and admired Haydn's work. This did not please Nicholas, who was unwilling to share the services of his noted Kapellmeister. The first documented performance of the work took place in Eisenstadt in the fall of 1800, during a visit from Lord Nelson, the British admiral who defeated Napoleon at the Battle of the Nile in 1798. Haydn's Missa in augustiis, or "Mass in straitened times," written in 1798, is known as the "Lord Nelson Mass." It is not known whether this is due to the association of its rousing "Benedictus" with the admiral's celebrated victory or whether this is due to the visit of 1800 when Nelson may have heard it performed.

H. C. Robbins Landon, music editor, states that the Te Deum in C major was conceived on a large scale and should be executed with choral and orchestral forces such as those used in Viennese performances of The Creation. The piece is distinguished by striking unisons, primarily within the chorus but sometimes between chorus and orchestra, and by vocal parts that are, for the most part, duplicated by the strings with embellishment. The chorus sustains the momentum throughout, even through phrases that might well have been written for soloists, thus adding to the work's impact. The opening theme, introduced by the strings, is sung by the chorus in unison and is re-stated on the words "Tu Rex Gloriae." The C minor Adagio begins with voices and strings in unison on the words "Tu ergo quae sumus," with a melodic motive that is heard again at the end of this section with its chromatically moving harmonies. The festive mood returns; then choral declamation gives way to an exhilarating fugue on the words "In te, Domine, speravi." A coda-like section, distinguished by overlapping instrumental and choral phrases with syncopated rhythms, brings the piece to glorious close.

Audiences are only now re-discovering the music of Charles Villiers Stanford, an important composer during the 19th century renaissance of English music. He studied at Cambridge University where his talent was immediately recognized. He later went on to compose in virtually all forms of classical music: symphonies, concertos, operas, chamber music and choral works. In 1883 he was appointed professor at the Royal College of Music and taught composition to the students such as Ralph Vaughn Williams, Percy Grainger and Gustav Holst. Stanford's "Te Deum Laudamus" was used in the Coronation Service for King Edward VII in 1902.

Just as Johannes Brahms's chamber music discloses a more intimate impression of his personality, a similar comparison is noted between the large choral-orchestral works such as "Ein Deutsches Requiem" and the charming compositions for unaccompanied chorus broadly known as motets. Composed in 1877, Op. 74, No. 2, centers around a sturdy German choral tune ("O Heiland Reiß", first published in 1666) that lends itself well to a thoroughly "Brahmsian" transformation. Each chorale verse becomes a variation shaped by the poetry's changing moods, yet always holding the tune in sharp relief as it passes from soprano to bass to tenor. It culminates in a brilliant, if short, example of imitative counterpoint unmistakably crafted by a master storyteller.

One of Norway's most prodigious composers, Egil Hovland, held the position of organist and choirmaster at the Glemmen church in Fredrikstad, Norway, for 46 years. He studied composition with such greats as Brustad, Holmboe, Copland and Dallapicola. Hovland's unique musical style embraces elements of Gregorian chant, neo-classicism, romanticism and atonality. Churchgoers in the Church Norway have benefited from his work in updating its liturgical books and contributing to its new hymnal.

Karin Boye (1900-1941) was a Swedish writer and novelist. As a young woman, she rebelled against her parent's traditional religious background, turning to agnosticism, Buddhism and finally pantheism. Her socialistic views attracted her to Hitler's Nazi party in the early 30's until she learned of the cruel realities of the Nazi regime, leaving her disillusioned, depressed and suicidal. Boye had a partner, Margot Hanel, and was in constant tension between her longing to accept herself as she was and the social conventions of the day. She died, taking her own life in 1941. Egil Hovland writes of tonight's piece: "In Evening Prayer, Karin Boye brings together her personal confession and her deep longing for total surrender. This gives the text a gripping atmosphere which the composer has attempted to capture in his music."

The youngest of five children, Aaron Copland was born on November 14, 1900 in Brooklyn. New York. Although he studied with several eminent piano teachers as a child, he decided against going to college. Instead, he found several jobs playing piano to finance his move to France in 1918. In 1921, he enrolled in the new American Conservatory at Fontainebleau where he studied composition and orchestration with Nadia Boulanger. From these beginnings he grew to become an icon among American composers with works such as "Billy the Kid", "Appalachian Spring", "Rodeo" and "Fanfare for the Common Man" along with numerous other works. Copland also served as mentor for many American composers. One disciple, Leonard Berstein, wrote, "I was not, certainly, the only young musician for whom Aaron was a beacon. In America he was The Leader, the one to whom the young always came with their compositions."

Tonight we present "Zion's Walls", Copland's setting of a well-known American revivalist song published in John McCurry's Social Harp. A native of Elbert County, Georgia, McCurry compiled this shape-note hymnal in 1855 as a rival to the immensely successful Sacred Harp from Hamilton, Georgia first published in 1844. While traditional shape-note, a cappella singing has thrived for two hundred years and continues to win hearts and voices across the country, the Social Harp is now extinct and is used for only one annual all-day singing held at the University of Georgia in Athens. Through Copland's arrangement, this compelling American melody has been introduced to audiences around the world and remains a constant favorite of choirs and soloists alike.

"A permanent jewel in Broadway's musical crown" is how one critic describes Cy Coleman, a child prodigy on the piano who became one of the most renowned singers, songwriters and composers on Broadway. A recipient of three Tony awards, three Emmys, two Grammys and the ASCAP Foundation's Richard Rogers Award for Lifetime Achievement in the American Musical Theater, Coleman is widely known for songs such as "Witchcraft" and "The Best is Yet to Come" and musicals such as "Barnum", "City of Angels" and "The Will Rogers Follies". As his career was reaching stardom in the 1960s, Coleman collaborated with accomplished lyricist Dorothy Fields (lyricist for "Annie Get Your Gun") to create the music for "Sweet Charity", from which "Rhythm of Life" derives.

"Sweet Charity" tells the story of Charity Hope Valentine who works as a 'social consultant' at the seedy Fandango Ballroom. After several failed and comedically catastrophic attempts at finding love and fed up with being groped by the Fandango's clientele, Charity decides to strike a new path to culture and refinement by visiting the ... YMCA. There, she becomes trapped in an elevator with a claustrophobic accountant named Oscar. Charity convinces Oscar that she is a bank teller and, upon their escape from the elevator, Oscar invites her to a meeting of the Rhythm of Life Church, the church of the month. As their relationship progresses, eventually Charity is forced to reveal her true occupation and Oscar must make a decision. Does true love await Charity or will the weight of her past relationships be too much for Oscar to bear? Regardless of the outcome, "Sweet Charity" provides such memorable songs as "Big Spender", "If My Friends Could See Me Now", and tonight's "Rhythm of Life", a fast-moving celebration of the joy of living.

Sources consulted in preparing these notes: