11According to Christopher, his father had a great respect for religion, “knew the Bible well<strong>and</strong> loved it as literature,” <strong>and</strong> would in his viewpoint, have been attracted to Crashaw simply forthe poetic aspects, rather than any personal religious devotion. 40 If Finzi <strong>and</strong> son are being honestin their personal spiritual assessments (<strong>and</strong> we currently have little reason to believe otherwise),the composer certainly deserves our recognition, if not high admiration, for his ability to writewith a fitting musical voice, as John Russell put it, that could only be described as “inevitable” toits text, whatever the subject. 4140 Crutchfield, 155-156.41 Christopher Finzi also observed, “He always showed such respect for all texts. In a sense, the words were alwaysput first. The music was subservient to the words, always.” Ibid., 157.
FORMAL ANALYSISPreliminary StudiesIn the course <strong>of</strong> preparing a structural analysis <strong>of</strong> Lo, the Full Final Sacrifice, the authormade a full study <strong>of</strong> the published interpretations <strong>of</strong> Kathleen Robinson, John Crutchfield, JohnDickson, Stephen Banfield <strong>and</strong> Diana McVeagh. Robinson provides the most voluminousexamination <strong>of</strong> the five, a measure-by-measure viewpoint based primarily upon the reappearance<strong>and</strong> relationship <strong>of</strong> similar cellular motives. She also provides detailed analyses <strong>of</strong> harmonic,melodic, <strong>and</strong> rhythmic topics, although each is addressed in separate chapters rather than beingintegrated with one other in context <strong>of</strong> the entire work. By comparison, Crutchfield discusses nomusical motives at all, rather, he provides a structural analysis founded primarily uponidentifying the antecedent <strong>and</strong> consequent phrases <strong>of</strong> Crashaw’s couplets completely outside thecontext <strong>of</strong> all musical elements. Crutchfield does however provide brief examinations <strong>of</strong>harmonic, melodic, <strong>and</strong> rhythmic characteristics, though like Robison, in separate unrelatedsections. In an article for Choral Journal, Dickson discusses the important role <strong>of</strong> textualanalysis in preparation <strong>of</strong> a choral score, <strong>and</strong> uses the Crashaw/Finzi text as his first case study.Dickson discusses a loose type <strong>of</strong> palindrome in the arrangement <strong>of</strong> text, as the poetic subjects <strong>of</strong>sacrifice, wine, bread <strong>and</strong> personal petition as introduced in the first half <strong>of</strong> the anthem, arereversed in appearance as the work proceeds to its conclusion: petition, bread, wine, <strong>and</strong>sacrifice. Dickson’s examination <strong>of</strong> the Finzi was not intended to address the musical aspects <strong>of</strong>the composition, <strong>and</strong> while this author does not entirely agree with his
- Page 1 and 2: HISTORY, ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCECO
- Page 3 and 4: . . . as surely as birds must sing,
- Page 5: LIST OF FIGURESFigurePage1. Constru
- Page 8 and 9: LIST OF TABLESTablePage1. Section A
- Page 10 and 11: HISTORICAL OVERVIEWIt was the summe
- Page 12 and 13: 3Hussey suggested a Eucharist theme
- Page 14 and 15: Lo, the Full Final Sacrifice was at
- Page 16 and 17: 7miniaturist is now generally recog
- Page 18 and 19: 9Hardy (agnostic fatalist), Wordswo
- Page 23: 14Examination of FormSection AThe a
- Page 26 and 27: 17However the arrival of A major at
- Page 28 and 29: 19Figure 7. Reduction of measures 1
- Page 30 and 31: 21Stanford, being of his generation
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- Page 34 and 35: 25Figure 12. Rising major third key
- Page 36 and 37: 27with the downward leap of a minor
- Page 38 and 39: 29Figure 15. “O Let that love”
- Page 40 and 41: Figure 16. “Jesu Master” organ
- Page 42 and 43: 33Crashaw’s images of “Food”
- Page 44 and 45: 35Harmony then, falls among every o
- Page 46 and 47: 37Section CAn immediate resetting o
- Page 48 and 49: Figure 21. “Weeping” organ gest
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- Page 54 and 55: 45Figure 28. “Stretch all thy pow
- Page 56 and 57: 47Arriving at the word “love” a
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- Page 60 and 61: 51Table 4Section D - Thematic Struc
- Page 62 and 63: 53famine, feeding its young with it
- Page 64 and 65: 55global humanity en masse, but mor
- Page 66 and 67: 57Figure 37. “And that long day
- Page 68 and 69: 59Figure 39. Reduction of Section B
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61sublime heavenly and musical asce
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PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONSPrinciple
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66and 16 to clarify structural punc
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68To add further contrast with the
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70breath in the vocal part to compl
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72pairings. A lift at the end of th
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74for the tenor soloist be placed a
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76the word “chase” followed by
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78Finzi always had a sense that he
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808 Lo the Bread of Life, this day
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82_____ . The Composer’s Use of W
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