Five choral works by one of the master's of 20th century American choral music. Randall Thompson's Alleluia. Since 1940, this classic of classics has become one of the nation's most-often performed choral works. Rare is the church, school, community, or professional choir that has not sung it. The masterful construction and simplicity of text (Alleluia, Amen) make the Alleluia suitable for almost any choir for almost any occasion. "The Gate of Heaven" was composed for the dedication of the Jessie Ball duPont Chapel, Hollins College, Virginia, 1959. It is particularly suitable for the dedication of religious buildings. "Now I Lay Me Down To Sleep" In response to a complaint from his students about having to use Latin texts, Dr. Thompson composed this motet at the blackboard for his class in modal counterpoint. The text is the familiar bedtime prayer from The New England Primer. "Pueri Hebraeorum" was composed in 1928 for the Wellesley College Choir, when the enrollment grew to twice the size the chancel could accommodate. The choirs sang back and forth from opposite ends of the chapel. Jacob Handl's Haec Dies had suggested the pattern for eight-part chorus. The voice parts may be doubled by two quartets of similar instruments. The text is in Latin. Particularly suitable for Palm Sunday. "Rosemary", the name of Thampson's daughter, was commission by the Women's University Glee Club of New York and is based on a cycle of American verse. Any one of these compositions would make an interesting and rewarding addition to a women's choir repertoire. |
