The spring concert featured three songs: “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” by John Rutter, “Ye Followers of the Lamb” by Edwin Fe, and “The Three Madrigals” by Emma Lou Diemer. My favorite among these was “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” because it allowed me to expand my vocal range while singing with sopranos and altos. The tempo of this song was steady and slow enough for me to understand the lyrics as I sang them. In contrast, “Ye Followers of the Lamb” had a fast pace that made it challenging to keep up with every word. However, we dissected it into sections during rehearsals and discussed its meaning. Practicing at home was also crucial for fully comprehending and performing this piece.
“The Three Madrigals” was an enjoyable song to sing, with two movements that stood out. The second movement resonated with me emotionally, as it conveyed loss. This connected to my personal experience of losing a friend in January. I imagined singing the song to her. In contrast, the lively and upbeat third movement provided a stark contrast to the emotional depth of the second movement. Its energetic and staccato notes created a lively atmosphere. However, during the concert, the first movement became monotonous for me. We performed it multiple times throughout the year, so I had heard it countless times by then. Unlike the first movement, which lacked personal significance for me, I had heard the other two movements multiple times and they held special meaning.
“The Lord Bless You and Keep You” by John Rutter was released in 1981 as the “Priestly Blessing”, a biblical benediction. The composition is dedicated to Edward T. Chapman, a former music director at Highgate School in London, who happened to be one of Rutter’s students. Written in G-flat major, it is performed with an Andante espressivo tempo, where each quarter note represents 72 beats per minute. The slow pace of the song highlights the lyrics and creates a choral echo effect. Rather than producing quick sounds that lack resonance, this piece generates a full and rich sound reminiscent of multiple instruments or an organ filling up the entire room.
The song should be sung at a tempo of around two and a half minutes. There is an alternative arrangement for Soprano, Alto, and keyboard in F Major that differs from the SATB arrangement. The song is both simple and elegant, starting with the sopranos and joined by the other parts by measure 11. Rutter rejects unnecessary barriers between composer and listener when discussing his work. Instead of seeking critical approval, he aims to touch the hearts of people beyond contemporary music enthusiasts. Rutter’s goal is for his music to resonate with listeners and provide them something meaningful rather than just passive listening.
“The Three Madrigals” by Emma Lou Diemer was composed in 1962 and takes inspiration from Shakespeare’s writings. It was arranged for a two-part choir in 2008. The composition is made up of three movements, with limited information available on only two of them. One of the movements, called “Take, O Take Those Lips Away,” was composed by J. Edmund Hughes and Mary Ellen Loose and published as part of a larger work called A Shakespeare Suite in 2011. This specific movement consists of 51 measures. Another movement within “The Three Madrigals” is “Sigh No More Ladies,” composed by Renee Clausen and published by Mark Foster. The piece starts with piano accompaniment featuring fast notes before the choir joins in singing similarly to the piano’s style. Throughout the song, there are alternating time signatures of 4/4 and 6/8, creating an energetic and challenging vocal piece. Personally, I find the second movement particularly difficult because it requires precise control.
When we were singing these pieces, the blend was not satisfactory. The tenors lacked volume, especially when David was absent, making them even more hesitant than usual. The basses tend to overpower the rest of the choir at times. The sopranos also lack confidence in their parts. “The Three Madrigals” is our strongest piece because we are most comfortable with it. On the other hand, “The Lord Bless You and Keep You” is the most challenging one because it requires strong vocal control, including breath control and hitting the right pitch. Additionally, the girls need to start on the correct note, neither too high nor too low.
