"The Little Church Around the Corner"
One East 29th Street, New York
MUSIC NOTES:
The First Sunday of Advent - December 2, 2001
Hope and expectation are among the hallmarks of New Year's Day, no less on Advent I than on January 1. As the Church begins a new year, these themes will permeate the liturgy until Christmas, the first great milestone of the liturgical year.
Philipp Nicolai's chorale Wachet auf, composed in 1599, has long been synonymous with Advent. With its expansive sweep and arc-like phrases, it offers many possibilities for elaborate decorative treatment. Sebastian Bach's (1685-1750) organ prelude BWV 645, with its joyful countermelody interleaved with the chorale tune, is one of the best-known of such treatments. Mendelssohn's (1809-1847) four-part harmonization with its festive accompaniment is taken from his oratorio St. Paul, and reflects Mendelssohn's keen interest in the compositional techniques of Sebastian Bach. Not to be overlooked is the chorale's original use as a congregational hymn, offering everyone the opportunity to engage with the text, which is rich in Advent metaphor.
The responsory is adapted from a setting of the Aspiciens a longe by Palestrina (1525-1594), from the Office of Matins for Advent Sunday. It was designed to be sung from a distant transept or ambulatory, with the choir processing eastward toward the sanctuary as the responsory progresses, lending a dramatic element to the texts "I look from afar" and "go ye out to meet him."
Mass No. 2 in F Minor by Healey Willan (1880-1968) was composed for penitential seasons, which traditionally has included Advent. Willan was born and educated in England, but spent most of his long and distinguished career as organist and choirmaster at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Toronto, a parish that has long been a standard-bearer of Anglo-Catholicism. Willan's melodic lines are heavily influenced by the Solesmes interpretation of Gregorian chant, as is readily apparent throughout this Mass, with its gentle curves and sumptuous fluidity. Willan's harmonic style is without parallel in the 20th century, a perplexing blend of renaissance and romantic, creating a serene sonority that speaks directly yet quietly to the soul.
Philipp Nicolai's chorale Wachet auf, composed in 1599, has long been synonymous with Advent. With its expansive sweep and arc-like phrases, it offers many possibilities for elaborate decorative treatment. Sebastian Bach's (1685-1750) organ prelude BWV 645, with its joyful countermelody interleaved with the chorale tune, is one of the best-known of such treatments. Mendelssohn's (1809-1847) four-part harmonization with its festive accompaniment is taken from his oratorio St. Paul, and reflects Mendelssohn's keen interest in the compositional techniques of Sebastian Bach. Not to be overlooked is the chorale's original use as a congregational hymn, offering everyone the opportunity to engage with the text, which is rich in Advent metaphor.
The responsory is adapted from a setting of the Aspiciens a longe by Palestrina (1525-1594), from the Office of Matins for Advent Sunday. It was designed to be sung from a distant transept or ambulatory, with the choir processing eastward toward the sanctuary as the responsory progresses, lending a dramatic element to the texts "I look from afar" and "go ye out to meet him."
Mass No. 2 in F Minor by Healey Willan (1880-1968) was composed for penitential seasons, which traditionally has included Advent. Willan was born and educated in England, but spent most of his long and distinguished career as organist and choirmaster at the Church of St. Mary Magdalene in Toronto, a parish that has long been a standard-bearer of Anglo-Catholicism. Willan's melodic lines are heavily influenced by the Solesmes interpretation of Gregorian chant, as is readily apparent throughout this Mass, with its gentle curves and sumptuous fluidity. Willan's harmonic style is without parallel in the 20th century, a perplexing blend of renaissance and romantic, creating a serene sonority that speaks directly yet quietly to the soul.
