One from the Folder: Repertoire Thoughts for Women’s/Treble Choirs

#50: Friday, May 24, 2019

“Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Op.26, Group II” by Gustav Holst
Movement 3
Text by Holst, from Sanskrit sources
SSA w div, piano or orchestra

(continued from #48 Friday, April 26 & #49 Friday, May 17)

This blog is in three parts – the first part (April 26) was intro material about this full selection, and details about the first movement. The second week (May 17) covered Movement 2. This entry reviews Movement 3. Be sure to read all three!

The text of the 3rd movement is as follows:

III. Funeral Chant

To those for whom the meath is poured,
For whom the holy wine doth flow,
May he go forth!

Yea unto them whose fiery zeal
Hath burned a path to paradise,
May he go forth!

To those the heroes of the fight,
Whose lives were giv’n as sacrifice,
May he go forth!

Unto the faithful of the Law,
Whose joy doth yield increase of truth,
May he go forth!

To those whose souls are born of fire,
The poets of a thousand songs,

The Holy ones who guard the sun,
Unto the Fathers,
May he go forth!

In contrast to Holst’s bombastic Agni/Fire movement preceding, this third movement of Holst’s is slow, smooth, and calm. Titled “Funeral Chant,” it begins unaccompanied, with all Altos presenting the funeral theme.

Intonation and timbre can be tricky in that first phrase, especially if they are literally catching their breath from the previous movement. Your altos were singing near the top of the treble staff, at ff, for some of the previous movement and now are supposed to enter an octave lower, or more, with a warm rounded tone. It will take practice to make a smooth transition.

The orchestra (woodwinds, harp) enters at the end of the first choir phrase – on the same pitch as the choir. Be aware – if choir intonation has gone astray, there is no place to hide.

Speaking of orchestra, the instrumentation of the ensemble changes here from previous movements, favoring woodwinds, strings, harp, and organ pedal (or keyboard/synth or contrabassoon). The result is ethereal in nature and often lacking in rhythm, except for arpeggios in the harp. The choir absolutely needs to be able to keep its own counsel with regard to steady, consistent pulse.

After the initial motivic presentation by the altos, the choir moves from the three-part SSA of previous movements to SA/SA/SA. Essentially, there are three groups, of two-parts each (marked Treble and Alto). For the next ~30 measures, all Treble parts are the same, and all Alto parts are the same, just staggered in entrance. It is a canon, writ large.

Learning the parts for this section can be a snap – put all the Altos on one side of the room and all the Trebles on the other. Start the three choirs at the same time. You’ll end up with two-parts instead of six, and strength in numbers. The motives are repetitive and easily grasped. However, make absolutely sure everyone understands the counting and pulse in 3/2.

While the note-learning part is a breeze, splitting back up into three choirs can be a challenge. In my experience, students latch on to the pitches easily, but once one group misses an entrance or jumps ahead too quickly, the stability of the group takes a dive quickly.

Part of what makes this section difficult, besides the 3/2 meter, is the accompaniment. Or, rather, the lack thereof. The orchestration consists entirely of long pedal tones in the lower strings. There is no metric structure whatsoever, and no choral assistance either (except for the pedal tone).

For the choir – counting is key. For the conductor – cues for entrances are paramount. It took us one rehearsal to learn the pitches associated with the treble/alto lines, but weeks to have each choir feel comfortable with their own metric responsibility as part of the whole. Plan accordingly, depending on the strengths of your groups.

When all three mini choirs and the pedal tones are combined, the result is a haunting, layered, wave of sound. This section can be unexpectedly beautiful, especially if you are in a performance hall with reverb or delay.

This alto opening, and subsequent three-choir canon, covers the first four verses of the text. Each segment ends with “May he go forth.”

The SA/SA/SA canon then takes a pause for 7 measures, and becomes true 6 part SSSAAA. Each part has unique challenges to the tonal line – tritones, large leaps, plentiful accidentals, limited orchestral support, etc. When put together, the contrast of this stacked 6-part homophony, to the three-choir canon that has been heard thus far, is striking.

Be sure to look at these measures (m37-43) before dividing your choir down the middle for S/A parts in the first section. Ranges in these seven measures vary.

Group 1 Sop is the highest of the 6 voices, while Group 1 Alto is the lowest (A3, ostensibly). You’ll need to make sure your highest and lowest voices respectively are part of Group 1, in order to make this section work well. Group 2 is essentially S2 & S3, while Group 3 is A1 & A2.

Planning your part-assignments based on the range needs of these few measures and the leadership needs of the canon will help a great deal overall.

Holst closes the movement, and the overall work, with a return to the three-choir canon and pppp rising chords in the upper strings. All in all, it is an unexpected ending compared to the rhythmicity, volume, and tonal saturation of earlier movements. Once the final chords hit though, savor the reverence in the performance space. All the work will be worth it!

Until next time!
-Shelbie Wahl-Fouts

Dr. Shelbie Wahl-Fouts is associate professor of music, Director of Choral Activities, and music department chair at Hollins University, a women’s college in Roanoke, Virginia.
Email:
Bio:     https://www.hollins.edu/directory/shelbie-wahl-fouts/

For a listing of all current and past blog entries by this author, click here.
For a spreadsheet of all blog posts and their repertoire, click here.