Choral Prelude: Be Thou My Vision

By Jack Stamp

Kjos Publishing

Grade IV

Student Guide

Developed by Nicholas Pool

Kansas State University

Goals for Student Learning

1.) Students will learn about Jack Stamp and his music

2.) Students will learn about altering preexisting music and its parallels in the art movement.

3.) Students will learn about significant historical composers who have done variations on preexisting music.

4.) Students will have a deeper understanding of the meaning of the music through the study of the text.

5.) Students will be able to define all of the various meters involved in the music.

6.) Students will aurally transcribe the main melody from this piece.

7.) Students will become aware of the various harmonic structures employed in the music.

8.) Students will learn about the form of the piece and know what instruments are present in the texture throughout the piece.

9.) Students will have a knowledge the vocabulary terms listed in the student guide.

10.) Students will become aware of the similarities between the visual arts as and the musical arts.

Composer Information

Please read the following information about the composer and then complete the brief study guide below. Most but not all of the answers will be found in the reading, you will have to use outside sources (i.e. the library or the Internet.)

Dr. Jack Stamp is Professor of Music and Conductor of Bands at Indiana University of Pennsylvania where he conducts the Wind Ensemble, Symphony Band, and teaches courses in undergraduate and graduate conducting. Dr. Stamp received his Bachelor of Science in Music Education degree from IUP, a Master's in Percussion Performance from East Carolina University, and a Doctor of Musical Arts Degree in Conducting from Michigan State University where he studied with Eugene Corporon.

Prior to his appointment at IUP, he served as chairman of the Division of Fine Arts at Campbell University in North Carolina. He also taught for several years in the public schools of North Carolina. In addition to these posts, Dr. Stamp served as conductor of the Duke University Wind Symphony (1988-89) and was musical director of the Triangle British Brass Band, leading them to a national brass band championship in 1989.

Dr. Stamp's primary composition teachers have been Robert Washburn and Fisher Tull, though he was strongly influenced by his music theory teachers at Indiana University of Pennsylvania and East Carolina. Recent studies include work with noted American composers David Diamond, Joan Tower and Richard Danielpour.

He is active as a guest conductor, clinician, adjudicator, and composer throughout North America and Great Britain. His compositions have been commissioned and performed by leading military and university bands across the United States. He has won the praise of American composers David Diamond, Norman Dello Joio, Samuel Adler, Robert Ward, Robert Washburn, Fisher Tull, Nancy Galbraith and Bruce Yurko for performances of their works. He is also a contributing author to the "Teaching Music Through Performance in Band" series released by GIA Publications.

In 1996, he received the Orpheus Award from the Zeta Tau Chapter of Phi Mu Alpha for service to music and was named a "Distinguished Alumnus" of Indiana University of Pennsylvania. In 1999, he received the "Citation of Excellence" from the Pennsylvania Music Educators Association. In 2000, he was inducted into the prestigious American Bandmasters Association.

Two CD recordings on the Citadel label entitled "Past the Equinox: The Music of Jack Stamp" and "Cloudsplitter" by the Keystone Wind Ensemble with the composer conducting feature his band works. He is founder and conductor of this ensemble, and also leads them on the Citadel releases, "Night Fantasy: The Wind Music of Robert Ward", "Divertimento: Wind Music by American Composers", "Celebrations", "Wind Visions: The Music of Samuel Adler", "Songs of Abelard", "Pageant", and "Cornerstones".

Composition

Many composers, including J.S. Bach, have used hymn tunes as the primary focus of their compositions. The nature of the hymn’s harmonic progression as well as the very clean voice leading and singing melodies make them a great candidate for this type of composition. Clearly, the tradition of composing chorales, preludes and fugues goes back hundreds of years to the birth of western music. However composer are not the only people to take common ideas and reuse them. Andy Warhol was an American artist who would take common every day items and transform it into art. Use the Internet or resources from the school library to help you an example of a piece of art by Andy Warhol that puts a new spin on a common object.

Historical Context

As mentioned earlier, many composers including Bach, have altered or incorporated pre-existing music into their own compositions. From the following list select two composers to research (use the internet, the library or any other sources you desire), and find three pieces that they have written that incorporate preexisting music.

1.) Franz Liszt

2.) Clifford Brown

3.) Aaron Copland

4.) Johannes Brahms

5.) Charles Ives

Text

The following is the text to the hymn Be Thou My Vision. In order to grasp the true meaning of the music a true examination of the text is required. Because these lyrics possibly date back to the 8^th century, the text is in what would be called more of an old English style of language. Use your knowledge of authors and poets such as Shakespeare to analyze the meaning of one of the stanzas to this tune.

1. Be Thou my vision, O Lord of my heart; Naught be all else to me, save that Thou art. Thou my best thought, by day or by night, Waking or sleeping, Thy presence my light. 2. Be Thou my Wisdom, Thou my true Word; I ever with Thee, Thou with me, Lord; Thou my great Father, I thy true son; Thou in me dwelling, and I with Thee one.	3. Be Thou my battle-shield, sword for my fight, Be Thou my dignity, Thou my delight. Thou my soul's shelter, Thou my high tower. Raise Thou me heavenward, O Power of my power. 4. Riches I heed not, nor man's empty praise, Thou mine inheritance, now and always: Thou and Thou only, first in my heart, High King of heaven, my Treasure Thou art.
5. High King of heaven, my victory won, May I reach heaven's joys, O bright heav'ns Son! Heart of my own heart, whatever befall, Still be my vision, O ruler of all

Rhythm

3/4, 5/4, 2/4, , 4/4, 5/8, are all the meters that you will encounter in this music. As a refresher please indicate the following:

How many beats are in a single measure?
What note gets the beat?

3/4: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

5/4: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

2/4: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

4/4: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

5/8: ___________________________________________________

___________________________________________________

Write out a measure of your own rhythm in 5/8 using the grouping of 3+2

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Write out a measure of your own rhythm in 5/8 using the grouping of 2+3

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Melody

Use the ear training that has been incorporated in our band classroom and listen very closely to the original tune of Be Thou My Vision. Now, write the melody for your instrument in the key of Concert F (note the concept of concert pitch for those instruments that transpose.) This will eventually be used as a warm up for a rehearsal.

___________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

_____________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

__________________________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Brainstorm Activity: The tune or melody is often the most recognizable part of a piece of music. This is because the composer has deliberately presented it to the listener in such a way as to make it prominent and meaningful. This idea of a main theme or focal point can be found in other disciplines such as artist and architecture. For this activity, you are to find a piece of art or a architectural photograph. Then after looking at it for a short period describe the main theme or focus that jumps out at you. This is a way to visual represent what a melodic theme is like in music. An example is provided below.

The main points that jumped at me were the melted clocks, the ocean and sand, and the dead tree.

Harmony

In visual art the presence or absence of color is an effective way to create emotion in the viewer. In music harmony is often described using to word tone colors. Use the recording of Chorale Prelude: Be Thou My Vision that is available to you on line via the band website. Listen specifically to measures 47-57, 58-67,68-83. These sections use specific harmony and voicing to create a certain color. Pick a color for each section and explain why you feel this color fits the music. There are really no right or wrong answers, but this should serve to help you understand the impact music has on our other senses.

Form

Form and structure are found in all types of visual arts but are illustrated especially well in architecture. Write about a building, landmark or monument in your home town and discuss elements of visual form. This can include the discussion of beginning, middle, end of a building, certain proportions in a land mark, shapes etc.

Below is the form for Chorale Prelude: Be Thou My Vision. On the adjacent lines please write the instruments that are prominent in those sections. Also, take a few minutes to transfer the form to your own music. This will be checked and graded.

Introduction (measures 1-10 Key of Eb major)

_____________________________________________________

Chorale (11-26 key of Eb major):

_____________________________________________________

Transition (27-34 key of Eb major):

_____________________________________________________

Fugal (35-67 key of Eb major):

_____________________________________________________

Recapitulation (68-83 key of Bb major):

_____________________________________________________

Coda (84-90 key of Bb major):

_____________________________________________________

Student Practice Guide

Efficient practice is essential to the success of any great ensemble or musician. With this in mind use the following as a guide in your practice. Try and utilize 3-4 of the described exercises in your daily practice.

1.) Practice the Eb major scale in 5/8 using the following patterns

3+2 and then 2+3

2.) Identify difficult passages within the form divisions (see section on form) and focus solely on the areas in that portion of the form.

3.) Isolate longer note values and practice these with a tuner in order to ensure pitch accuracy

4.) Practice basic tenuto and staccato attacks are repeated pitches of your choice. Work to make them consistent and even as well as toneful.

5.) Clap and sing any difficult passages you find in the music. This is a great way to avoid physical fatigue while still learning valuable elements of the music.

6.) Practice difficult passages with a metronome. This will ensure accuracy of rhythms and will help the ensemble gain an internalized pulse.

Glossary of Terms

Unscramble the following letters to reveal the vocabulary word. Make sure to understand the definition for each of these terms

tedanan: A moderate tempo marking that usually has between 76-108 beats per minute.

Inuons: To perform a passage of music with multiple players.

lleonebt: To aggressively articulate a note and then immediately die away.

Itmlootr: To slow off a lot.

Ugfue: A form of composition in which the theme is introduced in one voice and then imitated by other voices in succession.

Ymhn: A song of praise or adoration to a deity.

Assessments

Your grade on this unit study will be determined by the successful completion of the following:

Student Materials Packet
Webquest assignment
All announced playing tests
Concerts and all included rehearsals
Unit Test. This will include all examples, vocabulary and concepts discussed throughout the course of the unit.