Comments on: Advent 2009: “While Shepherds Watched,” Frank Moore Jeffrey

By: Maurine

Maurine — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 03:15:04 +0000

Bill, thanks for the link to the recording of this hymn and the others. I loved listening to all of them.

By: Ardis E. Parshall

Ardis E. Parshall — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:34:19 +0000

Thanks, Bill, for the links and especially for commenting on my feeling of disconnect between music and words in that line (I'm so musically naive that I hadn't thought about that point in the 2nd and 3rd verses, where the usual music does fit).

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 16:13:46 +0000

Incidentally, the third line does as good a job as any of the settings I can think of at overcoming your objections — the harmonic changes are contrasting enough to provide a frisson of fear and dread (although this doesn’t really do anything for verses 2 & 3, a hazard of strophic stettings) before the return in the fourth line to the opening melody (someone forgot a courtesy natural for the last chord of the third line).

By: Bill

Bill — Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:58:56 +0000

Thanks for unearthing this little-known tune. It's in a style that is a little out-moded these days, its chromaticism redolent of the barbershop quartet. Still, it is an interesting tune, well-constructed, with a nice contrasting third line. The chorus is I think the least successful part, a little bit goofy, the tune reminding one of "But if, by a still small voice he calls" from I'll go Where You Want Me to Go. There are many other settings of this hymn text, the most widespread being the hymn tune Winchester Old, although it was originally pared with the tune Christmas (also known as Siroe, in reference to the Handel opera from which the tune was adapted). For some interesting early settings, check out the listening clips on this recording.