CHORAL COMPOSITION: WORTHY is the lamb
Title: Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain
Composer: Salvatore Ferrantelli (b. 1940)
Date of Composition: February 2010
Vocal Solos: None
Orchestra Requirements: From Concertmaster David Dally: “The orchestral requirement for the piece calls for solo oboe and string orchestra. There are a few divisi, but with slight adjustments it could be played with only a string quintet. The orchestral part is easy and sight-readable by a high school orchestra. The bass part is independent of the ‘cello and it is mandatory; it has the quarter note pulse much of the time. The pitch range is in the middle of the registers, except for a brief section where the 1st violins go to a high F sharp. The oboe part is independent of the strings. The notes are easy and lyrical, but they require a nice tone.”
Tempo: adagio
Dedication: Offered, with gratitude, to the singers of I Cantori di Carmel
Premier: May 2, 2010 by I Cantori di Carmel and Ensemble Monterey at the First United Methodist Church in Pacific Grove, California, Dr. Sal Ferrantelli, conductor.
Other performances: May 2, 2010 by I Cantori di Carmel at Carmel Mission Basilica, Carmel, California, Dr. Sal Ferrantelli, conductor and on I Cantori di Carmel’s summer tour
Vocal Ranges: S1: c1-g2; S2: c1-g2; A1: g-d flat2; A2: g-c2; T1: e flat-f1; T2: e flat-f1; B1: G-c1; B2: F sharp-c1
Dynamic Range: pp-f
Composer's Comments: Inspired by Handel’s initial towering edifice of sound on the words, “Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain” at the outset of the last movement of Messiah, I selected these words as the basis for my composition. This setting presents an altogether different mood than that which we hear in Messiah. It is the sorrow of Christ crucified that permeates the color of this work. After a somber orchestral introduction, each voice section intones the opening words in rising and falling musical lines over a slowly pulsating orchestral bass. The middle section begins with the words “and hath redeemed us to God” at which point the music becomes ever more sustained and chromatic through slowly rising lines reaching a central climactic point. There follows an extended descending passage into a gentle ending cadence. After a four bar orchestral interlude, the concluding section begins with a musical repeat of the opening. In this final section, the music continues with increasing intensity on repeated phrases of “Worthy is the Lamb” fashioned on a rhythmic motive resembling that of Handel’s opening phrase. The composition concludes, as it began – in a mood of somber contemplation. This piece is offered, with gratitude, to the singers of I Cantori di Carmel.
Composer: Salvatore Ferrantelli (b. 1940)
Date of Composition: February 2010
Vocal Solos: None
Orchestra Requirements: From Concertmaster David Dally: “The orchestral requirement for the piece calls for solo oboe and string orchestra. There are a few divisi, but with slight adjustments it could be played with only a string quintet. The orchestral part is easy and sight-readable by a high school orchestra. The bass part is independent of the ‘cello and it is mandatory; it has the quarter note pulse much of the time. The pitch range is in the middle of the registers, except for a brief section where the 1st violins go to a high F sharp. The oboe part is independent of the strings. The notes are easy and lyrical, but they require a nice tone.”
Tempo: adagio
Dedication: Offered, with gratitude, to the singers of I Cantori di Carmel
Premier: May 2, 2010 by I Cantori di Carmel and Ensemble Monterey at the First United Methodist Church in Pacific Grove, California, Dr. Sal Ferrantelli, conductor.
Other performances: May 2, 2010 by I Cantori di Carmel at Carmel Mission Basilica, Carmel, California, Dr. Sal Ferrantelli, conductor and on I Cantori di Carmel’s summer tour
Vocal Ranges: S1: c1-g2; S2: c1-g2; A1: g-d flat2; A2: g-c2; T1: e flat-f1; T2: e flat-f1; B1: G-c1; B2: F sharp-c1
Dynamic Range: pp-f
Composer's Comments: Inspired by Handel’s initial towering edifice of sound on the words, “Worthy is the Lamb that was Slain” at the outset of the last movement of Messiah, I selected these words as the basis for my composition. This setting presents an altogether different mood than that which we hear in Messiah. It is the sorrow of Christ crucified that permeates the color of this work. After a somber orchestral introduction, each voice section intones the opening words in rising and falling musical lines over a slowly pulsating orchestral bass. The middle section begins with the words “and hath redeemed us to God” at which point the music becomes ever more sustained and chromatic through slowly rising lines reaching a central climactic point. There follows an extended descending passage into a gentle ending cadence. After a four bar orchestral interlude, the concluding section begins with a musical repeat of the opening. In this final section, the music continues with increasing intensity on repeated phrases of “Worthy is the Lamb” fashioned on a rhythmic motive resembling that of Handel’s opening phrase. The composition concludes, as it began – in a mood of somber contemplation. This piece is offered, with gratitude, to the singers of I Cantori di Carmel.
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