David Cameron's Fortieth Anniversary
SATURDAY CONCERT
Some notes on the performance
Healey Willan Behold, the tabernacle
Most former Chalmers folk will have sung this repeatedly. It makes great demands on dynamic control, notably in four places:
“For the temple of God is” requires a slight cres., but then we’ll drop back to pp on “holy”*
Then there’s the long passage beginning, “For the love of whom ye do this day celebrate . . .”, which requires the illusion of an unending crescendo right through to the end at “a season of festivity”. This has to be an illusion—execute a long, controlled crescendo, then when you can’t build any more, back off and repeat. It’s like staggered breathing—the listeners won’t hear individuals—just a sound that builds, and builds, and builds to an enormous ff.
Then on the word “festivity”—attacked ff—there has to be a controlled and gradual diminuendo.
The following passage, “Oh, how dreadful is this place” is begun with a hushed pp, and the awe and dread are emphasized by slightly heavy D’s.
Finally, “this is the House of God, and this is the gate . . .” repeats the effect (as well as some of the music) of “the temple of God is holy”, marked * above.
The conclusion is very, very quiet.