Strengthen for Service

for SATB Choir and String Quintet The French Press jessicafrench.net

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Strengthen for Service

Strengthen for service, O Lord, hands that holy things have taken; and let ears that heard your most holy word to lesser things never awaken.

Lord, may tongues which “Holy” sang be free from all deceiving, may eyes which saw your love be bright, heavenly hope perceiving; and may feet that walked along hallowed courts from your true light never be banished. May bodies by your Body fed be with your new life replenished.

Amen.

– from the Syro-Malabar Liturgy (5th century)

Performance Notes

• In m. 49 on p. 12, the solid arrow indicates that the poco accelerando is meant to accelerate up to the new tempo in m. 52.

• All final consonants are placed on rests.

Program Notes

Strengthen for Service was composed in 2022 for the Cathedral of the Madeleine Founders’ Day Concert in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Madeleine Choir School. It is dedicated to the Rectors of the Cathedral of the Madeleine: Monsignor M. Francis Mannion, Monsignor Joseph M. Mayo, Fr. Martin Diaz, in gratitude for their leadership and support in the first twenty-five years of the ministry of the Cathedral's Choir School.

As an alumna of the Madeleine Choir School, I was deeply honored to compose this piece to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. The text comes from a post-communion prayer in the Syro-Malabar liturgy, and it was immediately familiar to me, having sung Richard Proulx’s setting of this text as a young chorister. Because this text reminds me of my musical roots at the Cathedral, I wanted to honor the legacy of the Choir School and all it has meant to me in my musical and spiritual development. Once I started setting the text, the music came to me very quickly (which is usually not the case). The piece begins with a sustained E in the organ, accompanied by a rising and falling ostinato. The treble voices then enter on the initial phrase, “Strengthen for service.” As the remaining voices join in, the harmonies begin to fill out, with the organ growing in intensity as the voices sing “may eyes which saw your love be bright,” and “heavenly hope perceiving.” At the words, “true light,” the organ echoes the choir’s proclamations, building to a climax on the text “from your true light never be banished.” This climax is followed by a passage for the organ expressing the intense feelings of the text. The choir then serenely sings a cappella “May bodies by your body fed, be with your new life replenished,” gradually blossoming on the final phrase. With the return of the opening organ ostinato, the choir sings the final “Amen,” and the music eventually returns to the lone sustained E that began the work.

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Dedicated to the Rectors of the Cathedral of the Madeleine Monsignor M. Francis Mannion, Monsignor Joseph M. Mayo, Fr. Martin Diaz, in gratitude for their leadership and support in the first twenty-five years of the ministry of the Cathedral's Choir School.

Syro-Malabar Liturgy (5th century)

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& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Violin I Violin II Viola Cello Double Bass ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ w w ∑ P Confidently q = 60 Confidently q = 60 P 2 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ w ∑ P P tenero tenero ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ w ˙ œ œ ∑ P tenero 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ∑ ŒŒÓ U Œ ŒŒÓ U Œ ŒŒÓ U Œ ŒŒÓ U Œ Œ œ œ œ œ U Œ Œ œ œ ˙ U Œ ˙ U ˙ œ ˙ ˙ U Œ ŒŒÓ U Œ rall. rall. Strengthen for Service

score

performance.

This

is not licensed for

& & & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ œj Strengthenforservice,for J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ œj Strengthenforservice,for ∑ ∑ w ˙ ˙ ∑ F a tempo (q = 60) F a tempo (q = 60) A A œj œ œj . œ ‰ service,OLord, œj œ œj œ ‰ service,OLord, ∑ ∑ w ˙ ˙ ∑ 8 . œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 handsthatholythingshavetaken; . œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3

8 ∑ ∑ w ˙n ˙ ∑ w w Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ ˙ w w P P P P P - -- -& & & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. 10 ˙ Œ‰ œ œ 3 andlet ˙ Œ‰ œ œ 3 andlet 10 Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ w ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ P P F F œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj 3 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj 3 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most w w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ 12 . œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj holyword,to . œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj holyword,to 12 w w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ --2 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

handsthatholythingshavetaken;

waken.

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. œn œ œ ˙ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera œn œ œ ˙ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera ∑ ∑ w w œn ˙ œ ˙n ˙ ˙n ˙ 14 J œ œ ˙ waken. œj . œ ˙

Ó Œœ œ œ 3 nevera Ó Œ œ œ œ 3

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Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ w w F

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˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w F

sonoramente

B B-----3 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

waken.

nevera

F f

waken.

w w

F F

sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente

handsthatholythingshavetaken;

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. œj œ œj . œ ‰ service,OLord, œj œ œj . . œœ ‰ service,OLord, œj œ œj . œ ‰

J œ œ J œ . œ ‰

. œ J œ œ œ . œ œj œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ w 18 ‰ œ J œ œ œ œ holythingshave . œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 handsthatholythingshavetaken; . œn œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 handsthatholythingshavetaken; . œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3

18 œ œ . œ J œ ˙n ˙ w ˙n ˙ ˙n ˙ . œ J œ ˙ taken; . ˙ ‰ œ œ 3 andlet . ˙‰ œ œ 3 andlet . ˙ ‰ œ œ 3 andlet œ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ w w- -- --- -4 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

service,OLord,

holyword,

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. 20 ˙ Œ‰ J œ most œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most œ J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most 20 w w ˙ ˙ ˙a ˙ w J œ œ J œ œ œ œ holyword,to . œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj

. œ J œ œ œ Œ

œ J œ œ œ . œ J œ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ w 22 . œ J œ œ œ less erthingsa œn œ œ ˙ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthings nevera Œ œ œn œ œœ œn œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera Œ œ œ œn œ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera 22 œ ˙n œ w ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ ˙n ˙---- --5 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

holyword,to

holyword,

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. ˙ œ ‰ J œ waken,a J œ . œ ˙ waken. J œ . œ ˙ waken. J œ œ ˙ waken. œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙a ˙ w f f F f f f f f f fF F F 24 J œ œ ˙ waken. w w w 24 Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ ˙n w ˙ ˙n ∑ rall. rall. F F F F F unis. ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ w w w ∑ ∑ Più luminoso poco a poco (q = 60) P Più luminoso poco a poco (q = 60) P non dim. C C 26 ∑ ∑ . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 Lord,maytongueswhich“Holy”sangbe ∑ 26 ∑ ∑ w ˙n œ œa œ œ œ 3 ∑ F F--6 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. ∑ ∑ . œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj freefromalldeceiving,may Ó Œœ œ may ∑ ∑ w œn œn œ œ œ œ ∑ F 28 ∑ ∑ . œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ 3 eyeswhichsawyourlovebe œn œ œ œ œœ œ œ 3 eyeswhichsawyourlovebe 28 ∑ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙n ˙ ∑ F ∑ ∑ ˙ ˙ J œ œ ‰ œ œ œ 3 bright, heavenly ˙ J œ ‰ œ œ œ 3 bright, heavenly œ œ œ œ œ J œ œ œ œ œ . œ J œ w . ˙ œ Ó œ œ f f F F molto espressivo molto espressivo molto espressivo molto espressivo molto espressivo 7 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. 30 ∑ ∑ . œ J œ J œ . œ hopeperceiving, . œ J œ J œ . œ hopeperperceivceiving, 30 . œ J œ . œ J œn œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙n œ œ Œ œ œ andmay Œ œ œ andmay œ ‰ J œ per œ ‰ J œ per ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ F F F F . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ 3 3 3 feetthatwalkedalonghallowedcourtsfromyour . œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ 3 3 3 feetthatwalkedalonghalhallowedlowedcourtscourtsfromfromyouryour J œ œ‰ œ œ œ œ ceiving;

J œn œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ceivceiving;ing;

œ ˙n ˙ ˙n ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ ˙ . ˙ ˙n ˙ œ D D----8 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

from your

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 truelightneverbebanished,fromyour œn œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 truelightneverbebanished,fromyour ˙ . . œœ ‰ true light, ˙ ˙n œ ‰ true light, œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ f f f f f f f f f 34 J œ œ Œ‰œ œ 3 truelight,fromfromyouryour j œn . œ Œ‰ œ œ 3 truelight,fromyour

œ . œ Œ‰ œ œ œ œ 3 truelight,fromyour

œn œ Œ‰ œ œ 3 truelight,fromyour 34 Ó œjœ‰ Ó

J œ œœ Œ œ œ œ œ

œ Ó

9 Strengthen for Service

œj -

‰

j œn - œ‰

J œœ‰

J œnœ‰ f f f f f boldly boldly boldly boldly boldly unis.

truelight,fromyour œj . œÓ truelight, J œ œ . . œ

truelight, J œ

truelight, Ó œjœ‰

œjœ‰

J œ - œ‰

J œœ‰

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& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. 36 œ œ . . ˙ ˙ light œ œ . ˙ truelight œ œ ˙ Ó ‰J œ œ œ light ∑ 36 œ œ . ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ Ó ‰J œ œ œ ∑ ∑ w w w w w w light œ œ . ˙ w w w œ œ . ˙ ∑ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ 38 Œ œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe Œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe Œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe Œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe 38 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ J œ œ . . œ œ . . ˙ ˙ Œ banished. œj œ . œ œ . ˙ ˙ Œ banished. J œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ Œ banished. J œ . œ . ˙ Œ banished. ŒŒŒŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 ŒŒŒŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 ŒŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 ŒŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 ∑ f f f E E f---10 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. 40 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 40 œ œ œ œ œ J œ œ J œ œ - œ3 œ œ œ œ œ œ˙ œ 3 œ œ J œ œ J œ ˙œ œ . ˙ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ . œ - œj3 3 f ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ˙. œ J œ w˙ . œ J œ wwƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ 42 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 42 . ˙ Œ . ˙ Œ . ˙ Œ . ˙ Œ . ˙ Œ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ . œ œj . œ œj . œ œj ∑ ∑ P P P sub. sub. sub. 44 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 44 ˙ . œ œj w œ ˙ œ w w P P sub. sub. ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ˙ œ œw ˙ ˙ w w poco rall. poco rall. p p non dim. p 11 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. Ó U Œ œ May Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Ó U Ó ˙ U ˙ Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Serene q = 55 P Serene q = 55 F F lunga * lunga * lunga * lunga * œj œœ œ œn œ œ 3 bodiesbyyourBody Œ œnœ œ œœ œœ œn œ 3 Maybodiesbyyour Ó Œ œn œ byyour ∑ w wn ∑ ∑ ∑ P π P π 48 J œ œ ‰ œj œn œ fedbewithyour œn œn œœ Œ Bodyfed œ œ œn œ œ œ Bodyfedbewithyour ∑ 48 . ˙ Œ . ˙ Œ ∑ ∑ ∑ niente niente œ œ# œ ‰ œj newlife,your ˙ œ J ˙n œ œnewlife,your ˙ . œ ‰ newlife, ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ F F poco accel. poco accel. --12 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

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

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. 50 œ œ œ ‰ œj newlife, your your ˙ œ J ˙ . œ ‰ newlife, œ J œ œ œ newlife,your Ó Œ œ your 50 Ó Œ‰ J œ ∑ Ó Œ œ Ó Œ œ ∑ f f F f f f f ˙ . œ œj newlifere ˙ œ œ newlife . ˙ œ new ˙ œ œ œ newlifere ˙ œ œ newlifere ˙ . œ J œ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ Œ œ - œœf f f œj œ . ˙

. œ J œ ˙ replen . œ œj ˙ ˙

˙ ˙

œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w

. ˙ Œ . ˙

. . ˙˙ Œ

˙Œ

. ˙ Œ

Œ œ œ œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ w ˙ œ œ w F F F F 54 ∑ ∑ . ˙ œ A ∑ 54 J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ J œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œ œn w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙n F F F F F---13 Strengthen for Service

plenished.

lifereplen

plen

Confidently q = 60 Confidently q = 60

ished.

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. Ó ‰ œ œj A J A ∑ . ˙Œ men. Ó œ œ A J œn œ J œ . œ ‰ œ œ œ œ ‰j œ œ œ w ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ F F 56 . ˙ œ ‰ œn œj œ œ A ˙ ˙ A . ˙n œ œ œn ˙ 56 . œ œ œn œ . œ J œ ‰ j œn œ œn œ œ œ œn w . ˙n œ œ œn œn ˙ F . œn œj œ œ œ J ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ . œ J œ# œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ w ˙n œ œ ˙ ˙ f 58 w men . œ ‰ ˙ men,A . œ# ‰ ˙ ˙ men,A w w men. w men. 58 . ˙ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ w w f f f f f f f f- - - - -- - - - -14 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & & B ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Vln. I Vln. II Vla. Vc. D.B. w w men. ww men. w w w . ˙œ œ Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œn ˙ œ œ w P F P P P 60 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 60 œ . ˙ Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ w ˙ ˙ F F F F ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ w Œ œ œ ˙ Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ rall. rall. 62 Ó Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Ó U 62 ˙ Ó U ˙ Ó U ˙ Ó U ˙ ˙ U ˙ Ó U ∑ U ∑ U ∑ U ∑ U w U w U w U w U w U π π π π π 15 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.