This is my first ever upload of me CONDUCTING. This is the first choral concert that I conducted in its entirety. More about it in this journal: http://www.furaffinity.net/journal/6814857/

The choir had somewhat awkward balance of voices where there were very few sopranos and tenors and A LOT of altos. Trying to balance them was a challenge and it shows. For many of the members, it was their first choral concert experience but others were way more experienced. Their skill levels range from first time amateur to one singer who sings with the Boston Symphony Chorus. Some of the individual voices do come out more than they should at times. Overall however, they pulled it off very well for their ability, and it was a pleasure to rehearse them and perform with them. Not only did I conduct, I also recorded the concert myself, and I'm proud of the recording I produced too! I hope you enjoy these recordings, there are more to come!

Program Notes:
The text is the biblical benediction known as the "Priestly Blessing" (Numbers 6:24–26), followed by an extended "Amen". Rutter scored the piece for four vocal parts (SATB) and organ. He composed it in 1981 for the memorial service of Edward T. Chapman, the director of music at Highgate School, London, with whom he had studied when he attended the school.

It was published by Oxford University Press in 1981, in the anthology Oxford Easy Anthems, edited by David Willcocks. Marked "Andante espressivo", the music is in G-flat major and common time. It takes about 2 1⁄2 minutes to perform. Rutter also wrote an arrangement for soprano, alto and keyboard in F major and a version for choir and orchestra.

It was recorded several times, for example ending a collection of Rutter's choral works performed under his direction by the Cambridge Singers and the City of London Sinfonia. It also concluded the 2010 recording of the composer's Requiem by Polyphony and the Bournemouth Sinfonietta, conducted by Stephen Layton. In his notes to that recording, the composer described his musical aims: "I happen not to believe in erecting needless barriers between composer and listener: given a choice between critical approbation and a chance of touching the hearts of people outside the limited circle of contemporary music aficionados, I know which I prefer."

In "The Lord bless you and keep you", Rutter keeps the music restrained and simple. The accompaniment first rests on a pedal point; long chords in the bass change only every half measure, while broken chords in steady eighth notes add colour. The first line of the text is sung by the sopranos alone, then repeated by all voices, starting in unison but expanding to harmony on the words "The Lord make His face to shine upon you". "The Lord lift His countenance upon you" is sung twice in two-part homophony, first soprano and alto, then tenor and bass. "And give you peace" appears three times, softer each time from mp to pp, first in the soprano, then in the tenor, and finally in unison in all voices. A polyphonic "Amen" grows to the climax of the music both in range and in intensity, then gradually softens and, after a "molto rallentando", reaches the final long chord.

Rutter chose the work, along with others such as "For the beauty of the earth", to represent his compositions at workshops, for example one at the Augustinerkirche (de) in Würzburg in 2013. The Benediction was part of the celebration of the 100th birthday of the Queen Mother in 2000.

Text:
The Lord bless you and keep you,
The Lord make His face to shine upon you,
to shine upon you and be gracious, and be gracious unto you.

The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you,
The Lord lift up the light of His countenance upon you,
and give you peace, and give you peace,
and give you peace, and give you peace.

Amen