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Composer Alfred V. Fedak
Text George Herbert
Voicing SATB, organ
Length 3' 10" Price $2.25 (U.S.)
Released 06/08
Catalog no. 418-623 Difficulty Mod. difficult |
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Text
Let all the world in ev'ry corner sing,
my God and King!
The heavens are not too high,
his praises there may fly;
the earth is not too low,
his praises there may grow.
Let all the world in ev'ry corner sing,
my God and King!
The church with psalms must shout,
no door can keep them out;
but above all, the heart must bear the longest part.
Let all the world, in ev'ry corner sing,
my God, and King.
Text: George Herbert.
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Description
For those who love Ralph Vaughan Williams's or Erik Routley's familiar musical settings of George Herbert's great call to worship, Fedak's vigorous anthem will be a pleasure. Pealing figurations in the organ create a sense of driving momentum, and the choir's declamation of the refrain ("Let all the world in every corner sing, My God and King!") moves each time to a different key area, creating a surprising, yet inevitable sense of exaltation. This paean of praise is suitable for any festive occasion, and the skillful choral craft for which Fedak is well-known make it easy to learn. "[Fedak's] gently polytonal touches, juxtaposing unrelated harmonies within a clear "home" key, and his unerring sense of pacing lend distinction to the panegyric. The highly idiomatic organ accompaniment is a further attraction for use without orchestra." (AAM Journal)
Review
"Alfred Fedak has a singular way of creating music that sounds difficult and complex while in actuality placing modest demands on choirs. His capable integration of a variety of sources, from plainsong to motivically-derived development techniques, imbues his anthems with sophistication. ... Fedak's take on George Herbert's famous Antiphon text seems to draw inspiration from Vaughan Williams's equally celebrated setting. Forceful triple meter, punctuated block chords in the accompaniment's introduction, and even the contour of the opening vocal phrase (which widens the opening interval drop to a fifth) all heark back to the earlier version. The organization also echoes Vaughan Williams with a lyrical passage beginning "The heavens are not too high," and a modified return to the opening for the antiphon text "Let all the world... " For all these similarities, the piece is Fedak's own. His gently polytonal touches, juxtaposing unrelated harmonies within a clear "home" key, and his unerring sense of pacing lend distinction to the panegyric. The highly idiomatic organ accompaniment is a further attraction for use without orchestra. Even choirs that count the Five Mystical Songs within their repertoire will enjoy having this option at the ready." --AAM Journal, September 2017
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