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Songs of Prophecy
6. And There Were Shepherds

a composition for sat soli and string quartet by Robert Train Adams
masterlist : choral: Songs of Prophecy

Duration

1'30"

Description

Text: Luke II: 8-13
Meter: 4/4
Tempo: q=72
Form: A B

	A		B
measure	1	12	18	22	26-29
strings	a	b	b'	b''	a'
choir	a	b	c	d	trans
key scheme	Emaj	Gmaj	Emaj	Dmaj	Gmaj

Instrumentation: Strings, sat soli
Comment: There are reasons why recitatives happen: wordy text, clear telling of a story, and variety of texture, to name a few. Handel did a masterful job, laying out the Luke text over three recitatives. I took a different approach, trying to keep some of the flavor of the recitative, but with a trio, not a soloist. This movement is essentially two recitatives, with a spare, simple accompaniment for the first, and a fuller, thicker texture that repeats almost every measure (although it should not sound like straight repetition, as lines move from instrument to instrument). It’s important to bring out the story.

Score Excerpt

Page 1 (jpg)

Sound File