Four
Anthems on Scriptural Texts
for a cappella choir
music by David McCulloch
O.S.B.
(Catalogue L022)
You may view and listen to all our published scores from this web site. Please note that in order to do this you may have to download some free software called scorch from Sibelius. This should only take a few minutes and there are on-screen instructions to guide you through the process.
To download the software, click on 
.
Once you have downloaded the software, return to this page to view the files
by clicking on the hyperlinks below.
Please also note that the sound you will hear is computer-generated only.
Nevertheless we feel that visitors to the site might find it useful to see the
scores.
Notes
Detailed performance notes, as written by the composer, are listed below: -
Like as the hart
I appreciate that I am using the same text from Psalm 42 as Herbert Howells' classic anthem, but I hope that it will be found suitable as an alternative. It is important to find the right movement for this opening, neither too fast nor slow, but a steadily flowing tempo, like a never-failing stream. The choir needs to enjoy the alternation between the major and minor modes, echoing the fluctuations in the text between confidence in the awareness of God and desire for his closer presence. There is also an element of anxiety as the psalmist discovers that his enemies are also close at hand, echoed in the music at "Where is your God?" The middle section for mezzo solo and choir should be sung as indicated, as if the singers are bringing something to mind that is in the distant past. The alternation between anxiety and confidence is also present in the phrases "Why are you cast down" and "Hope in God". Eventually at the reprise of the opening, with added soprano descant, trust in God triumphs and this coda should be sung as radiantly as possible, with the inner parts moving slowly between the high sopranos and sinking basses, for what should be an impressive climax.Make a joyful noise
The mood for this piece needs to follow the text closely: joyful, fast, and very rhythmic each time the "refrain" is sung. The contrasts in tone and volume between sections for a single voice type e.g. "Come into his presence with singing", and what follows, should be well marked. I would like choirs to make the most of the antiphonal effects in the middle section, and for the phrases repeated by mixed voices after a phrase given to a single voice to be taken up exactly on the beat and with enthusiasm. There is no scope for English politeness here, but rather shouts of praise, as I imagine was typical for worship in the Temple at Jerusalem. Sing the slower section at "Indeed how good is the Lord" with a more contemplative feeling, building up to exuberance again from "He is faithful from age to age". The piece closes with a shout that needs to be truly a joyful noise, and not something that sounds embarrassed! This piece could be sung on any celebratory occasion, and Psalm 99 is traditionally associated with Morning Prayer.Miserere mei
This piece, which combines the opening phrase of Psalm 50/51 in Latin and other verses in English, would be well suited to performance during Lent or for a penitential service. Here I have experimented with the use of ostinati, with each part having its own repeated phrase, building up tension and volume through the opening section. However, after the soprano soloist's entry, the lower parts need to be carefully balanced with the soloist's tone. A smaller choir would be an advantage here. I hope that a soprano and alto of high quality can be found for their duet, which needs to be sung with real fervour. Continue the mood of intense desire for God's mercy through the next choral section, "O rescue me". After the soprano soloist's second chance to shine, let the ostinati gradually fade as the parts gel into unison. The final "miserere mei, Domine" should be sotto voce and end abruptly.Rorate Caeli
This motet, with the text in Latin from various chapters of the prophesy of Isaiah, is traditionally associated with the season of Advent, with its theme of preparation for the coming Messiah and his people appealing to him to descend like the dew from heaven. The "Rorate caeli" refrain should be sung very lightly and accurately, and neither notes nor rhythm should be smudged. The closely spaced imitation between the parts might need some extra concentration from the choir! "Et nubes pluant iustum" needs to gradually intensify as the crescendo reaches its climax. Before the return of the refrain, the chordal passage needs to be sung with great delicacy. For the baritone solo "Consolamini", the singer should use a powerful tone as he takes the role of "the voice crying in the wilderness". The fortissimo divisi chords at "Salvabo te" and "Sanctus Israel" need to make a dramatic contrast from the interpolation "Ego enim sum". The coda needs to descend from the soprano heights to the bass depths in one seamless movement, before the final return to the heights.