In the Midst of Life | Kile Smith | MusicSpoke

In the Midst of Life

Kile Smith

SATB a cappella, 15′. Text from the Book of Common Prayer. Commissioned by the William Ferris Chorale, Christopher Windle, Artistic and Music Director. Premiered by them 5 May 2023, Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Chicago, and 7 May 2023, Wicker Park Lutheran Church, Chicago.

Christopher Windle asked me for a composition responding in some way to Media vita, the landmark English Renaissance work by John Sheppard. After considering options about the text, we agreed on the simplest one: I would set in English what Sheppard had set in Latin—mostly, that is—by using the poetic rendering from the Book of Common Prayer.

Media vita is not only revered, but it is long, usually lasting well over 20 minutes in duration. My work, to be at all an adequate pairing, would need to be substantial, but since the Chorale would sing it and the Sheppard on the same concert, it would be preferable if it were not quite so monumental in scope. We were originally thinking of this in the 10-minute range, but the need for the text to properly settle in became apparent as I began composing, and it ended up coming in at 15 minutes.

I have loved Media vita and other works of John Sheppard for some time. That particular English sweetness in his music is unexpectedly jarred at points by delicious cross-relations: a B-sharp, say, in one voice sweeping past a B in another voice at the same time. Teachers of tonal counterpoint warn us, with good reason, to avoid such things, but—leaving the ficta and modal theory discussion aside—sometimes the spirit of a line blows where it will, and we, not knowing where the spirit comes from or where it’s going, do well to pay heed. So, to honor Sheppard I looked for those opportunities in this music. The text is a mixture of English translations. I am aware of inconsistencies. It begins by addressing the Lord as thee; later it is modernized to you. I enjoyed following the drama of starting with we, us, and our, yet ending with my. I wanted it to become increasingly personal.

The harmonic language follows this narrative. The opening fugue is in D dorian, one of the so-called minor modes, with the wonder of its raised 6th; in D it’s the B-natural instead of the minor-key B-flat. Then, to G dorian, back to D at the fugue’s continuation, and, at the “O holy God” section, F dorian. But “You know, O Lord,” to mirror the emotional turmoil in the text, switches to an A-flat octatonic scale, an 8-note scale colored with chromaticism and pungency, and which avoids the perfect 5th. I introduce only two exceptions to the scale, at the third iteration of “Savior”: the C (major 3rd), and finally, Eflat, the 5th. “Suffer me not…to fall from you,” hinting at A lydian, pivots the music to the “major” modes for the conclusion.

At the familiar Nunc dimittis, or “now let your servant depart in peace,” the music picks up speed, traveling through mixolydian (with the flat 7th), lydian (sharp 4th), and ionian (the “major” mode we are used to). A D major version of the opening dorian fugue subject begins “and ever shall be,” and the work stays in D major until the end, although the closing “Amen” uses, transposed, the music of “to fall from you,” with echoes of lydian. This reference to “Suffer me not…to fall from you,” binds that supplication, proper to all prayer, to the certainty of “Amen.” In the final D chord the 3rd, F-sharp, is omitted and the 6th, B, never resolves, recalling the dorian landscape that opened the work.

In the midst of life we are in death; of whom may we seek for sustenance, but of thee, O Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased?

O holy God, O holy and strong, O holy and merciful Savior, deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

You know, O Lord, the secret of my heart; shut not your merciful ears to my prayer; but spare me, Lord most holy, O God most mighty, O holy and merciful Savior, You, the most worthy Judge eternal. Suffer me not, at my last hour, through any pains of death, to fall from you.

Lord, now let your servant depart in peace, according to your word. For mine eyes have seen your salvation, which you have prepared before the face of all people: a light to lighten the nations, and the glory of your people Israel. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Commissioned by the William Ferris Chorale, Christopher Windle, Artistic and Music Director

Copyright © 2023 by Kile Smith / Tau Imprints (ASCAP)

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29

thee,

mf OLord, of &b

thee,

mf OLord, of & ‹

pp whommayweseekfor

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thee,

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in the midst of life we areindeath, weareindeath; we

life, inthemidstoflife, of life, we areindeath, weareindeath; we inthemidstof life, inthemidstoflife weareindeath; we in death, we areindeath, weareindeath; we

f whommayweseekfor sus-te-nance, for sus-te-nance, for

are indeath; of

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shut not yourmer-ci ful - ears to my prayer;

f spare me,

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hour, throughan-ypains ofdeath, throughan-ypains of

hour, throughan-y pains of death, throughan-y pains of death, hour,throughan-y pains ofdeath, throughany - pains ofdeath, hour, throughan-ypains of death, throughan-y death, throughan-ypains ofdeath, tofall from

throughan-y pains of death, to fall, to fall, to throughany - pains ofdeath, tofall, tofall, pains of death, throughan-ypains ofdeath, to fall

part inpeace, ac-cording - to your word. Formineeyeshave

part inpeace, ac-cording - to your word. Formineeyeshave

part inpeace, ac-cording - to your word. Formineeyes have peace, ac-cording - to your word. Formineeyes have seen, for mineeyeshave seen your sal-va-tion, sal-

seen, for mine eyeshave seen your sal-va-tion, salseen, for mine eyes haveseen your sal-va-tion, salseen, for mine eyes haveseen your sal-va-tion, sal-

you havepre pared, - you havepre pared - be -

you have pre pared, - you have pre pared - be-

you have pre-pared, have pre-pared, have pre-pared be -

you have pre pared, - have pre pared, - which you have pre -

fore the face of all, all peo-ple: a

fore the face of all, all peo-ple: a

fore the face of all, all people: - a pared be fore - the face of all peo-ple: a

KFaster, but legato q = c. 120

Glo-ry be totheFa-ther,and to the Son, Glo-ry be totheFa-ther,

Glo-ry be totheFa-ther,and to the Son, Glo-ry be totheFa-ther, Glo-rybe totheFa-ther, unis. totheFa-ther, and to the Son, and tothe Holy - Spir-it, and tothe Holy - Spir-it,

and to the Son, and tothe Holy - Spir-it, and tothe Holy - Spir-it, and to the Son, and tothe Holy - Spir-it, and tothe Son, and tothe Holy - Spir-it,

and to the Son,glo-ry, and tothe Holy - Spir-it. As

itwas in

and to the Son, and tothe Holy - Spir-it. As

itwas in glory - be tothe Son,glo-ry, glory - be tothe Holy - Spir-it. As

itwas in glory - be tothe Son, glory - be tothe Holy - Spir-it. As itwas in f

the be-gin-ning, as it was in

the be-gin-ning, as it was in the be-gin-ning, as it was in the be-gin-ning, as it was in the be-gin-ning, as it was in the be-gin-ning,

the be-ginning, - is now, isnow, is now, is now,

the be-ginning, - is now, isnow, is now, is now, the be-ginning, - is now, isnow, is now, is now, is now, isnow, is now, is now,

ev er - shall be,

ev er, - ev er - shall be, and ever, - andever, - andeverer - shall be, andever - shall be, world shall be,

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div. world with-out

& ‰ œj œ œ

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and-

shall be, world with-out end, world withoutwith-out end, andev er - shallbe, world with-out, end, -

unis. and ever, - andev er - shallbe, with outcresc. -

## div. œ œ Œ œ ˙ ˙ œ ‰ œ J œœ‰œ J œœœœ œ Œ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œœœ œ œ œ œœj‰˙ œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙ œœœœ œ œ ˙ œ œ ‰œjœœœœœ œ ˙™ œœ˙ œœœœœ ˙ ˙™ ™ œ œ ‰ œ j œœ‰œjœœœœœ œ ˙ œ œœœœ œ œœ˙ œ ‰ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ J ‰ œj ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ Œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ™ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ J œ ‰ œ œjœ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ˙œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ Kile Smith—In the Midst of Life

div. 25 This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

Sacred

Alleluia. SATB, 6' (Hal Leonard) Ave Maris Stella. SSATTB, Renaissance band, 23' Behold, the Best, the Greatest Gift. SATB, organ, 4'30" Come, Gather All. SATB, organ, opt. brass quartet, 3' Come, Ye Sinners. SATB, organ, 3' *For His Mercy Endures Forever (Psalm 136). SATB, 5' Give Ear, O Heavens (Audite cæli). SATB, organ, 5' *God So Loved the World. SATB, 2' Go Forth into the World in Peace. SATB, piano, 4'30" The Heavens Declare. SATB, SAB solos, piano, 5' Herr Christ, der einig Gotts Sohn from Vespers. SATB div a 16, German, 5' Holy Is the Lord. SATB, 2' *Holy Mountain. SATB, organ, 4' I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day. SATB, bells, drum, 3' (Hal Leonard) *In the Midst of Life. SATB, 15' I Sought the Lord, and Afterward I Knew. SATB, opt sop solo, 3' Jesus, Thou Joy of Loving Hearts. SATB, organ, 2' *Jubilate Deo. SATB, organ, 6' Magnificat. SATB, handbells, opt organ, 5' Magnificat Antiphon. SATB, congregation, organ, 3' My God, Accept My Heart This Day. SATB, SAB solos, organ, opt solo inst, 3' My Shepherd Will Supply My Need. SATB, organ, 4' O Come, O Come, Emmanuel. SATB, SATB solos, organ, 3' (Concordia) *O Rex Gentium. SATB, 5'

O Sing unto the Lord a New Song. SATB, 5' *O Thou Who Camest from Above. SATB, 4' Out of the Depths (Psalm 130). SATB, 7' Passer invenit sibi domum (Psalm 84). SATB. Latin, 4' Psalm 84. SATB

Psalm 113 from Vespers. SATB, keyboard. Latin, 5'30" Psalm 117. 5-part round, 1' *Rejoice in the Lamb. SATB, 5' Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow. SATB, piano, 4' (

Hal Leonard) Shall the Blessed Saints Surround Us. SATB, organ, 3' That Easter Day with Joy was Bright. SATB, 4' Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (How Fair the Bright and Morning Star) from Vespers. SATB, keyboard. German, English, 4' The Word of God. SATB, organ, 4'

Concert

Alabanza (Sonia Sanchez, Psalm 147, 148). 2-pt choir, piano, opt instr, 6' Alleluia. SATB, 6' (Hal Leonard)

America the Beautiful. SSAA, piano, 5' *And Good in Every Thing (William Shakespeare). SATB, 5'

The Arc in the Sky (Robert Lax). SATB, 65' (ECS)

*Canticle (St. John of the Cross). SATB, 3 cellos, 1 perc, 65'

*The Chambered Nautilus (Oliver Wendell Holmes Sr.). SATB, 5'

*The Consolation of Apollo (Apollo 8 astronauts, Boethius). SATB, crotales, bass drum, 35' The Dawn’s Early Light (Sarah Winnemucca, Francis Scott Key). SATB, cello, 4 guitars, 20' *Everyone Sang (Siegfried Sassoon). SATB, 5'

*Grandmother’s Garden (John Archambault). 2-pt children’s choir, piano, opt. C instr, 9' The Heavens Declare (Psalm 19). SATB, SAB solos, audience, piano, 5' *How Do I Love Thee? (Elizabeth Barrett Browning). SSAA, piano or string quartet, 7' my son my son (Robert Lax). SATB, 5' Northland (Claude McKay). SATB, piano, 14'

Now Ys the Tyme of Crystymas (Richard Hill). SATB div or vocal quartet, opt piano, 4' Psalm 46. Baritone solo-SATB-orchestra, 14'

*The Stars Shine (from The Consolation of Apollo). SATB, crotales, bass drum, 3' The Star-Spangled Banner (from The Dawn’s Early Light). SATB, piano, 5' (Hal Leonard) *Two Laudate Psalms (Psalm 113, 150). High voice solo, SA, piano. 10', Latin Vespers (sections, different transcriptions available separately). SSSATB soloists from choir, SSAATTBB, Renaissance band of 7 players, 65' (Navona Records Vespers)

*The Waking Sun (Seneca). SATB, chamber orch, 38' *Where Flames a Word (Paul Celan). SATB, 13' (Navona Records It Is Time) Where the Mind Is Without Fear (Rabindranath Tagore). SATB, 4'30" *Yes, It’s Beautiful (from The Consolation of Apollo). SATB, crotales, bass drum, 5' *You Are Most Welcome (Jeff Dinsmore). SATB, 4'

Kile Smith—In the Midst of Life

This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.