American Treasures
by Gary Wood, Guest Conductor
"American Treasures" was performed on May 7 & 8, 2005

In our May concerts, we celebrate the contributions of some important choral composers of America. These composers have a place in the canon of American choral music, and we offer these “American Treasures” in tribute to their compositional mastery.

Daniel Pinkham’s “Wedding Cantata” is set to Biblical texts from Song of Solomon, and the music possesses a quality of “song” in each movement, along with sturdy harmonies, metrical variety, and dynamic shading.

Samuel Barber’s “Reincarnations” are generally hailed as masterpieces, set to poetry of James Stephens. Barber’s music is noted for its intense lyricism and harmonic luxury, and this set of three works does not disappoint: the listener can sense a lover’s adoration for “Mary Hynes,” a tragic death for “Anthony O Daly,” and a couple’s rapture in “The Coolin.’”

“Stomp Your Foot” and “The Promise of Living” are two choruses from Aaron Copland’s opera The Tender Land. The composer of many well-known instrumental works (“Rodeo,” “Appalachian Spring,” and others), Copland is perhaps the most identifiable American composer. These two choruses showcase Copland’s grasp of “down-home” rhythms and hope for the future.

The centerpiece of our “American Treasures” concert is Randall Thompson’s “The Peaceable Kingdom,” a multi-movement work for unaccompanied choir. The chorus sings in a variety of textures, including the four-part SATB (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), eight-part SSAATTBB, and two separate SATB choirs. Commissioned to write this piece for the Harvard Glee Club and Radcliffe Choral Society, Thompson found inspiration in an Isaiah-inspired Edward Hicks painting entitled “The Peaceable Kingdom;” this led Thompson to set several Biblical texts from Isaiah. The genius of this work is in its presentation of the varied textual messages rather than their meanings; he moves beyond the meanings to carefully present the text in a musical way. Thompson’s choral writing, while not difficult in itself, is made challenging by the interpretive markings, articulatory gestures, and musical demands placed on the chorus on top of the pitches. That’s what makes it exciting.

Cecil Effinger’s “Four Pastorales” are set to poetry by Thomas Hornsby Ferril. Effinger has composed a work for chorus and solo oboe, alternating their soundings throughout the four short works. The clarity of the choral writing and the richness of the oboe timbre permeate this music.

Barber’s short work “Sure On This Shining Night” captures the beauty of James Agee’s poem, with the soprano and tenor sections carrying the lyrical weight while the alto and bass provide the grounding harmony. Thompson’s “Alleluia” is perhaps his best-known choral work, written for the opening exercises of the Berkshire Music Center in 1940. James Erb’s setting of the classic American folksong “Shenandoah” offers an aural sensuality that undeniably celebrates the choral art.

These are but a few of the many “American Treasures” of choral music. Many pages of commentary could be written about these great composers and the depth of these works. Our hope is that this concert will inspire you to look deeper into this music – it will enrich your life in so many ways. Please join us in May!