Symphony 4

Das Siegeslied

In C major, 3 movements, 1932-33†, Psalm 68 'Let God arise', 48:00

Sketched between 20 June 1932 and 4 December 1932
VS with orchestral reduction then made
Full score completed 10 December 1933

Soprano solo, double SATB chorus
6 flutes (2 also piccolo, 1 also alto fl), 2 oboes, 2 oboi d’amore, 2 cors anglais, bass oboe, Eb clarinet, 4 Bb clarinets, 2 basset horns, 2 bass clarinet, pedal clarinet, 4 bassoons, 2 contra bassoons, 8 horns, 4 trumpets, 5 trombones, 2 tubas, 2 sets timpani, tam-tam, cymbals, bass drum, 3 side drums, tambourine, triangle, bell, 2 harps, glockenspiel, xylophone, organ, celeste, strings to match

I Maestoso (chorus+orchestra) – text runs from the beginning to ‘…and she that tarried at home divided the spoil.’
II Lento (solo+orchestra) – from ‘Though ye have lien among the pots…’ to ‘…yea, for the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell among them.’
III Allegro (bewegt) (chorus+orchestra) – from ‘Blessed be the Lord, who daily loadeth us with benefits…’ to the end

Text: Psalm 68, ‘Let God arise, let his enemies be scattered…’, sung in German, religious sources

United Music Publishing Limited

Timings

Handford 1967Poole 1974Leaper 1992
I Maestoso16:1915:3016:04
II Lento11:4511:1511:19
III Allegro (bewegt)21:3521:3422:18
Total49:3948:1949:41

Articles

• Music at war – David J Brown
• Das Siegeslied and bad genes – Alan Dean Foster

Performances

3 July 1967 [first performance]
BBC
Honor Sheppard (sop), Halifax Choral Society, Leeds Philharmonic Choir, BBC Northern Symphony Orchestra, conductor Maurice Handford
13 October 1974 [first public performance] Alexandra Palace, London
25 June 1975 BBC Radio 3
Felicity Palmer (sop), BBC Singers, BBC Choral Society, Goldsmith’s Choral Union, London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor John Poole
3–8 February 1992 Concert Hall of Slovak Radio, Bratislava
Jana Valásková (sop); Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Slovak National Opera Chorus, Brno Philharmonic Choir, Youth ‘Echo’ Choir, Mixed ‘Cantus’ Choir; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava) [augmented], conductor Adrian Leaper

Recordings

Aries LP 1621
13 October 1974 [first public performance] Alexandra Palace, London
Felicity Palmer (sop), BBC Singers, BBC Choral Society, Goldsmith’s Choral Union, London Philharmonic Orchestra, conductor John Poole
Naxos 8.570308 released January 2007
3–8 February 1992 Concert Hall of Slovak Radio, Bratislava
Jana Valásková (sop); Slovak Philharmonic Choir, Slovak National Opera Chorus, Brno Philharmonic Choir, Youth ‘Echo’ Choir, Mixed ‘Cantus’ Choir; Slovak Radio Symphony Orchestra (Bratislava) [augmented], conductor Adrian Leaper
• Adrian Leaper’s Brian – Malcolm MacDonald
• MarcoPolo CD of symphonies 4 & 12
• Review of Marco Polo 8.223447 – Martin Anderson
• The Marco Polo cycle – David J Brown