Sing Of Joy!

One of the challenges of performing during the holiday season is finding music that can be used either as a secular or sacred celebration. This expressive three-part partner song manages to do just that with elegance and style. Based on Johann Sebastian Bach's "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring," this adaptation gives you the opportunity to "sing of joy," which is entirely appropriate to the season.

As with all partner songs, the individual melodies are introduced separately at first, then combined. Since there are three parts in this song, the repeated section at measure 5 occurs four times: once for the introduction of each part and once for the combination. It should be noted, however, that the "bell tone" vocal parts at measure 5 are to be performed each time by all three parts. You could delete the parts (they are doubled by bells on the recording), or you could have one or two groups combine to sing them. For example, part one (or everyone) could sing, "Joy! Joy! Joy!" on the three entrances for a similar effect. Just be sure to have your singers articulate the words as if they were striking a bell and then sustain the "o" (not the "oy") until the next articulation. The vocalists on the recording do this well.

This song encourages the use of your singers' head voices and makes them consider breath support, tone, articulation, and proper vowel usage for serious singing. A good warm-up will help with all of these aspects, as you know. (Hint: of the three parts, the third is the easiest, as it is mostly quarter notes. Use it accordingly.)

Since we feature the flute in this issue (see pages 64-65), we decided to include one prominently in this arrangement. It enters each time at measure 5, playing the triplet figure an octave above the written right hand piano part. This is the same line that the upper strings, piano and acoustic guitar play from the beginning of the song. If you are a pianist, you shouldn't have too much difficulty playing this piano part, though it does include some of the instrumental cues. Also, if you have a budding young flautist you wish to spotlight, this would be a very good opportunity to do so.

The recording includes flute, clarinet, bass clarinet, trumpets, trombone, euphonium, bass trombone, horn, bass, guitar, piano, cymbals, timpani, and strings. The ritard at the end of the song is led by the moving triplet line in many of these instruments and the cut-off of the fermata is approximately one measure in the slower tempo. A few times through the ending, and you will feel it naturally.

If you would like to incorporate movement into this song, here is a suggestion: at the beginning of the song, during the endings, and at the end, have selected dancers move slowly and gracefully to the beat using long scarves or strips of fabric as dance props. They could use scarves individually, in pairs, or in groups. The floating effect of the strips could be quite mesmerizing. Even simple moves will be effective using this technique.