Review

Johann Hermann Schein
Psalm 117:

Arranged by Kenneth Biggs

Brass Choir 8-part Brass Ensemble Brass Octet 2 B-flat trumpets, flugelhorn, F horn, 3 tenor trombones, bass trombone/tuba

Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada
Publisher: Cherry Classics Music
Date of Publication: 2022
URL: http://www.cherryclassics.com

Score and parts.

Primary Genre: Brass Ensemble - 6+ brass (choir)

Kenneth Biggs has arranged a marvelous setting of German Baroque composer Johann Hermann Schein’s Psalm 117 for eight-part brass choir. Schein’s composition was originally written for voice during the early 17th Century in the popular polychoral style of Italian composers like Gabrieli and Monteverdi.

Psalm 117 is divided into two, four-part choirs. The first choir is made up of two trumpets, horn (trumpet sub.), and trombone, while the second choir’s instrumentation is flugelhorn (horn or alto trombone sub.), two trombones (horn sub.), and bass trombone or tuba. The inclusion of such a variety of optional parts is extremely helpful, and much appreciated, as filling out brass choirs can often be problematic with instrumentation limitations.

This piece is appropriate for intermediate and advanced players. It will challenge intermediate players with compound meters, as the majority of the piece is cast in 4/2 and 3/2 meter. From a technical perspective, however, it is quite playable once performers understand and internalize the half-note pulse. The antiphonal nature of the composition will be enhanced by performing in a church balcony setting, or widely spaced stage setup, where the call and response between the divided choirs can be fully realized aurally.

In addition to the plethora of optional substitute parts, the arranger conveniently includes both C and B-flat trumpet parts. Psalm 117 was donated for review by Cherry Classics Music and is available at www.CherryClassics.com. Written-pitch instrument ranges: combined b-flat trumpets, a-g²; combined horns, g-f²; combined trombones, F-f¹; and bass trombone/tuba, AA-flat-d-flat. If you are familiar with antiphonal Gabrieli style compositions and are looking for something new in a similar style, this is a wonderful piece to introduce to your ensemble. Grade 4.