How good is Welsey's Blessed be the God and Father?

Discussions relating to performance, interpretation, score preparation, musica ficta etc.
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rrdn2
Posts: 1
Joined: 30 Jan 2009 17:07

How good is Welsey's Blessed be the God and Father?

Post by rrdn2 »

I am looking for a good quote which encapsulates how amazing this piece is. One of your own design would be great as well as ones found anywhere else!
Patterson
Posts: 13
Joined: 21 Mar 2009 16:42

Re: How good is Welsey's Blessed be the God and Father?

Post by Patterson »

I think it is interesting to note that one of Wesley's most significant pupils was Arthur Sullivan and to compare the dialogue at "Love on another . . . " with similar dialogues in Sullivan's operettas.
Patterson
Posts: 13
Joined: 21 Mar 2009 16:42

Re: How good is Welsey's Blessed be the God and Father?

Post by Patterson »

One should also notice the interesting counter melody in the organ accompaniment of the same section.
Hindmarshj
Posts: 1
Joined: 15 Nov 2009 21:25

Re: How good is Wesley's Blessed be the God and Father?

Post by Hindmarshj »

How good? I discovered it at the age of seven and my attitude to it is the same now as then, even if my level of appreciation has (hopefully) deepened. It is the most wonderfully singable and satisfying piece. I will come out at this point as a huge Sullivan fan, and thank the previous correspondent for making the connection, as it is very theatrical - this was what originally appealled to me and I probably turned round and gaped at the tenors and basses the first time I sang it. I will never listen to the chorus "Twenty Love-Sick Maidens We" in Patience in quite the same way again.

For me, the highlights are:
The opening; at first glance the first few lines look as though they are going nowhere, but each harmonic shift is important (eg altos at "abundant")
The tenor line at "resurrection" followed by the organ entry on "Christ" - a real goose-pimple moment. For such a long unaccompanied section, it seems relatively easy to stay in tune.
The music in the recitative bits complements the words perfectly.
Soprano entry at "But as he..."
THE chord just before the last section
Tenor entry in the fuguey bit at "the word of the Lord" and
The way the piece maintains its momentum from there to the end, and the important detail in all the parts
The echo!

Sorry, not exactly epigrammatic, was it?
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