EASTER ORATORIO. (Kommt, eilet und laufet [“Come, Hasten and Run”]). Large-scale work in 11 movements by J. S. Bach to a text most likely written by Picander (BWV 249, 1725; rev. ca. 1730). A reworking of his Shepherds’ Cantata (BWV 249a), it was first performed in Leipzig on Easter Sunday, 1 April 1725, for the birthday of Duke Christian von Sachsen-Weissenfels. In place of a narrator, the characters Mary Magdalene (A), Mary the mother of James (S), John (B), and Peter (T) present the dramatic narrative events surrounding Christ’s empty tomb in a series of recitatives, arias, and duets, followed at the end by a triumphant chorus celebrating Christ’s victory over death (Preis und Dank Bleibe, Herr, dein Lobgesang [“Praise and thanks remain Lord, your hymn of praise”]). Memorable arias include Peter’s Sanfte soll mein Todeskummer (“Gentle shall my death-throes be”), sung as a tender, rocking lullaby, accompanied by recorders, suggesting that death is no more painful than sleep, and the plangent alto aria of Mary Magdalene, Saget, saget mir geschwinde (“Tell me, Tell me quickly”), with oboe obbligato, alluding to the Song of Songs (Song 1:7; 2:6). Mary Magdalene tells of her search for her beloved and of her desolation without him: Denn mein Hertz ist ohne dich ganz verweiset und betrübt (“For my heart is without you, quite orphaned and distressed”).
ECCE, QUOMODO MORITUR JUSTUS. (“Behold How the Righteous Man Dies”). Sacred motet for four voices, in the style of a madrigal, by Jacob Handl (Gallus) based on Isa. 57:1–2. In Leipzig, it was performed at the Good Friday Vespers Service immediately following a performance of the Passion. German versions of the motet appear in hymnals from Leipzig (1618) and Dresden (1725), and it is quoted in the funeral anthem for Queen Caroline, “The Ways of Zion do Mourn” (HWV 264), and in the opening chorus of the oratorio Israel in Egypt, both composed by G. F. Handel.
ECCOMI. (“Here I Am”). Popular modern Italian setting of Ps. 40 (Vulg. 39) in which the response, reminiscent of that of Abraham (Gen. 22:1), Isaiah (Isa. 6:8), and the Virgin Mary (Lk. 1:38), is derived from verses 7–8 (Vulg. vv. 8–9).
EDEN. Dramatic oratorio in three acts written by Robert Bridges (1844–1930), set to music by Charles Villiers Stanford, and first performed at the Birmingham Festival of Music in October 1891. Act 1, set in heaven, opens with a Prelude incorporating the plainsong melody Sanctorum meritis from the Sarum missal and recounts the dialogues and songs of the angels in praise of God, culminating in a “chorus on man’s free will and envy.” In act 2, set in hell and characterized by discords, Satan dreams of the Fall and tells of his plan for humanity while the devils sing his praises as “King of death, King of hate, King of night.” The final act, set on earth, describes the Fall (Gen. 2–3), Adam’s vision of Christ, and other traditions taken from the postbiblical books of Adam and Eve and concludes with their return to paradise. The final chorus of praise by all the angels represents their return to heaven with ascending arpeggios in the orchestral accompaniment.
E’EN SO, LORD JESUS, QUICKLY COME. Anthem for SATB a cappella chorus by American composer Paul Manz (1953) to lyrics written by the composer’s wife, Ruth Manz. Inspired by verses from the Book of Revelation (Rev. 1:4; 4:8; 22:20, 5), it was composed by the couple as a prayer for their three-year-old son, who was dying from an illness. After their appeal to the “Lord Jesus” to “quickly come” to their aid, the child made a miraculous recovery.
EGO FLOS CAMPI. (“I Am a Flower of the Field”). Motet for alto and basso continuo by Monteverdi (SV 301), based on verses from the Latin version of the Song of Solomon (Cant. 2:1–3). It makes copious use of melisma on words such as campi (“field”), convallium (“valleys”), silvarum (“trees”), and sub umbra illius (“under his shadow”) and repeats the phrase fructus eius dulcis gutturi meo (“his fruit was sweet to my palate”) for emphasis. Two motets by the 16th-century Dutch composer Clemens non Papa, one for three and one for seven voices, are settings of the same text. In the latter, the phrase sicut lilium inter spinas (“as a lily among the thorns”), repeated no fewer than seven times, is a reference to the Virgin Mary.
EHEU! SUSTULERUNT DOMINUM MEUM. (“Alas, They Have Taken Away My Lord”). Motet for SATB by Thomas Morley (1557–1603) inspired by Mary Magdalene’s words to the angels in the empty tomb (Jn. 20:13). Set in a minor tonality to express Mary’s grief, the opening measures paint her sobbing Eheu (“Alas!”), and melismas on meum (“my”) in Dominum meum (“my Lord”) highlight her personal loss. Dissonances within the final section, “And put him, I know not where” (et posuerent eum, nescio ubi), illustrate her frustration at not being able to see and touch Christ’s body one last time, though a tierce de Picardie (Picardy third) at the end points to the Resurrection.
EIN FEST’ BURG IST UNSER GOTT. (“A Mighty Fortress Is Our God”). Hymn written by Martin Luther, probably in 1529, translated into English by Miles Coverdale (1835), Thomas Carlyle (1831), Frederick Henry Hedge (1852), Catherine Winkworth, and many others. A paraphrase of Ps. 46, it was entitled “Hymn of Comfort” by Luther and renowned as “The Battle hymn of the Reformation,” sung on many historic occasions as a majestic proclamation of faith in God. Among the many composers who have used it are Bach in his chorale cantata (BWV 80) and chorale prelude (BWV 720), Mendelssohn in his Reformation Symphony (1830), Meyebeer in Les Huguenots (1836), and Wagner in his “Kaisermarsch,” as well as Max Reger (op. 27 and op. 67, no. 2) and Flor Peeters (op. 69) in works for organ.
EL SHADDAI. (“God Almighty”). Song by American singer/songwriter Michael Card on the album Scribbling in the Sand: The Best of Michael Card (2002). The song is a hymn of praise based on Hebrew names for God, El Shaddai (Gen. 17:1; Exod. 6:3) and El Elyon (Gen. 14:19), and erḥamkha (“I love thee”) (Ps. 18:1; Heb. 18:2). Verse 1 gives examples of God’s saving grace from the Old Testament, the sacrifice of Isaac (Gen. 22), the crossing of the Red Sea (Exod. 14:21; Ps. 66.6), Hagar in the wilderness (Gen. 21), and the Exodus, while verse 2 focuses on God’s saving work through his son Jesus Christ in the New Testament. Popularized by Amy Grant on the albums Age to Age (1982), Behind the Eyes (1997), and Rock of Ages: Hymns of Faith (2005) and on the single “Takes Little Time” (1997), it won the Gospel Music Association Dove Award for Songwriter of the Year and Song of the Year in 1983. In 2001, it was designated one of 365 Songs of the Century by the Recording Industry Association of America and the National Endowment for the Arts.
ELI. Oratorio in two parts by Michael Costa, first performed at the Birmingham Music Festival on 29 August 1855. The libretto by William Bartholomew is based on the biblical story of the priest Eli (1 Sam. 1–4) with references to many other texts, including Deuteronomy, Psalms, and the Gospels. Part 1 highlights Hannah’s grief in a recitative and prayer (Ps. 25:16–17) and subsequent joy in a song of praise with melismas on “rejoice,” dotted rhythms and staccato markings on “dancing,” and falling intervals on “mourning” (Ps. 30:11; cf. 1 Sam. 1). The work also focuses on the grief of Eli (B) over the activities of his sons Hophni (T) and Phineas (B) (“For Everything there is a Season”) (Eccl. 3:1). The Man of God (B), accompanied by tremolo strings, foretells the death of his sons, and Eli cries, “Woe is me now, my heart within me is desolate,” answered by God’s words, “Thou honorest thy sons above me.” When Israel is defeated by the Philistines (1 Sam. 4), the chorus sings a “Lament with doleful lamentation,” highlighting the verbs “howl” and “cry,” and when Eli dies at the news of the death of his sons, they sing, “The glory is departed from Israel” (1 Sam. 4:21–22). The work ends with a chorus of joyful Hallelujahs and Amens.
ELIJAH. Oratorio by Mendelssohn (op. 70), first performed in an English version at the Birmingham Music Festival in 1846, conducted by the composer. The first performance in the original German was in Leipzig in 1848, four months after his death. The libretto by Karl Klingemann retells the biblical story of Elijah (1 Kgs. 17–21; 2 Kgs. 2), expanded with numerous other biblical texts, especially from Psalms and Isaiah. The work begins with a short solo by Elijah (B) predicting a drought (1 Kgs. 17:1) and an instrumental overture followed by a cry for help from the chorus (Jer. 8:20; Lam. 1:17). The rest of part 1 is devoted to the stories of Elijah in the desert (1 Kgs. 17), the raising of the widow’s son from the dead (Ps. 88:10), and the contest between Elijah and the priests of Baal on Mount Carmel (1 Kgs. 18), ending with a triumphant choral setting of Ps. 93:3–4. As well as Elijah’s servant, Obadiah (T), and the Widow (S), there are a double quartet and a quartet of angels who sing passages from the Psalms (Pss. 91:11–12; 55:22; 108:5; 25:3). After the chorus “Be not afraid” (Isa. 41:10; Ps. 91:7), part 2 focuses on Elijah’s conflict with Queen Jezebel (A) and his despair and wish to die, expressed in the aria “It is enough” (1 Kgs. 19:4; Job 7:16). Encouraged by the angels, represented by a terzetto for female voices (Ps. 121:1, 3) and SATB chorus (Pss. 121:4; 138:7), Elijah flees to Horeb, where he meets the Lord. A long chorus, “Behold God the Lord passed by” (1 Kgs. 19:11–12), is followed by “Holy, holy, holy” (Isa. 6:2–3), sung by a quartet for female voices and chorus. The work ends with Elijah’s ascension to heaven in a fiery chariot (2 Kgs. 2:11; Sir. 48:1–16) accompanied by a soprano recitative (Mal. 4:5–6) and a quartet (Isa. 55:1, 3) between two great choruses, “But the Lord from the north” (Isa. 41:25; 42:1; 11:2) and “And then shall your light break forth” (Isa. 58:8; Ps. 8:1).
ELIJAH ROCK. African American spiritual celebrating the prophet Elijah’s ascent into heaven (2 Kgs. 2:11–13) and praying that others can come up too. The rock is a metaphor for the Lord (Pss. 18:2; 19:14, etc.), but it is also a verb and a call to dance. The verses allude to Satan’s wiles, the triumph of Moses, and the visions of Ezekiel and St. John. A popular arrangement by Moses Hogan (2001) describes Elijah’s ascent into heaven from earth through the gradual entry of vocal parts, beginning with the lowest voices (B) and rising to the highest (S), to signify the prophet’s joyful journey and arrival into heaven. This rendition is regularly performed at concerts.
ELISHA. Chancel opera for soloists and piano/organ accompaniment with optional violin by Susan Hulsman Bingham based on the story of the raising of the Shunammite woman’s son by Elisha (2 Kgs. 4:8–37). The woman (Mez) is overcome with emotion when she sees her son alive again, and the opera ends with a song of consolation sung to her by her husband (Bar), her son (Tr), the prophet Elisha (Bar), and his servant Gehazi (Bar).
ELIYAHU HANAVI. (“Elijah the Prophet”). Hebrew song traditionally sung during the Maggid part of the Passover Haggadah, it is sung at the opening of the door for Elijah on pouring the fourth cup. The refrain names Elijah as a prophet, the Tishbite, and the Gileadite (1 Kgs. 17:1), and the verse beckons him to return with the Messiah son of David (cf. Malachi 3:1; 4:1).
EMENDEMUS IN MELIUS. (“Let Us Amend”). Motet for five voices by William Byrd, published in Cantiones sacrae (1575) and based on texts from the Psalms and Baruch 3:2. The last part, from Ps. 79:9 (Vulg. 78:9), is sung as a matins response in the Roman rite for the first Sunday of Lent and later at the imposition of ashes in the Ash Wednesday liturgy. Reserved in mood with a highly expressive choral declamation, it is largely homophonic in texture. The bipartite structure highlights the sinfulness of the people and God’s forgiveness. Spanish composer Cristóbal de Morales (ca. 1500–1553) composed a piece with the same title, renowned as his most famous work, in recent times featuring in the horror movie The Pit and the Pendulum (1991), based on the short story by Edgar Allan Poe.
ENFANCE DU CHRIST, L’. (“The Childhood of Christ”). Oratorio in three parts or sacred trilogy by Berlioz (op. 25/H. 130, 1850–1854) based on the Massacre of the Holy Innocents (Le songe d’Hérode) (Mt. 2:16–18), the flight into Egypt (La Fuite en Egypte) (Mt. 2:13–15), and the apocryphal “Arrival at Sais” (L’arrivée à Saïs). It was premiered at the Salle Herz, Paris, on 10 December 1854. It is scored for a narrator (T), the Virgin Mary (Mez), Joseph (Bar), Herod (B), the father of a family of Ishmaelites (B), a Centurion (B), and a nonbiblical character, Polydorus, a commander who watches over Herod, and a chorus that sings various parts, such as Herod’s soothsayers (TTBB), a chorus of Angels (SSAA), Shepherds (SATB), Romans (unison basses), Egyptians (BB), and Ishmaelites (SATB). Instrumental numbers include the Marche nocturne (“Nocturnal March”) in part 1, describing musically the movement of the Roman soldiers in “A street in Jerusalem.” Scene 2 includes Herod’s well-known aria Toujours ce rêve! (“Always this dream!”) and the chorus of soothsayers, who, after their wild dance to “invoke the spirits,” confirm that he must kill every newborn child. Part 2 opens with an overture, followed by the popular L’adieu des bergers (“The Shepherds’ Farewell”) and the idyllic Repose de la sainte famille (“The Repose of the Holy Family”), which tells of the choirs of angels worshipping the Christ child as he rested with Mary and Joseph in the shade of a tree. Part 3, scene 2, includes the sublime extended trio for two flutes and harp, depicting the music making of the Ishmaelite children with whom the Holy Family stayed in Egypt for 10 years, and the work ends with a contemplative chorus for tenor and chorus, “O my Soul.”
ENGLISH HYMNAL, THE. A collection of hymns in English edited by Percy Dearmer and Ralph Vaughan Williams and published in 1907 as a companion to the Book of Common Prayer in the Church of England. It aimed to include the best of the church’s hymns, ranging from translations from Latin of “Jesus the very thought of thee” by Bernard of Clairvaux and Ein fest’ Burg by Luther from German to English, compositions by George Herbert (“Teach me my God and king”), Milton (Let us with a gladsome mind), Addison (The spacious firmament on high), and a good number of 19th-century writers, including Scott, Tennyson, Wordsworth, Kingsley, Gladstone, and Kipling. For the music, the editors drew on English, French, and Italian traditional melodies as well as works by Gibbons, Tallis, Praetorius, Purcell, Bach, Haydn, Mendelssohn, Schumann, Wagner, and others. A number of settings by modern composers were included for the first time, such as those by Sullivan, Holst, and Vaughan Williams, whose “Down Ampney” remains the most popular setting for the hymn “Come down, O Love divine.” A new edition was published in 1933 and the New English Hymnal in 1986 with the addition of many new compositions, such as Sydney Carter’s “I danced in the morning,” a modern version of the Magnificat beginning, “Tell out, my soul, the greatness of the Lord” and “Now the green blade riseth.” A supplement with the title New English Praise was published in 2006, containing popular new hymns, such as “Be still” and “Lift high the Cross.”
ENTRE AV’ E EVA. (“Between Ave and Eva”). Song no. 60 from Cantigas de Santa Maria (1260–1280), a notable collection of medieval Spanish songs in praise of the Virgin Mary commissioned by King Alfonso X El Sabio (“The Wise”). Based on a variety of genres, including chant and popular troubadour melodies, they were written in the form of a virelay and scored in square notation. A pun on the Latin Ave (Maria), “Hail” (Mary) (Lk. 1:28), and “Eva” (Eve) (Gen. 3) symbolizes God’s plan to reverse the sinfulness of Eve (Eva) through the Blessed Virgin Mary (Ave). Each verse of four lines is divided in two and sung by two singers, one highlighting the sinfulness of Eve and the other the purity of Mary.
ESHET CHAYIL. (“Woman of Valor”). Traditional Hebrew song, still sung or recited in some Jewish households by the husband on Sabbath Eve. Derived from the acrostic poem at the end of the Book of Proverbs (Prov. 31:10–31), it is a paean to the woman of the house, outlining the qualities of a virtuous wife. The text has been set to music by many composers, including Judith Lang Zaimont, Michael Isaacson in his Jewish Wedding Suite, and Israeli soul singer/songwriter Nomi Teplow. See also WOMEN OF VALOR.
ESTHER. Oratorio by Handel (HWV 50a, 1718; rev. 1820, HWV 50b, 1732) based on the biblical story and a play by Racine (1689), translated into English by Thomas Brereton. The libretto is thought to have been written by John Arbuthnot with revisions by Alexander Pope (1718) and later additions by Samuel Humphrey (1732). The earlier version (1718) was a masque for chamber orchestra in one continuous movement divided into six scenes. The later version (1732) was heavily revised and divided into three parts with larger orchestral forces and soloists. Esther enters in scene 4 with a recitative, “Why sits that sorrow on thy brow?,” answered by Mordecai in a recitative and aria, “Dread not righteous Queen, the danger.” Popular excerpts include the Israelites’ chorus, “Save us, O Lord,” and the finale recounting the death of Haman, “The Lord our Enemy has Slain,” as well as the coronation anthem My Heart is Inditing (Ps. 45; Isa. 49) and “The King shall Rejoice” (Ps. 21) from the “Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne.”
ESTHER, THE BEAUTIFUL QUEEN. Cantata in two parts by the American William Batchelder Bradbury (1856) to a libretto by Chauncey Marvin Cady (1824–1889). Noted for its light, popular style and performances by amateur singers, it was one of the most popular large-scale choral works in the 19th century. The published score, written over five days, included an appended essay, “Concerning Esther and Mordecai and Haman,” from Josephus’s Antiquities of the Jews and features spoken narration of selected passages from the Book of Esther (Esth. 2:16–18; 3:1–2; 3:12–15; 5:1–3; 6:1–2), to be read by a “clergy man from the pulpit” or by “the best reader” available. The words are taken from the Book of Esther as well as Psalms (Pss. 28, 124, 126, 130, 141, 142, 150), Lamentations, Jeremiah, and Isaiah (Isa. 26:2–5; 25:4). Despite the prohibition on dances in religious compositions at the time, the work includes a number of dances, most notably in the instrumental “At the Banquet,” marked “Waltz movement—Allegro.” Other musical interpretations of Esther include works by Carissimi, Handel, and Aaron Avshalomov. See also ESTHER.
ETERNAL ROAD, THE. (Der Weg der Verheissung/“The Path of the Promise”). Biblical pageant/opera by Kurt Weill to a libretto by Franz Werfel, translated into English by Ludwig Lewisohn. Conceived to alert the public to Hitler’s persecution of the Jews, it was premiered at the Manhattan Opera House on 7 January 1937 in a spectacular six-hour production, directed by Max Reinhardt with over 245 actors and singers and 1,772 costumes on a newly constructed five-tiered stage. Set in an unnamed synagogue amid a raging pogrom outside, a terrified Jewish community comes together in an all-night vigil where a Rabbi (T) recalls biblical stories of faith and courage beginning with the covenant with Abraham (Gen. 12–15) and concluding with Jeremiah and the destruction of the Temple (Jer. 52). In four acts (“The Patriarchs,” “Moses,” “Kings,” and “Prophets”), it draws on traditional Ashkenazi liturgical music, such as the Mi-sinai (“From Sinai”) melody for the Festival of Sukkot in act 3 and the setting of Ps. 144 for the Sabbath, which appears in acts 1, 2, and 4. Popular numbers include “Dance around the Golden Calf,” “David’s Psalm,” “The March to Zion,” “The Promise,” and “The Song of Miriam.” A version of the work was performed in Chemnitz, Germany, in November 1999, followed by performances in New York, Tel Aviv, and Poland.
EUROCLYDON. Anthem for a cappella SATB chorus by William Billings, published in The Psalm-Singer’s Amusement (1781). It is based on Ps. 107:23–30 and the story of Paul’s shipwreck off the island of Malta (Acts 27). The title is the name of a “tempestuous wind” (Acts 27:14, AV), and the words of the Psalm (“And he lifted up the waves . . . they reel and stagger”) are vividly illustrated in the music. The stillness after the storm is reflected by longer note values on “So that the waves are still” (v. 29), and the work concludes with a rousing finale and extrabiblical words of welcome, “And all huzza. Welcome here again, welcome home.”
ÈVE. Oratorio in three parts by Jules Massenet, with a libretto by Louis Gallet, premiered at the Cirque d’Eté, Paris, on 18 March 1875. Despite its reputation as one of the most sensuous oratorios in the history of the genre, it never quite achieved the same success as Marie-Magdeleine. Part 1 tells of the birth of Eve (S) and her first encounter with Adam (Bar) in the Garden of Eden. It contains their first dialogue, in which Adam extols Eve’s beauty, “Ton visage est brillant comme la fraîche aurore, tes yeux bleus sont pareils à l’azur de la mer” (“Your face shines like the fresh dawn, your eyes are blue like the azure blue sea”), and the sumptuous duet, “Autour de nous respire une éternelle paix” (“Around us breathes eternal peace!”), as well as Adam’s romantic recitative, “Va, ton sang est mon sang et ma vie est ta vie” (“Go, your blood is my blood and my life is your life”), and his naming of Eve, “Ève sera ton nom comme Adam est le mien!” (“Eve will be your name as Adam is mine”) (cf. Gen. 2:23). Part 2 tells of Eve’s walk in the fragrant forest, “Ève dans la solitude” (“Eve alone”), tempted by the seductive Voices of the Night, “Viens! Nous te montrerons l’arbre de science dont l’amour est le fruit. Viens!” (“Come! We will show you the Tree of Knowledge of which love is the fruit. Come!”), and the Spirits of the Abyss, “Viens! C’est l’arbre de science! Veux-tu posséder la puissance humaine? L’amour te la donnera!” (“Come! Here is the Tree of Knowledge! Do you want to possess human power? Love will give it to you”). In part 3, Eve gives in to temptation and seduces Adam. Eve: “Aimons-nous! Aimer c’est vivre!” (“Let us love! To love is to live”). Adam: “Ève, qu’as-tu fait?” (“Eve, what have you done?”). Fragments of the Dies Irae can be heard in the Epilogue, and the Spirits of Nature communicate details of God’s curse, “La douleur et la mort” (“Sorrow and death”). In a final duet, Adam and Eve express neither guilt nor remorse and pray never to be separated, never to be free from the intoxication of love (“Ne nous separe pas! Laisse-nous notre ivresse!”). The work concludes with God’s curse sung by the chorus, “Soyez maudits!” (“You are cursed!”).
EVERY GOLIATH HAS ITS DAVID. Indie rock song by lead singer Jof Owen and instrumentalist/backup vocalist Peter Hobbs from the duo band The Boy Least Likely To (2009) on the album The Law of the Playground (2009). The lyrics tell the story of David and Goliath (1 Sam. 17) from the perspective of a child; for example, “I’ve got a little bag of marbles and a catapult wound around my fingers and I feel very small but I could make myself big if I wanted to,” and the chorus, “And I know kung fu and I’m not afraid of you.” The music evokes this child-like atmosphere with brushed drum strokes, tingling strings, rhythmic guitar chords, synthesizer, violin, clapping, and foot stamping.
EVE’S LAMENTATION. Song for soprano and piano taken from the oratorio The Intercession by Matthew Peter King (1864) with a libretto based on Milton’s Paradise Lost. The Angel’s recitative announcing the couple’s eviction from the garden is followed by Eve’s lament, “Must I leave thee, Paradise.”
EXODUS. Reggae song from the album Exodus by Rastafarian Bob Marley, performed by Marley and the Wailers (1977). It draws on the biblical image of a new Exodus from Babylon (Isa. 48:20–21) and prays for “another brother Moses” to come and “set the captives free” (Isa. 45:13).
EXODUS. Concept album by progressive rock group Nathan Mahl (2008). Includes songs loosely based on biblical themes, such as “Burning Bush” (Exod. 3:2), “Let My People Go” (Exod. 5:1; 8:1; 9:1), “The Plagues” (Exod. 7:14–11:10), “Down from the Mountain” (Exod. 34:29–35), “40 Years” (Exod. 16:35; Num. 14:33–34), and “Zipporah’s Farewell” (Exod. 18:2).
EXPECTANS EXPECTAVI. (“I Waited Patiently”). Anthem by Charles Wood, published in 1919. The Latin title derives from Ps. 40:1, while the English words are by the British war poet Charles Hampton Sorley (1895–1915). The piece poignantly describes a humble servant standing before God waiting to do service. In the context of World War I, it fittingly describes the situation of millions of young men across Europe waiting to do military service. See also SYMPHONY OF PSALMS.
EXULTATE JUBILATE. (“Rejoice, Be Glad”). Motet in three movements for soprano soloist and orchestra by the 16-year-old Mozart (K. 165, 1773). Written for the Italian castrato Venanzio Rauzzini, today it appears in concert repertoires of many well-known sopranos. Inspired by Ps. 81 and other texts, it is often associated with the Nativity. Regarded as a miniature vocal concerto, it is in three movements (“Allegro,” “Andante,” and “Presto”), with a recitative bridge, Fulget amica (“The friendly day glows”), between the first and second, followed by the delightful song to the Virgin, Tu virginum corona (“Thou O crown of virgins”). The third movement is an exuberant virtuosic finale based on the Alleluia.
EZECHIA. Dialogue motet for five soloists, chorus, strings, and continuo by Giacomo Carissimi, based on the story of King Hezekiah’s illness, his prayer to God, and his miraculous recovery (Isa. 38). Two angels (SS) introduce the dialogue between God (B), Isaiah (A), and Hezekiah (T), and Hezekiah’s plaintive petition to God, Parce mihi, Domine, et miserere (“Spare me, Lord, and have mercy”), which is the centerpiece of the motet. God promises to add 15 years to the king’s life, the angels recount how the shadow on the sundial turns back 10 degrees, and the work concludes with a joyful polyphonic chorus praising the Lord God for all eternity.
EZEKIEL SAW DE WHEEL. African American spiritual popularly arranged for chorus by H. T. Burleigh, Gerre Hancock, William Dawson, Norman Luboff, and Moses Hogan, among others. It recounts, in a call-and-response form, Ezekiel’s vision of the mysterious wheels (Ezek. 1:15–21). It has been sung by the Charioteers, Louis Armstrong, Woodie Guthrie, and many more.