Strengthen for Service

for SATB Choir and Organ

Press jessicafrench.net

The French

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Strengthen for Service

Strengthen for service, O Lord, hands that holy things have taken; and let ears that heard your most holy word to lesser things never awaken.

Lord, may tongues which “Holy” sang be free from all deceiving, may eyes which saw your love be bright, heavenly hope perceiving; and may feet that walked along hallowed courts from your true light never be banished. May bodies by your Body fed be with your new life replenished.

Amen.

– from the Syro-Malabar Liturgy (5th century)

Performance Notes

• In m. 49 on p. 12, the solid arrow indicates that the poco accelerando is meant to accelerate up to the new tempo in m. 52.

• All final consonants are placed on rests.

Program Notes

Strengthen for Service was composed in 2022 for the Cathedral of the Madeleine Founders’ Day Concert in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the Madeleine Choir School. It is dedicated to the Rectors of the Cathedral of the Madeleine: Monsignor M. Francis Mannion, Monsignor Joseph M. Mayo, Fr. Martin Diaz, in gratitude for their leadership and support in the first twenty-five years of the ministry of the Cathedral's Choir School.

As an alumna of the Madeleine Choir School, I was deeply honored to compose this piece to celebrate its 25th Anniversary. The text comes from a post-communion prayer in the Syro-Malabar liturgy, and it was immediately familiar to me, having sung Richard Proulx’s setting of this text as a young chorister. Because this text reminds me of my musical roots at the Cathedral, I wanted to honor the legacy of the Choir School and all it has meant to me in my musical and spiritual development. Once I started setting the text, the music came to me very quickly (which is usually not the case). The piece begins with a sustained E in the organ, accompanied by a rising and falling ostinato. The treble voices then enter on the initial phrase, “Strengthen for service.” As the remaining voices join in, the harmonies begin to fill out, with the organ growing in intensity as the voices sing “may eyes which saw your love be bright,” and “heavenly hope perceiving.” At the words, “true light,” the organ echoes the choir’s proclamations, building to a climax on the text “from your true light never be banished.” This climax is followed by a passage for the organ expressing the intense feelings of the text. The choir then serenely sings a cappella “May bodies by your body fed, be with your new life replenished,” gradually blossoming on the final phrase. With the return of the opening organ ostinato, the choir sings the final “Amen,” and the music eventually returns to the lone sustained E that began the work.

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Strengthen for Service

Dedicated to the Rectors of the Cathedral of the Madeleine Monsignor M. Francis Mannion, Monsignor Joseph M. Mayo, Fr. Martin Diaz, in gratitude for their leadership and support in the first twenty-five years of the ministry of the Cathedral's Choir School.

Sw:

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(Gt.)

& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 Soprano Alto Tenor Bass Organ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ w ∑ Confidently q = 60 Confidently q = 60 Sw. P 2 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 2 Œ œ œ œ œ œ w Ó ˙ ∑ tenero Gt. ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w Ó œ œ ∑ 4 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 4 Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ∑ ŒŒÓ U Œ ŒŒÓ U Œ ŒŒÓ U Œ ŒŒÓ U Œ Œ œ œ œ œ œ U Œ ˙ ˙ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ U Œ ∑ rall. rall. & & & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A Org. J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ œj Strengthenforservice,for J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ œj Strengthenforservice,for ∑ w ˙ ˙ F a tempo (q = 60) F a tempo (q = 60) A A œj œ œj . œ ‰ service,OLord, œj œ œj . œ ‰ service,OLord, ∑ w ˙ ˙ 8 œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3

œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3

8 ∑ w ˙n ˙ ˙n ˙ w w Œ œ œ œ œ œ w Ó ˙ w

- - - -- - - - -

handsthatholythingshavetaken;

Jessica French (2022)

Syro-Malabar Liturgy (5th century) This score is not licensed for performance. Please

8' Flute, 8' String Gt: 8' Flute Ped: Soft 16' and 8', Sw to Ped

& & & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A Org. 10 ˙ Œ‰ œ œ 3 andlet ˙ Œ‰ œ œ 3 andlet 10 Œ œ œ œ œ w Ó œ œ œ œ ˙ Ó P P F F œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj 3 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œj 3 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ Sw. 12 œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj holyword,to œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj

12 w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ --& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. œn œ œ ˙ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera œn œ œ ˙ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera ∑ ∑ w œn ˙ œ ˙n ˙ 14 J œ . œ ˙ waken. œj . œ ˙ waken. Ó Œœ œ œ 3 nevera Ó Œ œ œ œ 3 nevera 14 Œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ w w f F F f P Gt. + 8' Principal Sw. to Gt. Gt. . ˙ Œ . ˙ Œ J œ . œ œ Œ waken. J œ œ œ Œ waken. Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ w F F Gt. J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ œj Strengthenforservice,for J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ œj Strengthenforservice,for J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ œj Strengthenforservice,for J œ œ J œ œ œ ‰ J œ Strengthenforservice,for 16 w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w B B sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente sonoramente F sonoramente Gt. to Ped-----2 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

holyword,to

& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. œj œ œj œ ‰ service,OLord, œj œ œj . œœ ‰ service,OLord, œj œ œj œ ‰ service,OLord, J œ œ J œ œ ‰

œ J œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ w 18 ‰ œ J œ œ œ œ ho lythingshave œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 handsthatholythingshavetaken; . œn œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 handsthatholythingshavetaken; . œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ 3

18 œ œ . œ œj ˙n ˙ w ˙n ˙ ˙n ˙ œ J œ ˙ tak en; ˙ ‰ œ œ 3 andlet . ˙ ‰ œ œ 3 andlet . ˙ ‰ œ œ 3 andlet œ œ œ œ œ œ œ w ˙ œ œ w- -- --- -& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. 20 ˙ Œ‰ J œ most œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most œ œj œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most œ J œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 earsthatheardyourmostholyword,most 20 w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ w +Sw. 8' and 4' Principals and Flutes, 8' Oboe (Gt.) J œ œ J œ œ œ œ holyword,to . œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj holyword,to . œ J œ œ œ Œ holyword, . œ J œ œ œ Œ holyword, . œ œj œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ œ œ ˙ w 22 . œ J œ œ œ less erthingsa œn œ œ ˙ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthings nevera Œ œ œn œ œœ œn œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera Œ œ œ œn œ œ œ œ 3 3 lesserthingsnevera 22 œ ˙n œ ˙ ˙ w ˙ ˙n ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙---- --3 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

service,OLord,

handsthatholythingshavetaken;

& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. ˙ œ ‰ J œ waken,a J œ . œ ˙ waken. J œ œ ˙ waken. J œ . œ ˙ waken. œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ w ˙a ˙ ˙ w f f F f f f 24 J œ . œ ˙ waken. w w w 24 Œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ n n ∑ rall. rall. F F F Sw. Sw. -4', -8' Oboe F ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ w w ∑ Più luminoso poco a poco (q = 60) Più luminoso poco a poco (q = 60) C C P 26 ∑ ∑ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 Lord,maytongueswhich“Holy”sangbe ∑ 26 ∑ w ˙n œ œa œ œ œ 3 F -Gt. to Ped--& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. ∑ ∑ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj freefromalldeceiving,may Ó Œœ œ may ∑ w œn œn œ œ œ œ F 28 ∑ ∑ œ œ œ œ œœ œ œ 3 eyeswhichsawyourlovebe œn œ œ œ œœ œ œ 3 eyeswhichsawyourlovebe 28 ˙ œ œ ˙ œ Œ ˙n ˙ Sw. + 4' Flute ∑ ∑ ˙ ˙ J œ œ ‰ œ œ œ 3 bright, heavenly ˙ J œ ‰ œ œ œ 3 bright, heavenly œ œ œ œ . œ J œ w . ˙ œ Ó œ œ f f Sw. + 4' Principal Ped. + 16' Principal molto espressivo 4 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A T B Org. 30 ∑ ∑ œ J œ J œ œ hopeperceiving, œ J œ J œ œ hopeperperceivceiving, 30 . œ œj œ j œn œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙n œ œ Sw. + 8' Oboe Œ œ œ andmay Œ œ œ andmay œ ‰ J œ per œ ‰ J œ per ˙ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ F F F F F . œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ 3 3 3 feetthatwalkedalonghallowedcourtsfromyour œ œ œn œ œ œ œ œ œ ‰ œ œ 3 3 3 feetthatwalkedalonghalhallowedlowedcourtscourtsfromfromyouryour J œ œ‰ œ œ œ œ ceiving; from your J œn œ ‰ œ œ œ œ œ ceivceiving;ing; from your 32 œ ˙n ˙ ˙n ˙ œ ˙ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ œ D D Ped. + 8' Principal Sw. + 16' Bourdon ad lib.----& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A T B Org. œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 truelightneverbebanished,fromyour œn œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 3 truelightneverbebanished,fromyour ˙ . œœ ‰ true light, ˙ ˙n œ ‰ true light, œ œ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ ˙˙ ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ f f f f f Sw. + 8' Trumpet 34 J œ œ Œ‰œ œ 3 truelight,

j œn . œ Œ‰ œ œ 3 truelight,

J œ œ Œ‰ œ œ œ œ 3 truelight, fromyour J œn œ Œ‰ œ œ 3 truelight,

34 Ó œjœ‰ Ó J œ œ nœœ‰ Ó j œnœ‰ boldly Gt. to Ped Gt +8' Trumpet, 8' Principal, 8' Flute, Sw. to Gt. J œ . œœ Œ œ œ œ œ truelight,

œj . œÓ

J œ œ . œ œ Ó

J œ œ Ó

Ó œjœœ‰ Ó J œ œœ œ‰ Ó œjœ‰-5 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

fromfromyouryour

fromyour

truelight,

& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 4 6 S A T B Org. 36 œ œ . ˙ ˙ light œ œ . ˙ truelight œ œ ˙ Ó ‰J œ œ œ light ∑ 36 œ œ ˙œ œ ˙ Ó ‰ J œa œ œ ∑ Sw. + 2', Mixture Sw. Sw. w w w w w w light œ œ . ˙ w w w wwœ œ ˙ ∑ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ ƒ 38 Œ œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe Œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe Œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe Œ œ œ œ 3 neverbe 38 ∑ ∑ ∑ Sw. + 16' Reed Gt.+ Bourdon 16', 4' Principal J œ œ . œ œ . ˙ ˙ Œ banished. œj œ . œ œ . ˙ ˙ Œ banished. J œ œ . œ œ . ˙ ˙ Œ banished. J œ . œ . ˙ Œ banished. ŒŒŒŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 ŒŒ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ œ 3 3 œ œ œ œ 3 3 ∑ E E f Gt. Gt.---& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 2 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 S A T B Org. 40 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 40 œ œ œ œ œ œj œ œj œœ3 œ œ œ . ˙ œ œ ‰ œ œj œœ˙ ˙ ˙ & œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ . œ - œj3 3 Ped: +16' Reed ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ˙ ˙ . œ œj w ˙ . œ œj w w wƒ 42 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 42 . . ˙ ˙ ˙ U Œ U . . ˙ ˙ ˙ U Œ U ? . ˙ ˙ U Œ U ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ . œ œj ∑ ∑ P Sw. 8' Flutes, Strings, and Celestes Gt: 8' Flute 44 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 44 Ó . œ œj w Œ ˙ œ w w Ped: Soft 16' and 8' Flutes ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ ˙ œ œ w ˙ ˙ w w poco rall. poco rall. 6 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. Ó Œ œ May ∑ ∑ ∑ 46 w ∑ ∑ Serene q = 55 P Serene q = 55 F F p Sw. Sw. Celestes œj . œœ œ œn œ œ 3 bodies byyourBody Œ œnœ œ œœ œœ œn œ 3 Maybodiesbyyour Ó Œ œn œ byyour ∑ w wn ∑ ∑ P P 48 J œ . œ ‰ œj œn œ fed bewithyour œn œn œœ Œ Bodyfed œ œ œn œ œ œ Bodyfedbewithyour ∑ 48 . ˙ ˙ Œ ∑ ∑ π Sw. -8' Flutes œ œ# œ ‰ œj newlife,your ˙ œ J ˙n œ œnewlife,your ˙ . œ ‰ newlife, ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ F F poco accel. poco accel. Sw. Foundations 8' and 4' Gt: Soft 8' Foundations, (Sw to Gt) Ped: 16' and 8' Flutes (Sw. to Ped, Gt to Ped) --& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. 50 œ œ œ ‰ œj newlife, your your ˙ œ J ˙ . œ ‰ newlife, . œ J œ œ œ newlife,your Ó Œ œ your 50 Ó Œ‰ œj J Ó Œ œ œ ∑ f F f f f Gt. ˙ . œ œj newlifere ˙ œ œ newlife . ˙ œ new ˙ œ œ œ newlifere ˙ œ œ newlifere ˙ ˙ . œ œj ˙ œ œ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ Œ œ - œœf œj œ . ˙ plenished. . œ J œ ˙ replen . œ œj ˙ ˙ lifereplen ˙ ˙ plen w plen 52 œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ ˙˙ w Confidently q = 60 Confidently q = 60 G G . ˙ Œ ˙ ished. . . ˙˙ Œ ished. . ˙Œ ished. ˙ Œ ished. Œ œ œ œ œ œ œ ˙ œ œ w F F F F Sw. 54 ∑ ∑ . ˙ œ A ∑ 54 ‰ œj œ œ ‰ œj œ œn w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙n P Gt. 8' Principal only -Gt. to Ped---7 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.

& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. Ó ‰ œ œj A J A ∑ . ˙ Œ men. Ó œ œ A œ œ œ œ ‰j œ œ œ w ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ F F 56 ˙ œ ‰ œn œj œ œ A ˙ ˙ A . ˙n œ œ œn ˙ 56 ‰ j œn œ œn œ œ œ œn ˙ ˙˙ . ˙n œ œn œn ˙ F . œn œj œ œ œ J ˙ ˙ ˙n ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ œ œ œ œ ‰ œj œ œ w ˙ ˙ n ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ 58 w men œ ‰ ˙ men,A . œ# ‰ ˙ ˙ men,A w w men. w men. 58 œ œ œ œ œ œ w w w w f f f f F Gt. -8' Principal +8' Flute, 8' String Sw. -4'- - - -& & V ? & ? ? # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # S A T B Org. w w men. ww men. w w w Œ œ œ œ œ œ œn w ˙ ˙ œ œ w P P P P 60 ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ 60 Œ œ œ œ œ ˙ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ˙ ∑ Gt. -8' String, -Sw to Gt Sw. 8' Flute, 8' String ∑ ∑ ∑ ∑ Œ œ œ ˙ œ œ œ w ˙ ˙ ˙ ∑ rall. rall. 62 Ó Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Ó U Ó Ó U 62 ˙ Ó U ˙ ˙ ˙ U ˙ ˙ Ó ∑ Sw. Celestes Sw. ∑ U ∑ U ∑ U ∑ U w w w U w w w U π Ped: +Soft 32' 8 Strengthen for Service This score is not licensed for performance. Please visit MusicSpoke.com to purchase performance copies.