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ALLELUIA |
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| AMERICANA SATB and Piano or Orchestra ECS No. 1634 Duration: 17" Level of Difficulty: Medium-Difficult Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 B-flat clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, timpani, harp, strings. An ideal concert piece, this fascinating five-movement satirical work draws on it’s contrasting texts from the Americanca section of H. L. Mencken’s American Mercury magazine. The first movement, May Every Tongue, is the “Christian sentiment of the Rev. Dr. Mark Matthews, veteran instrument of the Lord in Seattle, as reported by the Post Intelligence, “raising his voice against Modernism. This is followed by an a cappella movement, The Staff Neocromancer, in which “the Staff Necromancer of the New York Evening Graphic comes to the aid of troubled readers of that great family newspaper.” Another unaccompanied movement, God’s Bottles, uses for its text a leaflet issued by the National Women’s Christian Temperance Union and is, appropriately enough, scored for four-part women’s voices. (This movement is also published separately as #2549.) In the fourth movement the orchestra and full SATB voices return for a very sobering account, The Sublime Process of Law Enforcement, described by Joseph B. Wirger, deathhouse reporter of Little Rock Gazette, in Startling Detective Adventures. The last movement, Loveli-lines (SSAATTBB) uses for its text a literary advertisement. “Loveli-lines is compos’d of thirty-three individualistic verse poems all abrim with Joy, Love, Faith, Abundance, Victory, Beauty and Mastery. Each one will lift you to the heights of consciousness. Bound in cloth of happy blue. Order from Edna Nethery, Riverside, California. One dollar.” |
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| THE BEST OF ROOMS SATB, Unaccompanied ECS No. 2672 Duration: 3.5" Level of Difficulty: Medium This, one of Thompson’s finest sacred works, uses a text by Robert Herrick (1591-1674). “Christ, He requires still, wheresoer’er He comes, / To feed, or lodge, to have the best of rooms: / Give Him the choice; grant Him the nobler part / Of all the house; the best of all’s the heart.” It was composed in Gstaad, Switzerland in 1963 for the Northwestern University Chorus, Evanston Illinois, and has since enjoyed considerable popularity with both church and concert choirs. |
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| A CONCORD CANTATA SATB and Piano or Orchestra ECS No. 3003 Duration: 22" Level of Difficulty: Medium Instrumentation: 2 flutes (piccolo), 2 oboes, 2 B-flat clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, percussion (one player: snare drum, bass drum, cymbals, suspended cymbals, triangle), timpani, strings. Edward Everett Hale’s (1822-1909) The Ballad of the Bridge, which appeared in the Century Magazine in 1882 for Patriot’s Day, serves as the text for the first movement (11.5 minutes) of this three-movement work. The poem tells of the famous Battle of Old North Bridge (April 19, 1775), as Americans sought their independence from British rule. The brief (1.5 minutes) second movement is an a cappella setting fro the inscription on Old North Bridge, “Here began the separation of two kindred nations now happily united in peace.” Robert Frost (1875-1963) provided the test for the last movement, The Gift Outright, which the famed American poet read at the Inauguration of President John F. Kennedy in 1961. (The last two movements are also available in a separate octavo, The Gift Outright, #3015.) |
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| THE ETERNAL DOVE SATB, Unaccompanied ECS No. 2782 Duration: 5.5" Level of Difficulty: Medium The Eternal Dove was composed in 1968 to honor Harvard University Professor G. Wallace Woodworth, “my close friend and colleague for more than forty years.” It is closely related to the composer’s Mass of the Holy Spirit of which Dr. Woodworth gave the first complete performance. The complete text, by Joseph Beaumont (1615-1699) is as follows: “Fountain of sweets! Eternal Dove! / Which leav’st thy glorious perch above, And hovering down, vouchsafe thus / To make thy nest below with us. / Soft as thy softest feathers, may / We find thy love to us today; / And in the shelter of thy wing / Obtain thy leave and grace to sing / Hallelujah.” |
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| FARE WELL SATB, Unaccompanied ECS No. 2957 Duration: 10.0" Level of Difficulty: Medium This 10-minute work was written for performance by the combined high scholl choirs of Calhoun, Kennedy, and Mepham, New York, in 1973. The three-stanza poem by Walter De La Mare (1873-1956) closes with, “Look thy last on all things lovely, / Every hour. Let no night / Seal thy sense in deathly slumber / Till to delight / Thou have paid thy utmost blessing; Since that all things wouldst praise / Beauty took from those who loved them / In other days.” |
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A FEAST OF PRAISE |
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FIVE LOVE SONGS |
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FROSTIANA |
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| THE GATE OF HEAVEN For Four-part Voices, Unaccompanied SATB (ECS No. 2490) SSAA (ECS No. 2531) TTBB (ECS No. 2175) Duration: 6.0" Level of Difficulty: Medium Complete text: "I was glad when they said unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. (Psalm 122:1)...the Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before Him. (Habakkuk 2:20)...this is none other but the house of God, and this is the gate of heaven. "(Genesis 28:17). Composed for the dedication of the Jessie Ball duPont Chapel, Hollins College, Virginia, 1959. It is particularly suitable for the dedication of religious buildings. |
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| GLORY TO GOD IN THE HIGHEST SATB, Unaccompanied ECS No.2470 Duration: 1.5" Level of Difficulty: Medium-Easy An ideal short work for Christmas, the text is the familiar, "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will t'ward men." (Luke 2, 14). |
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| A HYMN FOR SCHOLARS AND PUPILS For Four-part Voices & Small Orchestra (or Flute and Keyboard) SATB (ECS No.2958) SSAA (ECS No.2829) Duration: 5.o" Level of Difficulty: Easy Instrumentation: flute, 2 trumpets, trombone, tuba, organ, strings For this 1973 commission as part of a many-sided celebration devoted to the various aspects of "The Challenge of Excellence," Thompson selected a text by George Wither (1588-1667). The composer writes, "The Greek inscription on the cover, GNOTHI SAUTON (Know Thyself), was carved in gold letters over the entrance to the Temple of Apollo at Delphi. Socrates made this his motto. More than 2500 years old, it is still one of the greatest of all mottoes, and certainly one of the most difficult to live up to. In the last line of the Hymn, George Wither links this Hellenic ideal with two biblical ideals, also highly demanding. He and many of his 17th- century contemporaries, notably John Milton, mingled Humanism and the Bible--like true sons of the late Renaissance." The choral scores contain a separate part for performance with flute and keyboard. |
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THE LARK IN THE MORN |
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| THE LAST WORDS OF DAVID For Four-part Voices and Orchestra, Concert Band, or Keyboard SATB (ECS No. 2294) TTBB (ECS No. 2154) Duration: 3.0" Level of Difficulty: Easy Orchestra: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 clarinets in A, bass clarinet in A, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon, 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 tenor trombones, bass trombone, tuba, timpani, 2 percussion, harp, strings Band: 2 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, English horn, 2 bassoons, 3 clarinets in B-flat, alto clarinet in E-flat, bass clarinet in B-flat, contrabass clarinet in B-flat or contrabassoon, 2 alto saxophones in E-flat, tenor saxophone in B-flat, baritone saxophone in E-flat, 3 trumpets in B-flat, 4 horns, 3 trombones, baritone, 2 tubas, string bass, timpani, 2 percussion, harp One of the classic choral works of the twentieth century. Though the text (2 Samuel, xxiii, 3,4) is sacred, this has become a staple in the repertoire of church and school choirs alike. A survey published in the journal of the American Choral Directors Association identified The Last Words of David as one of the "top ten" accessible choral masterworks upon which a choral repertoire might be built. |
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| THE LORD IS MY SHEPHERD Four-part Chorus with Piano, Organ, or Harp SATB (ECS No.2688) SSAA (ECS No.2578) Duration: 9.0" Level of Difficulty: Easy A very attractive setting of the ever-popular 23rd Psalm. The triplet motif in the accompaniment of this pastorale is particularly effective when played on the harp. |
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MASS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT |
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| MIRROR OF ST. ANNE SATB/SATB or SATB with Antiphonal Instruments or Organ ECS No. 2921 Duration: 2.0" Level of Difficulty: Very Easy In this very easy and majestic setting of the famous hymn, "0 God, Our Help in Ages Past," Thompson made use of his skills in contrapuntal writing. This antiphonal setting in inverse contrary imitation may be performed by two choirs of mixed voices, or a choir of mixed voices and a choir of winds ( or brass, or strings, or a combination thereof), or mixed voices alternating with organ. An orchestral version, which also might be used as accompaniment to the choral setting, appears as an interlude in the Ode to the Virginian Voyage (q.v.). |
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| THE MORNING STARS SATB and Piano ECS No. 4359 Duration: 4.0" Level of Difficulty: Medium-Easy Thompson originally composed this setting from the Book of Job (38: 1-2, 4, 6-7) for chorus and orchestra for the Silver Jubilee of the Kentucky Music Educators Association, 1978. In 1983 Thompson revised the work, omitting the orchestral accompaniment in favor of brief passages for piano. |
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| MY MASTER HATH A GARDEN SA and Piano ECS No.4288 Duration: 1.5" Level of Difficulty: Very Easy This song originally appeared as one of Four Songs for Children (medium voice & piano), along with his well-known Velvet Shoes (q.v.). The poetry and musical textures of both make them particularly well- suited to performance by children's choirs. |
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| THE NATIVITY ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE SATB, Soloists, and Small Orchestra Piano-vocal: ECS No.622 Chorus part: ECS No. 622A Total Duration: 1' 30" Level of Difficulty: Very Easy Orchestra: flute, oboe, clarinet, bassoon, horn, trumpet, percussion (timpani, suspended cymbal, triangle, tambourine), organ, strings, and optional church bells. A Musical Drama in Seven Scenes. An ideal work for those wishing to present a staged (or semi-staged) musical work at Christmas time. It is easy to perform and provides many opportunities for both adults and children to participate as soloists or choir members or in non-singing roles. Suitable for performance in a church or theatre. A stage guide is available. Setting: The Holy Land. Time: The Age of Augustus. Solo Roles: Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Contralto, 2 Tenors, 3 Baritones, 2 Basses, 2 Boys (SA). Movements: 1. Zacharias and the Angel, 2. The Annunciation, 3. The Visitation, 4. The Naming of John, 5. The Apparition, 6. The Adoration. Excerpts published separately: Nowel SATB (ECS No.2643), SSAA (ECS No.2567), TTBB (ECS No. 2300) And The Child Grew SATB (ECS No.2644) Solos published separately: Magnificat: My soul doth magnify the Lord for soprano (ECS No.124) Lullaby: Upon my lap my sov'reign sits for soprano (ECS No.125) |
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| NOW I LAY ME DOWN TO SLEEP SSA, Unaccompanied ECS No.1985 Duration: 1.5" Level of Difficulty: Very Easy In response to a complaint from his students about having to use Latin texts, Dr. Thompson composed this motet at the blackboard for his class in modal counterpoint. The text is the familiar bedtime prayer from The New England Primer. |
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| ODE TO THE VIRGINIAN VOYAGE SATB & Piano or Orchestra ECS No.2433 Duration: 25" Level of Difficulty: Medium Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, triangle, snare drum, cymbals, bass drum, harp, strings . Michael Dray ton (1563-1631) wrote the text of Ode to the Virginian Voyage in 1606. Sir Walter Raleigh had reported the glories of the New World; the Rev. Richard Hakluyt's Voyages had described the merits and methods of exploration; the defeat of the Spanish Armada had made the seas safe for British sailors. Why did the settlers not set forth? Drayton's "Ode" was an exhortation to "Go Photo 11 and subdue." It is said that those who finally set sail on New Year's Day, 1607, sang the "Ode" during their four and a half months' voyage. This setting was composed at the invitation of the Virginia 350th Anniversary Commission, in honor of the first permanent English Settlement in the New World, May, 1607, and aims to recapture something of the musical spirit of the epoch in which the text was written. Movements: 1. Sinfonia, 2. You brave heroic minds, 3. Earth's Only Paradise, 4. In kenning of the shore (In an orchestral interlude, a fanfare portrays the sighting of land and a chorale-prelude on the hymn, St. Anne, suggests the voyagers' prayer of thanksgiving.) 5. And in regions far, 6. Thy voyages attend (Fuga), 7. Finale: Go and subdue! |
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| ODES OF HORACE For Mixed Voices & Men's Voices, with and without Accompaniment Duration: ca. 25" Level of Difficulty: Medium-Difficult While studying in Rome in the early 1920's, Thompson was highly impressed by the madrigal sequences of Vecchi and others. The immediate manifestation of this principle was this great sequence of settings of the Odes of the Roman poet Horace (65-8 B.C.). Though one of his very earliest choral works, Thompson here displayed his extraordinary understanding of vocal writing. Published as follows: 1. O Venus, regina Cnidi Paphique (Invocation to Venus)for SSATTBB and piano or orchestra (flute, 2 clarinets, cymbal, snare drum, piano, strings) (ECS No.1623) 2. Vitas hinnuleo me similis, Chloe (To Chloe) for unaccompanied SATB (ECS No.1624) 3. Montium custos nemorumque, Virgo (Dedication of a Pine Tree to Diana) for unaccompanied SATB (ECS No.1625) 4. Quis multa gracilis (To Pyrrha) for unaccompanied TTBB (ECS No.539) 5. O fons Bandusia, splendidior vitro (To the Fountain of Bandusia) for unaccompanied SATBB (ECS No.1626) 6. Felices ter (Thrice happy they) for unaccompanied SATB (ECS No.2416) Although English translations are provided, the Odes should be performed in Latin. The last, Felices ter, was not added to the sequence until 1953. It was written to honor Thompson's mentor at Harvard University, Dr. Archibald T. Davison, on the occasion of his 75th birthday. The opening lines to this ode are carved in one of the stone gates of Harvard Yard. |
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| THE PASSION ACCORDING TO ST. LUKE For SATB Chorus, Soloists, and Orchestra ECS No.2695 Duration: 1.5" Level of Difficulty: Medium Instrumentation: 2 flutes (piccolo) 2 oboes ( English horn ), 2 B-flat clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets in C, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, tenor drum, large wooden mallet or gavel, strings. Among the accounts of the Passion given in the Gospels, Saint Luke's is outstanding for its directness and simplicity, its poetical imagery, and its terrible irony. Yet settings of it are very rare. Settings of many beautiful passages from Luke's version are numerous but his account in its entirety has been generally neglected. Thompson composed this 1 1/2-hour Oratorio in Ten Scenes for the 150th anniversary of the Handel & Haydn Society. It is, in a sense, a sequel to his Nativity According to St. Luke (q.v.). The text is taken from Chapters 19, 22 and 23. In the preface to the printed edition the composer concluded, "My highest hope is that those who perform it, and those who hear it, may share something of the profound experience and ultimate sense of elevation that have been mine in setting it to music." Movements: 1. The Entry into Jerusalem, 2. The Passover, 3. The Institution of the Lord's Supper, 4. The Agony in the Garden, 5. Peter's Denial, 6. The Mocking of Jesus; His Confession, 7. The Trial, 8. The March to Calvary, 9. The Crucifixion, 10. The Entombment. The principal solo roles are for baritone and tenor. Smaller roles, which may be sung by members of the choir, are for mezzo-soprano, baritones, and bass-baritone. |
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| THE PEACEABLE KINGDOM SATB (and SATB-SATB), unaccompanied ECS No.1730 Duration: ca. 23' Level of Difficulty: Medium A sequence of sacred choruses on texts from the prophecy of Isaiah. Pulitzer Prize-winning composer Douglas Moore (Chairman of the Music Department of Columbia University) wrote to Thompson in 1936, saying, "...I want to go on record in writing' as believing that you have written the best modern choral work I have heard. It is good from every point of view. Technical treatment of the voices, understanding and expression of the text, and actual musical content which is fresh and beautiful." His sentiments have been echoed by choral conductors ever since. The Peaceable Kingdom has become established as a masterpiece of unaccompanied choral writing. The movements are also published separately: 1. Say ye to the righteous (ECS No.1747) 2. Woe unto them (ECS No.1748) 3. The noise of the multitude (ECS No.1749) 4. Howl ye, SATB-SATB (ECS No.1750) 5. The paper reeds by the brook (ECS No.1751) 6. But these are they that forsake the Lord, SATB-SATB (ECS No.1752) 7. Have ye not known? and 8. Ye shall have a song (7 & 8 are published together: ECS No.1753) |
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THE PLACE OF THE BLEST For Two to Four-part Treble Voices (SSAA) with Chamber Orchestra or Piano See separate catalog numbers below Duration: 26' Level of Difficulty: Medium Instrumentation: .flute, oboe, clarinet in B-.flat, bassoon, strings. The Place of the Blest was written for the Boys Choir of Saint Thomas Church, New York City. The majority of the four-movement work employs only one, two or three voices at a time. It is published as follows: 1. The Carol of the Rose (text: Robert Herrick) ECS No. 2800, 2. The Pelican (text: Richard Wilbur) and 3. The Place of the Blest (text: Robert Herrick) published together as ECS No.2801, 4. Alleluia (or Alleluia, Amen), ECS No.2839 |
| A PSALM OF THANKSGIVING Cantata for SATB and Children's Chorus with Orchestra, Piano, or Organ ECS No.2746 Duration: 40' Level of Difficulty: Medium Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 2 horns, 2 trumpets, 2 trombones, timpani, bass drum, cymbals, triangle, harp, strings. Thompson selected Psalm 107 as the text for this seven- movement cantata which was composed not specifically for the national holiday, but to fulfill a commission for a work of general thanksgiving stressing the importance and beauty of giving thanks, of gratitude. It opens with an orchestral chorale prelude on the very familiar hymn tune, Nun danket alle Gott ("Now thank we all our God"), and closes with a full choral version of the same. (This final choral version is also published separately as ECS No.4008.) The remaining movements constitute the entire psalm. Movements: Chorale Prelude, 1. O give thanks unto the Lord, 2, They wandered in the wilderness 3. Such as sit in darkness, 4. Foolish men are plagued, 5. They that go down to the sea in ships, 6. He turneth the wilderness, 7. Now thank we all our God. |
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| PUERI HEBRAEORUM For Double Chorus, Unaccompanied (or with Instrumental Choir) SATB-SATB (ECS No.3082) SSAA-SSAA (ECS No. 492) Duration: 3.5" Level of Difficulty: Medium Pueri Hebraeorum was composed in 1928 for the Wellesley College Choir, when the enrollment grew to twice the size the chancel could accommodate. The choirs sang back and forth from opposite ends of the chapel. Jacob Handl's Haec Dies had suggested the pattern for eight-part chorus. The voice parts may be doubled by two quartets of similar instruments. The text is in Latin. Particularly suitable for Palm Sunday. Translation: "The children of Israel, bearing branches of olive trees, clearing the way for the Lord, crying out and shouting Glory be to God in the highest." |
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| REQUIEM Dramatic Dialogue for Double Chorus of Mixed Voices, Unaccompanied NOTE: Permanently out-of-print. Individual octavos only Duration: 1' 20" Level of Difficulty: Medium-Difficult Cast in the form of a dramatic dialogue between two choruses depicting the triumph of faith over death, this is not a liturgical mass. It was commissioned by the University of California for the dedication of its new music buildings and was performed there in May of 1958 as part of the Morrison Music Festival. Catalog numbers are included next to those movements which are published separately. Part I: Lamentations, Part II: The Triumph of Faith: 1. Why make ye this ado?, 2. What man is he that liveth and shall not see death? , 3. Good tidings to the meek (ECS No.2638), Part III: The Call to Song, 1. Be filled with the spirit, 2. O let the nations be glad, 3. Sing unto Him, 4. Utter a Song, Part IV: The Garment of Praise (ECS No.2639) 1. Sing with the spirit, 2. Let everything that hath breath, 3. Let them give glory, 4. Praise Him all ye stars of light, 5. I am their music, Part V: The Leave-taking, 1. Ye were sometimes darkness (Walk as children of light) (ECS No.2640), 2. The Lord shall be unto thee (ECS No.2641), 3. Return unto thy rest, 4. Thou hast given him (ECS No.2642), 5. Amen and amen, alleluia (ECS No. 2673) |
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| ROSEMARY SSAA (and SSA), Unaccompanied ECS No.1023 Duration: 11.0" Level of Difficulty: Medium In the late 1920's Thompson met Stephen Vincent Benet and was fascinated to read his Tiger Joy. When he received a commission to write something for the Women's University Glee Club of New York, he found that there were four poems about Rosemary scattered through this collection. He seized the opportunity to create a cycle of American verse by a single author, revolving around a single subject, a genre which Thompson developed and perfected. The composer must have been particularly drawn to the young girl in this cycle as he later named his own daughter in her honor. Movements: 1. Chemical Analysis, 2. A Sad Song, 3. A Nonsense Song, 4. To Rosemary on the methods by which she might become an angel |
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| SOLOMON AND BALKIS (The Butterfly that Stamped) Opera in One Act ECS No.2031 The libretto for this one-hour opera is adapted from the Just So Stories of Rudyard Kipling. Solo roles: SSATB. Because this work is essentially one for solo voices and contains only brief sections for women's chorus, no further details will be given in this catalog. |
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| SOLSTICE A Christmas Song for Unison Treble Voices & Keyboard ECS No.4289 Duration: 2" Level of Difficulty: Easy An exuberant setting (originally for solo voice) of Robert Lee Wolff’s poem. Refrain: "It's the solstice, the time when the sun stands still, outside you and inside you, you feel a bitter chill. It's the solstice, when the cold north wind could kill; but hold your breath and it's Christmas, Peace on earth, and to men good will." |
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| TARANTELLA TTBB and Piano or Orchestra ECS No.560 Duration: 11.0" Level of Difficulty: Medium Instrumentation: 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 horns, 2 trumpets, timpani, bass drum, snare drum, tambourine, cymbals, triangle, castanets, strings In this 1937 work composed for the Yale University Glee Club, Thompson makes use of some Latin American dance rhythms as the accompaniment humorously whirls about the choral parts. Though the vocal writing is not particularly difficult, performance with piano will require an accompanist with excellent technique. Text by Hillaire Belloc. |
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| TWO HERBERT SETTINGS SATB, unaccompanied Duration: Bittersweet 3"; Antiphon 3.5" Level of Difficulty: Medium-Difficult These two settings of texts by the famous English poet, George Herbert (1593-1633) complement each other well in their sharp contrast and show Thompson at his finest. The poignant and profoundly religious Bitter-Sweet (ECS No.2904) is dedicated to the memory of his young granddaughter, Katie. It is paired with an equally moving setting of the jubilant Antiphon (ECS No.2915), "Let all the world in every corner sing!" |
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| VELVET SHOES For Two-part Treble Voices (SA) and Piano ECS No.2526 Duration: 3.5" Level of Difficulty: Very Easy The three-stanza text by Elinor Wylie evokes the beautiful tranquility of a walk in the snow. "Under veils of white lace... We shall walk in velvet shoes: Wherever we go Silence will fall like dews On the white silence below..." Originally conceived for medium voice and piano (ECS No.114), Thompson later wrote this version for young voices. |
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RANDALL THOMPSON: A CHORAL LEGACY |
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| © 2008 ECS Publishing. All rights reserved. | |
