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20024 - Qui Habitat in Adjutorio Altissimi
Josquin des Prez (1450 - 1521 )
edited for 24-piece brass ensemble by Roger Harvey
Difficulty: Medium
Price: £30.00
Programme note:
Josquin Des Prez was one of the most influential composers of his time, not only in his native Flanders but also in Italy where he lived and worked. His output of sacred music and chansons was noteable for the development of a more succinct style of word setting, often using short phrases matched to the text rather than florid melismata as had been the fashion previously. This technique is evident in this parfticularly ambitious piece of polyphonic writing: 4 concurrent 6-part canons lasting over 5 minutes. In order for this to work the harmonic underlay is very static but, in performance in a suitable space, the hypnotic effect of many voices joining together with their individual lines has a corporate insistance that suggest an unfailing faith:
"I will say of the Lord, He is my refuge and my fortress: my God; in him will I trust."
Performance note:
Dynamic and expression marks are editorial and and have been provided only as suggestions. They give a reference for performance style if rehearsal time is limited but may be altered at the discretion of the performers.
The markings are chosen to give some feeling of individual participation from within the general texture and to avoid the effect from becoming too static in expression and melodically repetitive. However, if this more corporate, blanket of sound is prefered then it may be effective to make a general diminuendo from around bar 60 until bar 70 and then crescendo poco a poco to the end.
The performers may be grouped in 4 'family' groups, Choirs A/B/C/D in different positions. Alternatively, they may be grouped in 6 'SATB' choirs: A1/B1/C1/D1; A2/B2/B3/B4 etc
Due to the polyphonic nature of the music there is a real possibility of individual players losing their place: there are frequent rehearsal numbers which may be signalled by the conductor to avoid this becoming an issue.
The articulation marks and hairpins are to suggest phrasing and should not be interpreted too rigourously. The marks are intended to convey the following:
. light articulation, slightly short
- emphasis, proceded by slight cresc and followed by slight dim
> clearly articulated but not heavy
.
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