47Arriving at the word “love” at measure 114, the choir decisively cadences the “Rise”theme in D major while the organ provides three <strong>of</strong> its own final echoes <strong>of</strong> the “sovereignsubject” motive, its own harmonic resolution delayed until the second beat <strong>of</strong> measure 115 (seeFigure 30). The dramatic build-up to the organ’s harmonic arrival in D major is short-livedhowever, as the inclusion <strong>of</strong> C♮ in its scale flourish into measure 116 clarifies the key area as atemporary tonicization only, the entire cadential gesture simply functioning as the dominant <strong>of</strong> Gmajor. The reduction <strong>of</strong> themes h (“Help, Lord”) <strong>and</strong> i (“Rise, Royal Sion”) indicates a subtledownward shift in the background line from B to A, the precursor to the return <strong>of</strong> G in measure116 (see Figure 31).With a return to the initial key <strong>of</strong> “Rise, Royal Sion,” the new celebratory text, “Lo, theBread <strong>of</strong> Life” (theme j) is set with open voicing <strong>and</strong> fanfare-like declamatory rhythms. Thismoment is literally pivotal, the climax <strong>of</strong> the work having been previously reached at “Thissovereign subject,” it is from this point on that the anthem arch begins the return back on itself.While themes i <strong>and</strong> j are not palindromic in a strict thematic sense, they are in so larger aesthetic<strong>and</strong> structural context. Each one celebratory, each a distinct statement <strong>of</strong> praise, each a parallel<strong>of</strong> one another, “Rise, Royal Sion” marks the conclusion <strong>of</strong> the arch-rise, while “Lo, the Bread <strong>of</strong>Life” marks the commencement <strong>of</strong> its descent.As “This sovereign subject” included a strong, two-measure cadential fanfare on theword “love,” so also “This day’s triumphant text” provokes a parallel two-measure organexclamation on the word “praise” at measures 119-120, another indication that the work hasbegun its reverse recapitulation. As examined previously, Finzi’s use <strong>of</strong> changing meter <strong>and</strong>music students are expected in their paperwork to give the correct note values to a few lines <strong>of</strong> verse. This is no badexercise, but there is no greater fallacy than to imagine that a detailed note-for-note accentuation, following the rise<strong>and</strong> fall <strong>of</strong> natural speech, can in itself make good song. Even ordinary recitative can be alive or dead, <strong>and</strong> so toowith syllabic song. Here the composer may be full <strong>of</strong> respect for the poet, but nothing will redeem his setting if ithas not got something beyond that.” Finzi, III.
48Figure 30. “This sovereign subject” organ echo (measures 114-115).Figure 31. Reduction <strong>of</strong> themes h <strong>and</strong> i, “Help Lord,” <strong>and</strong> “Rise, Royal Sion”(measures 90-114).
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HISTORY, ANALYSIS AND PERFORMANCECO
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. . . 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 20 and 21: 11According to Christopher, his fat
- 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
- Page 32 and 33: 23unique contour of these lines, a
- 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
- Page 50 and 51: 41another shortened verse and fitti
- Page 52 and 53: 43unison/octaves. The preceding org
- Page 54 and 55: 45Figure 28. “Stretch all thy pow
- Page 58 and 59: 49agogic stresses to achieve a fitt
- 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
- Page 70 and 71: 61sublime heavenly and musical asce
- Page 73 and 74: PERFORMANCE CONSIDERATIONSPrinciple
- Page 75 and 76: 66and 16 to clarify structural punc
- Page 77 and 78: 68To add further contrast with the
- Page 79 and 80: 70breath in the vocal part to compl
- Page 81 and 82: 72pairings. A lift at the end of th
- Page 83 and 84: 74for the tenor soloist be placed a
- Page 85 and 86: 76the word “chase” followed by
- Page 87 and 88: 78Finzi always had a sense that he
- Page 89 and 90: 808 Lo the Bread of Life, this day
- Page 91 and 92: 82_____ . The Composer’s Use of W
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