Song Review: “A Concerto of Hymns and Spirituals” by Gwyneth Walker
By Rowyn Belt
With college finals season coming to an end, many music students are finishing up juries (a solo playing test that all music schools require) and packing instruments into their cars, getting ready to drive home for the holiday season. After my own jury, I felt a huge weight get lifted from my shoulders. However, I also knew that it was time to start working on the next movements of the piece I performed; A Concerto of Hymns and Spirituals by Gwyneth Walker.
Born in 1947, Walker has written countless pieces for vocalists, instrumentalists, and a combination of both parties. She was born in New York and grew up in New Canaan, Connecticut, and credits living with her inventor father for her creativity in composition. Earning her composition degrees from Brown University and Hartt School of Music, she became a faculty member at Oberlin College Conservatory before becoming a full-time composer. Many of her works have notes of her own spiritual beliefs, as she is of the Quaker faith. The piece I performed is very deeply involved with religion, as is one of her most profound pieces entitled The Tree of Peace.
Though I am not a religious person, this concerto means more to me than any other solo I have played. The 16-minute piece is written for solo C trumpet and orchestra, though you can buy the solo Bb trumpet part with the piano reduction. I performed the first movement of this piece on a C trumpet with a collaborative pianist, and I was awestruck by Walker’s writing. Her ability to write such a playful, elegant piano part that fits perfectly with a solo instrument is phenomenal. The voice-leading with the melodic content is smooth and seamless, lending itself perfectly to performers who want to take small liberties with the solo.
The notes throughout the score are lovely to read as well, bringing whimsy into this piece. In the first movement, based on the traditional hymn All Creatures of Our God and King, the first expression text given reads, “gently pulsing (as the breathing earth).” This portion of the piece is all about the beauty of the creatures on the planet and the creation, using text such as, “as mosquitos,” “as birds in flight,” “as elephants,” and “as horses,” to convey the style, on top of articulation markings. This decision is one I love, as I believe that providing specific examples such as those truly brings more artistry to the piece as a whole.
The second movement gives the system text, “as falling tears.” This is because this section is based on the African-American spiritual Steal Away, composed by slave Wallace Willis. The way that Walker wrote Steal Away creates a deep, unsettling cry in the music. It is haunting, beautiful, and devastating all at once. This tender, gut-wretching melody creates knots in the stomach and pulls the heartstrings more than most brass-focused solos.
Go Tell It On The Mountain is the final movement of this piece, another African-American spiritual, also doubling as a Christmas carol. This portion of the piece brings forth the more fun elements of Walker’s writing style, calling for tapping on the piano lid and using mutes in the trumpet part. It provides a perfect contrast to the movements before, letting the soloist show off all styles of playing.
Covering all of her bases, Walker created a concerto that truly captivates her audience. Providing musical ingenuity on all levels, she gives everyone the chance to make stunning music- no matter the level or price tag. With a regal beginning, a tearful middle, and a playful end, A Concerto of Hymns and Spirituals is truly not a solo to miss out on.
