Music Finland Core

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The text of the work consists of hymn no. 63 from the Finnish ‘Old Hymnal’ of 1701 and extracts from the Litany in the chorale book of 1702. The musical material is based on a folk hymn variant from Rauma. This piece is thus a spin-off of my choral drama SALVAT 1701, which is also based on the 'Old Hymnal'. The hymn material is used in a variety of ways, interspersed with a tenor solo intoning lines from the Litany, where the title of the piece may be found. Structurally, the work falls into two sections. In the first, a relatively straightforward setting of the hymn tune alternates with lines from the Litany until the two elements come together with an aggressively whispered hymn stanza underpinning the detached tenor solo. In the second, the material passes through an edgy Medieval setting and a flowing Romantic texture to a serene baritone solo, after which the simple setting of the opening returns. A reference to the tenor solo concludes the work.The genesis of this piece was unusual for me in that external events influenced the process to a considerable extent. An old friend of mine from my time at University, a fellow amateur choral singer with a fine tenor voice, named Markku Juvakka, fell seriously ill in spring 2002 and died in November at the age of 40. I was outlining alternatives for my commissioned piece for the King’s Singers at the time, and I found myself going back to the 'Old Hymnal' for a memorial work, hopefully more in comfort than in sorrow. The piece is dedicated to Markku’s memory, and the tenor solo thus suggested itself.© Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, 2003Teoksen tekstinä on Vanhan virsikirjan virsi no. 63 (Sun tykös turvaan, Jumala) sekä osia v. 1702 koraalikirjan litaniasta. Musiikin materiaali perustuu kansantoisintoon Raumalta. Teos on näin ollen jatko-osa tai kehitelmä (spin-off) Vanhaan virsikirjaan perustuvalle koraalidraamalleni SALVAT 1701 (2001). Virren materiaalia käytetään eri tavoin, ja sen lomaan sijoittuu tenorisoolo, jolle annetuista litanian säkeistä teoksen nimikin löytyy.Rakenteellisesti teos hahmottuu kahteen jaksoon. Ensimmäisessä jaksossa virsisävelmän melko suoraviivainen käsittely vuorottelee litanian säkeiden kanssa, kunnes nämä elementit yhdistyvät aggressiivisesti kuiskatun virsisäkeistön jatkuessa irrallisen tenorisoolon alla. Toisessa jaksossa materiaali kulkee särmikkään keskiaikaisesti ja sulavan romanttisestikin seesteiseen baritonisooloon, jonka jälkeen alun yksinkertainen osuus palaa. Muistuma tenorisoolosta päättää teoksen.Teoksen synty oli minulle epätavallinen sikäli, että ulkoiset tapahtumat vaikuttivat prosessiin poikkeuksellisen voimakkaasti. Vanha osakuntatuttuni, hienon tenoriäänen omaava amatöörikuorolaiskollega Markku Juvakka sairastui vakavasti keväällä 2002 ja kuoli marraskuussa 40 vuoden iässä. Olin tuolloin hahmottelemassa vaihtoehtoja King’s Singers -lauluyhtyeen tilausteosta varten, ja ajauduinkin sitten etsimään Vanhasta virsikirjasta materiaalia muistoteokseen. Lopputuloksena syntyi toivoakseni enemmän lohdullinen kuin synkkä teos, joka on omistettu Markun muistolle; tenorisoolo oli näin ollen itsestään selvä osatekijä.© Jaakko Mäntyjärvi, 2003

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Abbreviation	Instrument
Woodwind
acl	alto clarinet
afl	alto flute
arec	alto recorder
asax	alto saxophone
barsax	baritone saxophone
barhn	baritone horn
bcl	bass clarinet
bfl	bass flute
bob	bass oboe
bsax	bass saxophone
bsn	bassoon
cbsn	contrabassoon
cl	clarinet
ehn	English horn
fl	flute
hn	French horn
ob	oboe
pic	piccolo
rec	recorder
sax	saxophone
srec	soprano recorder
ssax	soprano saxophone
trec	tenor recorder
tsax	tenor saxophone
Brass
ahn	alto horn
atrb	altotrombone
barhn	baritone horn
btrb	bass trombone
cornet	cornet
euph	euphonium
fhn	flugelhorn
hn	French horn
tba	tuuba
thn	tenor horn
trb	trombone
trp	trumpet
Percussion
dr	drums
glock	glockenspiel
mar	marimba
perc	percussion
timp	timpani
vibr	vibraphone
xyl	xylophone
Strings
db	double bass
gamba	viola da gamba
str	strings
vla	viola
vlc	cello
vln	violin
Other
acc	accordion
cel	celesta
cemb	harpsichord
chords	chords
elbas	electric bass
elg	electric guitar
elorg	electric organ
elpno	electric piano
guit	guitar
harm	harmonium
hca	harmonica
hp	harp
instr	instrument
kantele	kantele
keyb	keyboard
live electr	live electronics
mand	mandolin
mel	melody
org	organ
pno	piano
synth	synthesizer
tape	tape
Vocal
alto	alto
baryt	baritone
basso	bass voice
ch	choir
chc	childrens choir
chf	female choir
chm	male choir
chx	mixed choir
cten	countertenor
mezzo	mezzo-soprano
sopr	soprano
speaker	speaker
ten	tenor
voc	vocal

Symphony orchestra
2222 4331 11 1, str = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 2 clarinets, 2 bassoons, 4 French horns, 3 trumpets, 3 trombones, tuba, timpani, one other percussionist, harp and strings
Wind band
2252 3 423 21212 3 = 2 flutes, 2 oboes, 5 clarinets, 2 bassoons - 3 saxophones - 4 French horns, 2 trumpets, 3 trombones - 2 cornets, alto horn, 2 tenor horns, baritone horn, 2 tubas - 3 percussionists
Big band
221 4 4, pno, guit, db, dr = 2 alto saxophones, 2 tenor saxophones, baritone saxophone, 4 trumpets, 4 trombones, piano, guitar, double bass, drums
Additional codes
+	fl+pic = flutist doubles on piccolo
/	pno/org = can be played on either piano or organ
lib	ad libitum
obl	obligato
str	str: 65432 = specified number of string players
str min	str min: 65432 = at least 65432
str max	str max: 65432 = not more than 65432
solo	vln solo = violin is the solo instrument in a work not obviously for solo violin

Armahda meidän päällem'