Tallis Festival 2011 - Tallis Spem in alium crib sheet

D y n a m i c s A note from James Jarvis: For this performance I would like to aim at an approach to dynamics that is simple yet responsive to the text, and to trust you to bring out what is interesting, to phrase musically and to give life to cross-rhythms, for it is in these things that the beauty of this music consists and not in a micro-managed dynamic scheme.

Furthermore, given the highly complex nature of the composition in terms of number of parts and spatial effects, to overlay this with extra complexity in the form of a fussy set of dynamics may give rise to a monstrosity that the listener cannot grasp. Dynamic LEVELS (p, mf and so on) are almost always meant to happen at a new textual

entry rather than at a random point in a phrase, so please feel free to move them one way

or the other so that they make sense. Exceptions to this will be dealt with in rehearsal. The bar number given is the one in which the first of the relevant entries occurs.

Dynamic GRADIENTS (cresc and dim) start from the prevailing dynamic level and normally

lead to the next dynamic level. Note also several errata and alterations to the ficta.

PLEASE NOTE: this is not a typical “Spem workshop” but a performance weekend with full-length culminating concert. This makes it scientifically impossible to note-bash every one

of the 40 lines individually to the extent that one might ideally wish – “do the math”. However, if you keep your nerve, it will click once the piece has critical mass. That tends to happen rather late in the weekend, though, so it is easy to get the jitters. Just trust me and keep pegging away! – JJ B a r T e x t T r a n s l a t i o n I n s t r u c t i o n s 1 Spem in alium nunquam habui I have never put my hope in any other mp – firm and sustained

23 praeter in te, Deus Israel, but in Thee, God of Israel, more marked; cresc

35 praeter in te… mf cresc

38 praeter in te… f cresc

40 PRAETER IN TE… ff

44 qui irasceris who will become angry f marcato

et propitius eris, and yet become again gracious, subito mp legato

65 et omnia peccata hominum… and who all the sins of man… mp – mf very phrased

69 et omnia… p cresc

74 in tribulatione dimittis in his suffering forgives f – heavy & passionate phrase word off very

markedly to p

87 Domine Deus, O Lord God, f molto marcato

Creator coeli et terrae, Creator of heaven and earth, f sostenuto

99 (VI soprano –

sharpen the Cs) 106 (I alto should have minim

G at end of bar) 108 respice… look… p subito

humilitatem nostram, upon our lowliness, poco cresc

112 (V alto - sharpen the G)

114 (III alto - sharpen the G)

122 respice… look… ff dim to pp in 5 minims

humilitatem nostram. upon our lowliness. p (sempre cresc al fine if it feels right!)

124 (V bass 2 has a

semibreve rest missing)