The Lamb (Tavener)
The Lamb | |
---|---|
Choral music by John Tavener | |
Genre | Choral anthem[1] |
Occasion | Third birthday of Tavener's nephew |
Text | "The Lamb" by William Blake |
Composed | 1982 |
Publisher | Chester Music |
Scoring | SATB choir |
Premiere | |
Date | 22 December 1982 |
Location | Winchester Cathedral |
The Lamb is a choral work written in 1982 by British composer John Tavener (1944–2013). It is a setting of music to the William Blake poem "The Lamb" from Blake's collection of poems Songs of Innocence and of Experience (1789). It is one of Tavener's best known works. Written for unaccompanied SATB choir, the music is minimalistic and combines chromaticism with more conventional harmony.
The Lamb was premiered in
History
After finishing the composition, Tavener sent the piece to his publisher Chester Music and asked if they could share it with King's College, Cambridge, for inclusion in their Nine Lessons and Carols service that year. Upon seeing the piece, Stephen Cleobury—the Director of Music at King's College—decided it would be included.[6] The premiere of The Lamb took place in Winchester Cathedral on 22 December 1982, and on Christmas Eve two days later it was performed in the Nine Lessons and Carols service.[3]
Text
"The Lamb" is a poem by William Blake from his poetry collection Songs of Innocence and Experience (1789).[4] The poem draws on religious symbolism, primarily the Agnus Dei and the concept of Jesus as the Lamb of God.[7] Blake believed that Jesus and God were two different but related entities, and this duality is depicted in the poem:[8] the text highlights various binaries, including the contrast between youthful innocence and older age,[9] and the pairing of lamb the animal with the Lamb of God.[7] Blake himself set the poem to music, but no known copies have survived.[10] Inspired by 'The Lamb' while reading Blake's poetry, Tavener said "I read the words, and immediately I heard the notes."[3]
Composition
The Lamb is written for unaccompanied SATB choir.[4] The choral writing is homophonic throughout, with largely syllabic word-setting.[1][4] A performance direction instructs the singers to be "flexible" and "always guided by the words".[1] The melody largely consists of quavers at ♩=40.[11]
The piece combines simple harmony with
The chordal verses of The Lamb feature a musical device which Tavener called the "joy-sorrow chord", sung on the word "Lamb".[8] The chord is used in other pieces by Tavener, including Funeral Ikos and Ikon of Light.[16] From the bass upwards, it consists of the notes A-C-G-B:[8]
Legacy
Since its first performances in 1982, The Lamb has been a popular piece of church music.
References
Citations
- ^ a b c d e f g h "Taverner : The Lamb" (PDF). Pearson. Edexcel. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ Huff 2009, p. 1476.
- ^ a b c d Haydon 1998, p. 161.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Huff 2009, p. 1477.
- ^ a b Service, Tom (13 November 2013). "John Tavener Dies at 69: the Veil Falls for the Final Time". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ a b Tavener 1999, p. 48.
- ^ a b c Need 2020, p. 56.
- ^ a b c Snodgrass 2008, p. 43.
- ^ Snodgrass 2008, p. 42.
- ^ Clendinning & Marvin 2011, p. 388.
- ^ Snodgrass 2008, p. 45.
- ^ Service, Tom (19 February 2013). "A Guide to John Tavener's Music". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ a b Chilcott, Bob (15 November 2013). "Sir John Tavener, 1944–2013: an Appreciation". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ a b c Terry 2006, p. 110.
- ^ a b c Snodgrass 2008, p. 47.
- ^ Haydon 1998, pp. 162, 170.
- ^ Vincent, Alice (12 November 2013). "Sir John Tavener, Composer, Dies Aged 69". The Telegraph. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ Evans, Rian (13 December 2015). "The Sixteen at Christmas Review – Ethereal Effects That Make Time Stand Still". The Guardian. Retrieved 27 December 2022.
- ^ Terry 2006, pp. 110–111.
Works cited
- Clendinning, Jane Piper; Marvin, Elizabeth West, eds. (2011). Anthology for the Musician's Guide to Theory and Analysis. New York; London: ISBN 978-0-393-93134-1.
- Huff, Kelly A. (2009). "Sir John Tavener". In Cramer, Alfred W. (ed.). Musicians and Composers of the 20th Century. Vol. 5. United States: Salem Press. pp. 1475–1478. ISBN 978-1-58765-517-3.
- Haydon, Geoffrey (1998) [First published in 1995]. John Tavener : Glimpses of Paradise. Great Britain: Indigo. ISBN 0-575-40191-5.
- ISBN 9781725255173.
- Terry, Paul (2006). A Student's Guide to A2 Music for the Edexcel Specification. Great Britain: ISBN 978-1-904226-87-1.
- Snodgrass, Jennifer (Winter 2008). "The Theosis of John Tavener: Dualities and Icons in The Tyger and The Lamb". Sacred Music. 135 (4): 40–48.
- ISBN 0-571-20088-5.