WESTMINSTER PRELUDE AND FUGUE David Shaffer (Lake State Publishing) Grade 2 (Middle Level Orchestra) A prelude and fugue inspired by Westminster Abbey for middle-level string orchestra. Background Information Westminster Abbey has a long and rich history. The first Benedictine monks settled there in 960 AD, more than 1000 years ago. Since that time, it has served as the coronation and burial site for many of England s monarchal rulers, as well as its finest scientists, musicians, authors and poets. For this reason, it is known as the House of Kings. It was rebuilt twice, the second time in the gothic style we see today. It is located in the heart of London across from the Houses of Parliament. It houses chapels and gardens, tombs and cloisters, an impressive collection of sculptures, and a choir school. On top of all this, it is still an active church and place of Christian worship. The name Westminster is also associated with the chime melody of the Victory Clock Tower, which belongs to the Houses of Parliament across from Westminster Abbey and houses the famous bell Big Ben. The tune was not originally composed for the bells of the Victoria Clock Tower, but for Great St. Mary s Cathedral in Cambridge, England. In honor of a new clock installed there in 1793, the Rev. Dr. Joseph Dowett was invited to compose a melody for the clock s bells. One of his students, William Crotch, a child prodigy of eleven years old, is now recognized as the actual composer of the tune, said to be inspired by the fifth measure of the aria, I know that my Redeemer liveth from Georg Friedrich Handel s Messiah. In fact, the words from that aria are associated with this chime tune: Lord, through this hour Be Thou our guide So by Thy power No foot shall slide The Westminster Chime tune came to London in 1859, where Lord Grimthorpe selected it for the chimes of the Victoria Clock Tower. The clock sounds each quarter hour, but the Westminster Chime tune only sounds after the last quarter, followed by the Big Ben bell tolling the hour. Elements of Music Form On the macro level, this piece is an ABA form comprised of the 32-measure Prelude, the 24-measure Fugue, and a da Capo repetition of the entire Prelude. On the meso level, the Prelude is also divided into two sections. The first section, marked Allegro, lasts 14 measures and introduces the four-note chime motive (D-G-A-D). The second section, marked Andante, is 18 measures long and introduces a new, more lyrical theme, which is interrupted by coda material beginning at measure 29. The fugue is set up as a typical fugue, with a 4-measure subject beginning in the first violins. The answer, exact and transposed down a perfect fifth, appears in violin II and viola, while the first violins introduce a countersubject. Four measures later, the cellos and basses enter with
the subject in its home key. This is followed by a seven-measure episode without subject or answer and then an exact repetition of letter E, except that the ending is augmented to become the transition back to the Prelude. Rhythm The first Allegro section is dominated by the quarter note ostinato in the first violins, while all other parts play whole notes. This ostinato appears in the cello part in augmentation after four measures. Shaffer creates interest by asking the violas to rearticulate their G one beat after the second violins, cellos and basses. He also suggests that cellos and basses rearticulate every two bars. The more lyrical Andante section continues to rely on quarter notes for melodic motion, while the secondary parts change to dotted half notes and quarter notes, later continued by the basses as the cellos and violas take over the melody and the violins introduce an eight-note-driven countermelody. The fugal subject relies heavily on eighth notes. Melody Each section within this piece (Allegro, Andante, and Allegro-Fugue) has its own melody, introduced by the first violins. The melody of the first Allegro is really a onemeasure motive, meant to evoke the effect of ringing bells. The melody of the Andante section is more lyrical. Its two halves are split between the first violins and the violas and cellos. The treatment of the 4-measure fugue subject, also introduced by the first violins, is discussed above. Each melody and motive spans the interval of a fifth from D to G, although all make leaps downward to the lower dominant. Harmony With the exception of the fugal answer, which is transposed to the key of C major, the entire piece is in G major. Although D plays a role as an important note structurally (it begins and ends the first theme, and most melodic ideas in the piece span the interval of a fifth between G and D) and the dominant plays its standard role in tonal harmony (the first Allegro section ends with a half cadence, most melodic phrases end with a V-I cadence, and the Fugue transitions to the Prelude by way of a two-measure dominant prolongation), Shaffer also accentuates the role of the subdominant. In the opening Allegro, he has the cellos and basses oscillate between G and C, so that the D becomes a dissonance every two measures. Shaffer also chooses to set the fugal answer in C major. The harmonic relationship between I and IV has significance in church music, and the plagal cadence is often referred to as the Amen cadence because the Amen present at the end of many hymns utilizes it. Shaffer may be alluding to the Westminster Cathedral s role as a place of Christian worship by emphasizing the subdominant. Timbre The piece is written for string orchestra. The major tonality, opening ostinato in the first violins, and accents in the first Allegro section give this piece a bright, solid sound at the opening. The more lyrical second section has accompaniment in lower registers of the second violins, violas, cellos and basses than the first section, creating a somewhat darker sound. The Fugue, with its moving lines and building textures, is a brighter section, building back into the opening Allegro.
Texture In the Prelude, the texture is full, with one or two voices carrying the melody and the other voices supporting that melody with block chords. The cellos and basses provide pedal tones throughout much of the Prelude. The Fugue is more active, with three primary groups (Violin I, Violin II/Viola, Cello/Bass) participating in the texture. Except for letters C and D, where the fugal subject and answer are introduced, the texture includes all instruments at all times. Expression The opening is meant to capture the effect of clock tower chimes as they ring out each hour. Students should be encouraged to emulate the striking of a clapper against the bell, which Shaffer suggests by writing an accent over each new note. The middle section is more lyrical and almost reminiscent of an organ, requiring legato bowing, while the Fugue has a more separated feel. The Heart The use of the Westminster Cathedral and its history and traditions as the inspiration of this piece. Skill Outcome Students will demonstrate proper articulation of the bell-like opening Allegro, the more lyrical Andante, and the separated fugal subject and answer. 1. Listen to recordings of real clocks playing chimes and attempt to copy their tone quality and articulations. (This could be done with transcribed chime tunes from Workshop Hints: Chimes and Carillons. ) Discuss how bells create sound. Use real hand bells for demonstration and hands-on experience. Share tips and tricks for creating bell-like sounds on string instruments. Reinforce this lesson by playing a chime tune as a warm-up every few days. 2. Discuss the visual appearance of each section on the page. What cues tell us how we might articulate each section? Students might discuss accents in the first Allegro section, the length of notes, and the presence or absence of slurs. 3. Have students design a marking system for different articulations in their music using colored pencils. 1. During rehearsals, evaluate informally how students are playing the opening section. Over the course of a week or so, invite one small group of students at a time to sit out and listen, then offer comments on the group s bell effects. 2. Informally evaluate student participation and responses during the discussion. 3. Collect student parts and evaluate markings using a simple 3-point rubric like the one used in O Toole on page 369: 1 Part includes some markings 2 Part shows most markings and is in general carefully and thoughtfully marked
3 Part is thoroughly marked and shows evidence of creativity, care, and neatness Cognitive Outcome Students will learn about the fugue as a polyphonic form and its construction and vocabulary. 1. Listen to another fugue, such as one of those by Bach in the Art of Fugue. Teach students to sing the subject. Play the fugue again. Ask students to raise their hands whenever they hear the subject (or answer aurally, they may not be able to tell the difference). Repeat this process with several fugues on several different days. 2. To learn about the relationship of subject to answer, have students play their first entrances after C at the same time. Discuss what sounds the same across the orchestra (rhythm, shape of melody) and what sounds different (pitch/key). Define subject and answer. Identify who has what where. 3. As a class, create a visual representation for fugues. For example, a blue line might represent the subject while a green line represents the answer and a black squiggly line represents any other material. Create a map of a short fugue, marking what each voice part does at any given time. This can be done using a familiar recording or score. 1. After students are comfortable with the idea of listening for the subject and answer, begin asking them to record on paper or an index card the number of times they hear the subject and answer. Collect these recordings after each try and monitor students progress. 2/3. Toward the end of the unit, distribute copies of the conductor s score of the fugue to students. Ask them to create a map with key for this fugue. 4. Create (individually or as a group) a fugue based on one of the chime tunes we used in our warm-ups. Affective Outcome Students will develop an understanding for and appreciation of the Westminster Cathedral as the inspiration of this piece. 1. Bring in a floor plan of the Westminster crypts. Allow students to examine the floor plan and ask them whose names they recognize. Have each student choose a name that sparks his or her fancy. He or she will research this person and be prepared to share what they learned with the class in 1 to 3 minutes. Over the course of the rehearsal cycle, have several students per class period share their famous person with the class.
2. After warm-ups, begin each rehearsal with a brief poem or excerpt by an author, poet, or playwright buried in Westminster or a musical excerpt from a composer buried there. 3. Create a bulletin board about the history of Westminster. Over the course of the rehearsal cycle, change a corner of the display to reflect the historical development of the Cathedral. Encourage students to bring in additions to this board. 1. Ask students in the class to record each famous person presented in their portfolios, plus three important or interesting facts about him or her. Collect journals and check for completion of the assignment. 2. Give a small amount of extra credit for contributions to the bulletin board. 3. Have students write a 1 page journal response explaining why a composer might find Westminster Abby inspirational. They should use the Westminster Prelude and Fugue as an example. Write comments to each student. 4. Have students create a piece of art or music inspired by our study of Westminster Abbey. Resources Harrison-Smith, T. and Eliot Isaacs. Workshop Hints: Chimes and Carillons. British Horological Institute. Newark, UK: 1999. 11 July 2001. http://www.bhi.co.uk/hints/chimes.htm. 6 February 2005. Contains scale degrees of well- and lesser-know chime and carillon tunes. Westminster Abbey: Place of Worship, House of Kings. 12 February 2005. http://www.westminster-abbey.org. 7. February 2005. Includes an interactive tour map, a brief historical timeline, explanations of various features of the Abbey, and plenty of pictures. Sources All About Clocks! Will Rogers Clocks, Lamps n More. http://www.clocksnmore.com/clock_chimes.asp. 5 February 2005. Making History: The Westminster Chimes. Beyond the Broadcast. BBC News, 10 July 2001. http://www.bbc.co.uk/education/beyond/factsheets/makhist/makhist3_home.shtml 5 Feb 2005.