My Shepherd Will Supply My Need-- Harvard '79 Memorial Service (2009)

Performed October 24, 2009, at the Memorial Service for the Harvard-Radcliffe Class of 1979, 30th Reunion. Music 1938 by Virgil Thomson (1896-1989); text Isaac Watts.

Sopranos:

Dominique Alfandre Palmer
Margaret Cowperthwaite Bridge
Sara Stopek
Catherine Weary Robbins
Patty Woo

Altos:

Katherine Evans
Eliza Hale
Laurie Kaufman
Mary Kirk
Barbara Mullin Rosiello
Betsy Tomic
Susan Vogt Brown

Tenors:

Thomas Baldridge
Thomas Bridge
Daniel Davis
Frederick Farrar
Mark Grayson

Basses:

David Frutkoff
John Jarcho
Peter Kelley
Bill Propp
Dan Ullman

conductor: Adam M. Finkel

Category:

Music

Tags:

• choral
• Harvard
• memorial

[glassbritten]

I love this song. One thing, did the conductor have to pee? 'Never heard it sung so quickly.

[adamfinkel0]

@glassbritten

thanks for the comment-- please see previous response below-- I agree it is very unusual to sing the piece at these three tempi, but it really is faithful to what the composer intended, at least according to the metronome markings in the score. I think the first verse in 1-to-the-bar sounds very different than it would in 3...

Adam Finkel

[adamfinkel0]

Thanks for the positive response! I agree with you that we took it faster than it's usually heard, but Thomson's original markings call for "allegro" (120) in verse 1, followed by 108 and then 96-- I checked the tape and we were right on target for verses 1 and 2, but a tiny bit faster than he asked for on verse 3. Next time...

[ByronAdams3955]

This is a beautiful performance--bravo.

[pr1ncee1203]

Beautiful. I've listened several times and will return. This song was sung at my mother's funeral, and before that I had never heard it. One for the ages, as is this rendition.

[ricub1]

This IS the proper tempo. Great job!

Best recording I've ever heard was Mormon Tabernacle Choir's from late 50s or early 60s (will have to look at the album).

[hepzebahsu]

Yes, a bit of a gallop! Sometimes it's sung to slow - singers get breathless at either extreme.

[JTB1956]

I've heard many versions and arrangements of this tune. This one is nicely done. My compliments to both choir and conductor.

[Iddybud]

I've sung this with choirs over the years, and I found the allegro tempo to be refreshing. A beautiful performance of one of my personal favorites.

[brianrsanderson]

The Mormon Tabernacle Choir did this one back in the 1980's. My tape is worn out almost completely, I've played it so many times. Their rendition also used the higher tempo marks from Thomson's arrangement. I have yet to find a better rendition of this piece, but I'm still looking...

[USEditor]

@glassbritten — I so agree. The Princeton choir sang is slower with much more "flavor" — soft at the start, of firmer voice towards the end. This hymn always makes me cry, I have no idea why.