"History, Analysis and Performance Considerations of Gerald Finzi's ...

44Immediately shifting by mediant and common tone to G major, a simple but beautifulharmonic blossoming occurs on “Give love for life” at measure 95. As the ensuing text requestsgrowth in “powers” and “praise” to the name of the Lord, so also the music paints a growingintensity through agogic stresses, gesture (rising on “let my days Grow”), crescendo, tempo(poco ravvivando), heightening of vocal register, and a contraction of meter to 3/4. The strongharmonic content of the chord on “name and” in measure 99, is not unlike that on “cup” inmeasure 51, with an emphasized tritone and semitone strengthening the need for cadentialresolution. In addition to the uninterrupted text connection in grammatical person between thepetitions of Section C and D, an additional benefit Finzi gained in reversing the stanzas of AdoroTe is that the climatic build to the word “praise” at measure 100, can be more successfullyfollowed by the triumphant invitation “Rise, Royal Sion!” from Lauda Sion (stanza 1).This second march or procession within the anthem (theme i) is a call to praise. Jubilantfrom its opening elision at measure 100, the organ responds with a rising eight-note figure in thepedals, embellished by triplet sixteenth runs in the manuals, a fitting accompaniment to thestaggered choral invitations, “Rise, Royal Sion!” commencing at measure 102. A leap combininginterlocking octaves requires singers to heed the text literally, “Stretch all thy powers.” As Finziseemed to let his melodies dictate his harmonies, the semitone embedded in this vocal gestureinvites the colorful Neapolitan harmony to support the sequential voice entrances, quicklyshifting the key center away from G, through B and E major, and finally, A minor (see Figure28).A distinct falling gesture sets the text “call if you can” in all voices in measure 108, butwith particular attention drawn to the soprano descent from high A, a vivid vocal imagerymatching the request for “Harps of Heaven” to be brought down “to hands of man.” Crashaw