in praise of earth's beauty
There was such beauty
Hills far and near
O praise the Lord of heaven
In 2004 the choir invited John Wright (pictured) to compose a major work for their Autumn
concert of that year. John felt that, having been the conductor for 18 years, he did at
least have a detailed knowledge of their particular strengths and idiosyncrasies, and he
has written a work that he hopes is tailor-made to the capabilities of the choir.
John was also very aware of the long line of distinguished composers that Gloucestershire has produced throughout the twentieth century, and this in itself represented a considerable challenge. In his work as organist of the lovely church of All Saints, Cheltenham, he was constantly reminded of its important connection with Gustav Holst, who spent much of his later life encouraging amateur music-making.
In Praise of Earth's Beauty was written during the Summer of 2004, partly on a holiday to the Loire Valley in France, and partly in Cheltenham. In choosing the text, John wanted to maintain a Gloucestershire connection, while at the same time exploring the obvious opportunities for an outpouring of praise offered by the accompaniment of brass ensemble and organ (the same as John Rutter's Gloria, minus the percussion, with which the new work was programmed). While, therefore, plenty of fanfare-like material is heard in the course of the work, the brass instruments also have to adapt at times to a more restrained atmosphere.
The first movement is a setting of Ivor Gurney's lovely poem "There was such beauty" in which, appropriately, there is mention of trumpets "crying aloud", and of the whole world "gathering strength to praise the day" in the words of various Latin texts familiar in the church. At this point the tenors take the melody of the ancient song L'homme armé (The Armed Man) while the other voices weave around it in the manner of an early Renaissance Mass setting. The earlier part of the movement is in an English partsong style, and it ends in a blaze of joy.
The second movement (the longest) combines the words of another Gloucestershire poet (F.W. Harvey's Hills Far and Near) with the Psalm 121 (I will lift up mine eyes unto the hills). The Psalm is heard with its traditional plainsong, harmonised in a variety of ways, while a different treatment is reserved for Harvey's splendid poem, which reflects variously on the beauty of the Cotswolds, and the tragedy of the First World War. At times the two texts, with their corresponding musical styles, are combined. After what has been a more restrained movement, the ending is triumphant in celebration of "the dim, dear, dreamed-near hills of Paradise".
Having established a favourite psalm as part of the second movement, the last movement is entirely devoted to a setting of the joyful Psalm 148 ("O praise the Lord of heaven"), in which the expected lively rhythms and brassy fanfares are heard, but just before the end there is a more meditative section for the words "Kings of the earth".
