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SKU: A0.1033406
Composed by James Siddons. 20th Century,Contemporary,Praise & Worship,Sacred,Traditional. Score and parts. 36 pages. James Siddons Music and Writings #637186. Published by James Siddons Music and Writings (A0.1033406).The Sonata Hymnica series by composer-pianist James Siddons explores the ethos of American rural hymns and spirituals to create evocations of the deeper, larger meaning of familiar church melodies and their words. These sonatas are but partly about the specific melodies and words, and mostly about their meaning in spiritual contemplation . . . and the piano, resonating, reverberant, at times whispering---as a sacred harp. In Sonata Hymnica No. 7, which calls for a soprano soloist, liturgical dancers, and two pianos (4 hands), three 19th-century hymns (words and music) serve as core material from which the music is developed. Movement I, “Climbing Higher,” is based on the African American spiritual “We Are Climbing Jacob’s Ladder.” The sustained chords, open harmony, and hammer-stroke rhythm evoke the ascent of a mountain climber. Movement II, “The Solid Rock,” is based on the hymn “My Hope is Built on Nothing Less” (1834) . The soprano sings brief lines from the hymn, interspersed with long passages for the pianos (only) that explore many tonal and rhythmic qualities of the original hymn tune. The driving harmony, albeit in duple meter, makes this the scherzo movement of this sonata. Movement III, “On Snowy Wings,” is based on “O Come, Angel Band” by the New England Methodist preacher Jefferson Hascall (1807-1887). In addition to the soprano singer, the appearance of liturgical dancers as angels with “snowy wings” brings this old hymn into the 21st century. Performance duration: 16 minutes.
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