Buck's "Festival Te Deum What are some distinguishing features of Dudley Buck’s “Festival Te Deum in E flat”? Actually, Buck wrote a total of 9 settings of the Te Deum text over the course of his life, all of which were published and performed often. Four of these were called “Festival” Te Deums, meaning probably that they were intended for a festive occasion and perhaps a larger than ordinary choir. All of Buck’s accompaniments are intended specifically for the organ with many suggestions throughout for registration. Critics of a later generation would called Buck’s writing “schmaltzy”, but it was a musical vocabulary that spoke deeply and personally to an America that had huge hope in the industrial age and had not yet experienced the horror and heartbreak of 2 world wars, the Titanic sinking, and unending other tragedies of the 20th century.
The form of the piece follows very much the form of the Te Deum itself (see above). It is in three clearly defined sections:
· 1. A hymn of praise to the eternal God
· 2. A more personal statement of faith in Christ.
· 3. A prayer of intercession to God for ourselves and the care and protection of His people.
To achieve this, Buck adopts a formal, rather regal tone for the opening and closing sections dominated by ensemble singing. Choral and ensemble singing is the focus. Even when the soloists sing, it is as a group rather than individually. At the very end, Buck returns to the majestic theme of the opening which provides a unifying touch to the entire work. There is a significant change in mood in the middle section. It deals personally and directly with Christ and what we believe about Him. Buck approaches this change in mood with a corresponding change in musical texture. The time signature, which had primarily been in a majestic, march-like 4/4, now moves to a flowing 9/8 with a lyric theme not unlike an operatic cantilena. Individual solo voices with independent lines are now featured, again making the music more personal.
"Unless the Lord Build the House"(Anthem)The third choral work in the service, Alfred Fedak’s “Unless the Lord Build the House”, sets texts from Psalm 127 and Ephesians 2, challenging us to build on our great tradition of mission and witness as Jarvis Church moves forward into the future.
"The Bells of St Anne de Beaupre" by Alexander Russell(Organ Offertory) This magnificent work showcases the full majesty of our newly-restored Robert Rives Taylor Memorial "Tellers" Pipe Organ as well as our new 3-octave Schulmerich Carillon, a gift to the church from Bill and Mary-Hannah Taft. "The Bells of St. Anne de Beaupré" is from a series of four "St. Lawrence Sketches" inspired by a cruise the composer took up the St. Lawrence River in Canada. The following program note appears on the title page: The Chimes of St. Anne Church, Beaupré, Canada (actual notes) — gathering of the faithful — chanting of the choir "Bonne St. Anne prier pour nous" — the procession — the Miracle — benediction — bells in distance. Alexander Russell was organ professor at Princeton University and was organist at the Wanamaker department stores in New York and Philadelphia.
"The Bells of St. Anne de Beaupré" has a very special link to us here at Jarvis Memorial. Eleanor Toll, long-time Jarvis Church Organist and a retired member of the music faculty at East Carolina University (now one of our oldest members), performed this work in a dedicatory recital here at Jarvis in 1958, the year our Tellers organ was originally installed.
"The Holy City" (Stephen Adams)We do know from newspaper reports of the time that “The Holy City”, the famous sacred song of Stephen Adams, was performed at the Friday evening program by Ada P. Cherry, music director and soloist at the church. “The Holy City” will be featured in our Centennial Celebration also, this time in an arrangement for choir and soprano soloist. Our soloist will be Ada Brown.
The celebration concluded with the thrilling "Carillon de Westminster" by Louis Vierne.
