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

65musicians who performed his works to take many liberties with them. 67 He was always open tomusical suggestion. Ferguson, with whom he met regularly, described this characteristic of Finzias being more a result of his self-doubt, than open-mindedness:He asked me my opinion an enormous amount. And in the early days when I toldyou he was incapable of putting dynamics in, I would put them in for him . . . . Heinvariably agreed with what one said. And right though his life, even when he gotbetter in that respect, he always asked someone’s opinion. I’d sit beside him andask him “is this a B-flat or an A,” and he’d ask what I thought. If I answered oneor the other, he’d say “all right.” He was extremely uncertain about practicalthings. 68David Willcocks provided this insight into a conductor’s relationship with Finzi:He was very trusting of other’s thoughts. He liked to have other people conducthis work. I found that he never interfered. His compositions were always set atjust the right speed, kind of like Vaughan Williams. Of course, Britten was muchmore dictatorial. It had to be exactly this way or exactly that way, whererasVaughan Williams and Finzi said that [tempo] depends on the building you areperforming in, how many people are taking part, etc. 69The source of his uncertainty set aside for the moment, it is nevertheless clear that the composervalued the recommendations and performance practices of his colleagues. Given thesestatements and sentiments, he has clearly entrusted us to approach this anthem with extra-scoreconsiderations that will lend themselves to a successful performance.PracticesSection AAs the organ prelude is comprised of three short statements of the “Sacrifice” theme andone reference to the “Wine” theme, tempo and breath should be used in such a way as todelineate these phrases. Finzi in fact, specifically included rests at the ends of measures 8, 11,67 Crutchfield, 107.68 Ibid., 167.69 Ibid., 160.