Be Glad Then, America

     When Jesus Wept

     Chester

William Schuman wrote New England Triptych–Three Pieces after William Billings for orchestra in 1956. In subsequent years he transcribed the music for band, greatly enlarging on some of it. The first section, Be Glad Then, America is highlighted by timpani and a two part chordal counterpoint. Typical of Billings’ music, it is noble and exciting. The second part of the triptych is a development of When Jesus Wept, a round by Billings. Schuman’s development of this sacred theme is superlatively sensitive music. The emotion behind this piece is emphasized through its beautiful harmonic texture within the ensemble and its various soloists. Schuman’s delicate rendition is sure to leave audiences with a sense of ethereal awe. The third and final portion is a brilliant climax for the set. The tune on which Chester is based was a famous American Revolutionary hymn and marching song of the same name. It was practically the unofficial national anthem during the war. Schuman developed and extended the orchestral version, making Chester into an overture for band, and it has become one of the great classics of band music in the United States. In the first section Schuman introduces the tune first in the woodwinds and then in the brasses. In the next section the melody is given a more contemporary setting with mid-20th-century rhythmic and harmonic devices utilized which creates a very choral sounding phrase setting. The closing section brings back the hymn-like treatment of the theme, bringing the work to a dramatic close.

William Schumann is one of America’s leading composers. The music of Schuman is generally characterized by great emotional tension and rhythmic vivacity, with contrapuntal structures which reach great complexity. He wrote a plethora of works in virtually every musical genre, each mirroring his strong personality in their sharply defined sense of structure, line, and dynamism. He had a very successful career; as one of the leading and most recognized American composers for more than half a century, Schuman juggled a tripartite musical life in which he made equally lasting imprints in the fields of music education and arts administration.

Program note researched and composed by Elisabeth Jackson.