Area of Study 3: Sacred Vocal Music (Anthems) – Orlando Gibbons: This is the Record of John
Welcome to your revision notes for Orlando Gibbons' famous anthem, This is the Record of John. This piece is a core set work for CCEA AS Level Music under Area of Study 3: Sacred Vocal Music (Anthems). Don't worry if Renaissance and Jacobean sacred music feels unfamiliar at first—we will break down the history, structure, vocal scoring, and musical features step by step!
---1. Historical Background and Classification
To understand the piece, we first need to know who wrote it, why it was written, and what genre it belongs to.
- Composer: Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625), one of the most prominent English composers of the late Tudor and early Jacobean eras.
- Historical Context & Commission: Commissioned for the chapel of St John's College, Oxford, at the direct request of William Laud (who was President of the college between 1611 and 1621).
- Genre: Verse Anthem.
What is a Verse Anthem? It is an Anglican choral piece that alternates between solo sections (called "verses") and full choral sections (called "full" or "chorus").
Genre Origins: The verse anthem developed from the metrical psalms of the Anglican Church and the Elizabethan consort song. - Text/Libretto: Taken from John 1:19–23 using the Geneva Bible translation. It narrates the story of John the Baptist being questioned by the priests and Levites sent from Jerusalem ("Who art thou?").
Quick Review / Key Takeaway: Gibbons wrote this Verse Anthem (soloist + choir) for St John's College, Oxford (requested by William Laud), using scripture from the Geneva Bible.
---2. Scoring and Instrumentation
Understanding the exact forces Gibbons wrote for is essential for exam questions:
- Soloist: Solo Alto (or Countertenor).
- Choir: Five-part choir scored for SAATB (Soprano, Alto 1, Alto 2, Tenor, Bass).
- Accompaniment: Originally composed for a consort of viols (a family of bowed string instruments popular in the Renaissance and early Baroque), though today it is also frequently performed with organ accompaniment.
Analogy to remember the scoring: Think of a consort of viols like a Renaissance string quartet/quintet. The viols support the solo alto just as modern strings support a soloist in a concerto or aria.
---3. Overall Structure: The Three-Part Plan
The anthem has a clear and balanced formal architecture divided into three main sections. Each section follows the identical two-step pattern:
- Verse: The solo alto/countertenor sings a section of the narrative text with viol (or organ) accompaniment.
- Full: The five-part choir (SAATB) repeats or responds directly to the text just delivered by the soloist.
This creates a repetitive, conversational call-and-response dynamic between the individual narrator/John the Baptist and the full congregation/choir.
---4. Musical Elements and Techniques
Gibbons sits at a fascinating transition point in music history: the shift from the modal polyphony of the Renaissance to the major/minor diatonic system of the Baroque era.
A. Tonality and Harmony
- Key / Tonality: A-flat major. The work demonstrates a gradual shift away from Renaissance modality towards the diatonic tonal system of the Baroque.
- Primary Triads: The harmony relies heavily on primary chords (I, IV, and V).
- Cadences & Modulation: Gibbons uses clear Perfect cadences to define structural sections, including a modulation to the dominant key, E-flat major, at the dramatic question "Who art thou?".
- Suspensions & Dissonance: Regular use of harmonic suspensions and passing notes to enrich the texture. A textbook example is the 4/3 suspension in bar 3 in the accompaniment.
B. Melodic Features and Word-Setting
- Rising Scale Motif: Introduced in bar 1 by the instrumental accompaniment as a rising scale in quavers, which is then used imitatively throughout the work.
- Rhythmic Motif: Gibbons uses a characteristic motif of two repeated quavers as a unifying feature across the anthem (notably heard on the words "when the Jews").
- Syllabic Setting: Most of the narrative solo text is set syllabically (one note per syllable) to ensure the holy scripture is heard clearly and distinctly.
- Melisma & Word-Painting: Occasional melismatic writing (multiple notes on one syllable) is used to emphasize key words, such as "plainly" or "prophet."
- Imitation: The instrumental parts and choral voices frequently imitate one another's melodic contours and rhythmic motifs.
5. Common Exam Traps and Pitfalls
Make sure you avoid these common student mistakes in the exam:
- Verse Anthem vs. Full Anthem: Do NOT call this a "Full Anthem." A Full Anthem is sung by the choir throughout (like Byrd's Sing Joyfully). This is the Record of John is a Verse Anthem because it alternates solo verses with full choral sections.
- The Bible Translation: Do NOT write "King James Bible." Gibbons used the Geneva Bible.
- Accompaniment Details: If asked for the original accompaniment, state consort of viols, but remember to mention that organ is also standard/common in liturgical performance.
- Solo Voice Type: Remember to state solo alto or countertenor (not soprano or tenor).
6. Summary Revision Table
| Feature | Key Details to Remember |
|---|---|
| Composer & Era | Orlando Gibbons (1583–1625) – Jacobean / Early 17th Century |
| Genre | Verse Anthem (Solo sections alternating with Full choir) |
| Context / Commission | St John's College, Oxford (requested by William Laud) |
| Forces | Solo Alto / Countertenor, SAATB Choir, Viol Consort (or Organ) |
| Structure | 3 sections, each containing a Solo Verse followed by a Full Chorus |
| Tonality & Cadences | A-flat major (shift from modality to diatonicism); Perfect cadences (modulates to E-flat major at "Who art thou?") |
| Key Motifs & Harmony | Rising scale in quavers (bar 1), two repeated quavers motif ("when the Jews"), 4/3 suspensions (bar 3) |
| Text Setting | Geneva Bible (John 1:19–23); mostly syllabic, melismas on words like "plainly" and "prophet" |