Thomas Linley - Praise be to God

The Song of Moses
Thomas Linley the younger

Part 1. Chorus

Praise be to God, and God alone.
Who hath his pow'r with Glory shewn.
The warrior horse behold
With his proud rider thrown,
And chariots, men, and arms, and steeds
In 'whelming billows roll'd.

Peter Holman
The Parley of Instruments

This exciting chorus opens Linley's short oratorio "The Song of Moses". The libretto by Rev John Hoadly was presented by David Garrick to Thomas Linley Senior in 1776, who refused to set it to music. Understandably as it is needlessly complicated and confusing in structure. However his son, Thomas Linley the younger built upon what little dramatic inspiration there was in the text and created what was to be one of his last and greatest works.

The chorus opens with a martial trumpet fanfare leading to a blaze of orchestral light. After a brief introduction to the first musical motif by solo tenor and bass in canon, the ascending fanfare returns, this time bursting out into a passage for full chorus and orchestra. Next follows an exciting fugue describing the plight of the Egyptians at the hands of the Hebrews' God. Interspersed in the sounds of the battle come strains of the chorale-like theme heard earlier until the musical storm reaches its climax and the theme bursts forth again in full chorus.

Category:

Music

Tags:

• Linley
• Thomas
• Song
• of
• Moses
• Baroque
• Classical
• Oratorio
• Exodus
• Chorus
• Parley
• Instruments
• Peter
• Holman

[MrDrawlight]

Perfect!

[rostomic]

Such a pity he had only such short life ... the English Mozart ... though his music has a Haedelian feel to it ... nice indeed...

[wendolfx]

Can you get Terry Devine-Red September?