O clap your hands.
Orlando Gibbons
Psalm 47, omitting the first half of verse 9, Coverdale translation
1549 Book of Common Prayer
First published: 1768 in Cathedral Music, Volume 2, p. 59; 65
Orlando Gibbons shows us a more sophisticated, later example of double-choir writing. In O Clap your hands, probably written around 1620, Gibbons explores virtually every possibility afforded him by both eight-voice counterpoint and poly-choral homophony. He does this, however, with such ease, variation, logic, and flourish that it is no wonder this has become one of his most popular pieces. It is conventional wisdom that this piece was written to obtain a doctorate at Oxford University and therefore leans more toward the contrapuntal than the homophonic, but in passages like “O sing praises” and “For God which is highly exulted,” the old technique of choruses echoing one another is used to great effect.
This is Orlando Gibbons, the masterful 17th-century English composer,
at his most direct, forceful, and exuberant. This celebratory piece was likely
written to fulfill the requirements of the Oxford degree of Doctor of Music,
for which composers would produce exercises in counterpoint in as many as
eight vocal parts. Gibbons’ effort could not be further from dusty academia,
exhibiting juggernaut-like momentum and a consummate command of choral texture.
O clap your hands is an absolute tour-de-force. Most composers of the period wrote works of brilliance and virtuosity with sections where all the parts were bobbing around independently with great panache. This piece may be the single longest “vocal volley” in the repertoire. And, for 22 pages of music, Gibbons keeps it going with constant variations of melody and texture. More than that, the work accumulates a sense a grandeur which sets it apart from other such works. The challenge for the performers is, of course, vocal and mental stamina!
Dedicated to Carl B., Class of '65.