Issue 6 - Good Friday and Easter

Prelude music for Good Friday services is Samuel Barber's Adagio for Strings. It is probably the most popular of all modern American classical music. Widely used in several motion pictures, you may remember it from Platoon, Scarface or Amélie. I've chosen this piece as the prelude music for Good Friday because in 1967, Samuel Barber (1910-1981) actually arranged his moving piece, which was originally for strings only, for eight-part choir to the words of the Agnus Dei (Lamb of God). I couldn't imagine a better choice for St. John's "Behold, The Lamb of God" Holy Week.

Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world, grant us peace.

The following are excerpts from The Impact of Barber's 'Adagio for Strings' - an NPR story which aired November 4th, 2006 (on the piece's 70th anniversary):

"In November 1938, conductor Arturo Toscanini led the NBC Symphony Orchestra in the premiere performance of Samuel Barber's "Adagio for Strings." The concert was broadcast from New York to a radio audience of millions across America.

"The year 1938 was a time of tumult. America was still recovering from the Depression and Hitler's Germany was pushing the world towards war. Toscanini himself had only recently settled in America after fleeing fascist Italy. The importance of the broadcast performance during this time is noted by Joe Horowitz, author of Understanding Toscanini: "Toscanini's concerts in New York... once he was so closely identified with the opposition to Mussolini, the opposition to Hitler -- these were the peak public performances in the history of classical music in America. I don't think any concerts before or since excited such an intense emotional response, and I don't think any concerts before or since evoked such an intense sense of moral mission."

""You never are in any doubt about what this piece is about," says music historian Barbara Heyman. "There's a kind of sadness and poetry about it. It has a melodic gesture that reaches an arch, like a big sigh... and then exhales and fades off into nothingness.""

Charles-Marie Widor's Toccata from Symphony No. 5 for Organ: Shortly after I accepted the post as organist at St. John's, a choir member remarked at how I needed to make sure to get this ready for Easter! Well, thanks for the reminder! It's been 6 years since I've played this piece --- and I'm glad to be getting it back into my fingers... enjoy!

(Image: Samuel Barber)