Gerald Finzi - In Terra Pax (1954/1956)

Composer: Gerald Raphael Finzi (July 14, 1901 - September 27, 1956)
Orchestra: City of London Sinfonia conducted by Richard Hickox
Chorus: London Symphony Chorus
Baritone soloist: John Shirley Quirk
Soprano soloist: Norma Burrowes
Scores I engrave: github.com/CMa...
Program I develop for this channel: github.com/edw...

[@bencrowbeardfletton9510]

9:40 and the tears start flowing. I lost my Christian faith a few years ago now and have moved on but it's works like this that still reveal to me the beautiful part of the Christian mystery. Although I am happy with my current beliefs I still find myself moved by the works of musicians, poets and artists who are inspired by the basic message of the bible - that of love, peace and goodwill towards all. I still play this beautiful work every Christmas eve and look out at the stars and offer up my own prayer for the world. Wishing all a joyful Christmas and may your year ahead be one of peace and joy.

[@vetteserl]

Thank you for the prayers....you don't sound like you have lost anything.😊

[@xhappyponyxwasmyoldname1395]

That’s the power of music. I’ve never been religious, I was raised without it, but pieces like these never fail to move me. Beyond the exaltative themes that inspired them and are reflected in the text, the mere orchestration is beautifully tended to with much care to detail that makes it an exquisite experience that expertly induces that transcendent, sort of “heavenly”, soft, safe, warm, bright experience through sound

[@fraserk7135]

Good comments. Ive completely reconciled being a devout atheist, but still moved to tears by sacred music! Some of my favourite sacred pieces were written by non christians.

[@seongmin_choi1123]

To me as a foreigner, this part of the music sounds like "Wake up."

[@paulschlitz5256]

Finzi found his own voice. It is a precious thing.

[@originaltommy]

Absolutely! And his unabashed use of suspensions/false relations is extremely distinctive.

[@syroyid]

he does, very interesting combination

[@christopherallen487]

May we find ours ...

[@paulschlitz5256]

A perfect setting of the Bridges poem. I wish Finzi had had more years than 55 to work with. This was near the end of his life and he hit it out of the park

[@Baton793]

Hearing the first four notes gives me Vietnam flashbacks.

[@l3578l]

Same

[@hai-mel6815]

How did we all get to this point? 😂

[@Cmaj7]

I’m sure you’d enjoy John Adams’s Violin Concerto as well then.

[@dapr990]

Yet also the bell motif from Parsifal

[@ClergetMusic]

I love the music of Gerald Finzi. His Five Bagatelles for Clarinet and Piano are gorgeous and I will gladly play them anywhere anytime on demand. The piano part for the third movement is beautiful enough to be played on its own as a separate piece of music.

[@paulschlitz5256]

The carol simply screams Christmas morning to me. I went all the way to Iowa in the middle of a deep freeze in early 2004 to get a clarinetist to play this with me

[@michaelmaw3925]

12:00 - Best part. Especially the climax a few bars later when they sing "multitude". Fantastic chord progression.

[@Thehillsfamily2009]

You can definitely tell he was inspired by Vaughan-Williams in places here. Magnificent piece.

[@Salvejohnny93]

13:10 to the end always brings me to tears. I am definitely going to miss Christmas. Until next year!

[@patrickburnsmusic]

Lovely and compassionate, as was everything this man wrote. Thanks so much for posting.

[@tomgauterin1723]

Goodness me, yes. Compassion is the word. I find it hard to imagine a more touching Christmas piece than this, which invariably has me in tears by about 30 seconds in. So calm, so beautiful, so moving. A truly marvellous work.

[@tomgauterin1723]

Oh yes - and the modulation on 'Angel song'... *dry mouth*

[@spmoran4703]

A beautiful piece of music . And as I am score reading geek. Thank you for the score .

[@dapr990]

Such a moving work, celebrating the contemplative aspect of Christmas - I love it so much. Truly ageless, and the orchestration is flawless - unfussy but luminous. A fitting epitaph for Finzi, whose own life was so cruelly cut short.

[@MichaelConwayBaker]

I have always admired Finzi, especially his clarinet concerto. This follows his style. Thanks for posting.

[@stevebartley8902]

Visionary. Gorgeous performance.

[@kennethfrese5874]

Thank you for posting this beautiful music! I've always loved this piece, but I appreciate it even more being able to follow the score. Thank you so much!

[@guscairns1]

I had the great honour to sing the baritone part a few years ago for Diversity Choir. Wonderful piece.

[@bordeauxcolor]

8:17 sounds like a complete orchestra! Genius!

[@brihath0805]

Absolutely gorgeous! I heard some of Gerald Finzi's music on Sirius XM and was struck by its beauty, with a desire to hear more. To my pleasant surprise, at my rehearsal with The Master Chorale of Tampa Bay this week, I found that this work by Finzi was on our program for "A Classical Christmas" with The Florida Orchestra in December. Any who live near the Tampa Bay area will be able to see and hear this performed live. I am so excited...what a beautiful telling of a portion of the Nativity story. I feel blessed!

[@markleneker9923]

The opening reminds me of Pachelbel's Canon. Finzi was taken from us way too soon, his works are fantastic.

[@jylesbrooks1808]

This song is my JAAAAAAAAM!!! Thank you!!! Simply Beautiful!!!!

[@rodterrell304]

Man that is so Beautiful..WOW!

[@jantigercat]

The opening reminds me of the bass line from Pachebel's Canon

[@charlesflett2818]

It’s very nostalgic and wow. Fighting back

[@spmoran4703]

There were some awful ads in the middle of this otherwise glorious piece of music . That's very naughty .

[@skipparker3182]

the Greenwich Choral Society performed this work in December 2021 (among a number of other selections). it was the first time I was exposed to his work and it was my favorite of the set.

[@kodygoad9711]

This is so beautiful.

[@ryanjsimpson]

Gorgeous. Season's greetings

[@alonshofar]

Great music.

[@Gusrikh1]

... beautiful...

[@blahkayonaFriday]

first heard of Finzi with his Clarinet concerto and Eclogue

[@elisepentz1063]

I sang this with a girls' choir and a men and boys choir. It was beautiful

[@simaanhabib2638]

I love it thank you!

[@andrewmciver6218]

4:06 Very similar to the Pie Jesu from the Faure requiem!

[@yuehchopin]

schöne Sendung

[@ayrtonfreitas159]

👏👏👏

[@lsmith145]

Of course it's John Shirley Quirk

[@cesarronaldoortizvalencia2723]

The beginning reminds me Verwandlungs musik from Richard Wagner's Parsifal

[@connorl2346]

I'm trying to figure out if he's quoting "The First Noel" all the way through this piece or if it's a coincidence. Thoughts?

[@omnipotato98]

I was wondering where I had heard that melody/chord progression before! I’m not sure if it’s intentional but it’s a happy coincidence if it isn’t. Sounds just like the 3rd “Noel” in the chorus of “The First Noel”

[@tomgauterin1723]

It is absolutely intentional! In Terra Pax centres on the episode when the angel comes down to the shepherds on the hill watching their flocks. First line of The First Nowell? 'The first Nowell, as the angel did say, was to certain poor shepherds in fields where they lay'. TFN is also a piece for which Finzi's friend and inspiration Ralph Vaughan Williams (re)discovered the tune, and which RVW himself used several times in Christmas works.

[@elisepentz1063]

The 3 who disliked this are crazy

[@mariorossi9655]

9:31 14:37

[@ainsleyfan6926]

why does your profile pic rotate in my notifications box?

[@warrenstutely7151]

Who is the marvellous soprano. ???

[@avery5602]

8:18 bookmark

[@samcooper65]

10:50

[@seongmin_choi1123]

8:16

[@jessegbaritone6108]

Wow... put that up your pipe and smoke it!