THE COLLABORATIVE ARRANGEMENTS OF ALICE PARKER AND ...

Recorded on album: Sing to the Lord, RCA Victor LSC/LM 2942
Arranger(s): Alice Parker
Voicing: SATB a cappella
Difficulty (1 easy – 5 diff.): 2
Text
Source: Isaac Watts, last two verses a neighboring hymn
Number of verses: 6
Meter: 8.6.8.6
Rhyme scheme: abab
Mood: Awesome, dark, worshipful, fearful, calling to action
Voice: Psalm-like
Color words, dynamics, and changing moods:
Sing, adore, stand trembling, think, conspire to lift thy glories, speak, endless praise, join in one,
bless the sacred name of Him enthroned, adore the Lamb
Death and hell, His power, sounding chariot shakes the sky, clouds His throne, stores of lightning,
vengeance darts them down, nostrils breathe fiery streams, His awful tongue, a sovereign voice
divides the flames, thunder roars along, dreadful day, this incensed God, rend the sky, burn the
sea, fling His wrath abroad
Sing to the Lord
1. Sing to the Lord, ye heavenly hosts, And thou, O earth, adore,
Let Death and Hell throughout their coasts Stand trembling at His power.
2. His sounding chariot shakes the sky; He makes the clouds His throne;
There all the stores of lightning lie, Till vengeance darts them down.
3. His nostrils breathe out fiery streams, And from His awful tongue
A sovereign voice divides the flames And thunder roars along.
4. Think, O my soul, that dreadful day, When this incensed God
Shall rend the sky and burn the sea And fling His wrath abroad.
5. Let all that dwell above the sky, And air, and earth, and seas
Conspire to lift Thy glories high And speak Thine endless praise.
6. The whole creation join in one To bless the sacred Name
Of Him that sits upon the throne, And to adore the Lamb!
Melody:
Source: Unknown
Tune: Dunlap’s Creek
Mood: Hearty, “barn-raising,” broad, energetic
Pitches
Key of E
Hexatonic: uses major scale without 4th step; can be thought of as pentatonic but using leading
tone (as explained by Alice Parker in 6-15-11 email)
Third phrase has running 8th notes on pitches C#-B-G#-F#-E, giving it a pentatonic feel
First & fourth phrases arpeggiate the E triad; they also have pitches F#-E-C#-E, strengthening
pentatonic mood
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