Contemplations (8, 9) by Hilary Tann

Contemplations (8, 9) was composed for Cappella Clausura’s celebration of the 400th anniversary of the poet Anne Brandstreet’s birth.  Although the work can stand alone, it is also intended to precede Tann’s earlier setting, Contemplations (21, 22), commissioned from the composer by the Radcliffe Choral Socity for its 2005-6 season.

 

First performance: 17 March, 2012, Parish of the Messiah, Newton, Massachusetts, by Cappella Clausura, conducted by Amelia LeClair.

 

The main body of the text consists of two verses from a much longer poem by “America’s first female poet,”  expanded by excerpts from Psalm 148:2 in both Latin and English:  “Praise ye him, all his angels; praise ye him, all his hosts.”

 

In this setting, creatures offering praise include Bradstreet’s “merry grass-hopper” and “black clad Cricket.”  The composer has included a brief musical homage to Hildegard von Bingen.

 

 

Hilary Tann’s  settings of Bradstreet’s Contemplations stood out as the real zenith of the evening…showed an immense command over the compositional possibilities of a vocal ensemble and were a worthy conclusion to a stellar program.  

Boston Musical Intelliger, Peter Van Zandt Lane