Orlando Gibbons - Blessed are All they that Fear the Lord

Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, anthem for voices (1613)

The Clerkes of Oxenford
David Wulstan

Orlando Gibbons' duties as one of the most prominent organists in the land may have kept him from composing as often as some of his colleagues. Gibbons took his first professional organist's post -- in the English Royal Chapel, no less -- at the age of 20 and was officially signed in as a "Gentleman of the Chapel" two years later. In this capacity, Gibbons would travel with the King and assist in the King's royal worship services throughout the realm. Later in his life, he "settled" into an even more prestigious (and perhaps demanding) post, as organist for Westminster Abbey. Thus, Gibbons' surviving church compositions for voices are not numerous. What survives, however, tells of a composer whose strong mind brought a careful and effective setting to all of his chosen texts.

In the case of his verse anthem Blessed are all they that fear the Lord, Gibbons uses the textural contrasts that are at the heart of the genre to create forward musical momentum. The verse anthem in the seventeenth century tended to simply alternate solo and tutti passages, but Gibbons, helping invent the very genre itself, derives more contrasts from his available forces. The first pair of Biblical verses indeed simply alternate between a countertenor soloist with imitative viol consort accompaniment and a full choral exclamation. In the second verse pair, however, he begins with the same single voice and then enters the contrast of three solo voices -- made more poignant by their first appearing without accompaniment. This section concludes with assurances that the Lord will send His protection "round about thy table," in quickly alternating trio and tutti cadences. After another pair of solo/full chorus verses (one marked by more melismatic motion), in the final verse Gibbons exploits even more textural contrasts among the soloists. He alternates a brittle high trio of soloists -- written for two boy sopranos and male alto -- to a more earthy trio. The final exortation of "Glory to the Father" arrives in full choral texture once again, extended at "and ever shall be" with many imitative repeats, and a final, climactic "Amen." [Allmusic.com]

Art by Robert Peake, the elder

Category:

Music

Tags:

• gibbons
• wulstan
• clerkes
• oxenford
• anthem
• voices
• blessed
• fear
• lord

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