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Your Church Choir
Can Sing Mendelssohn!
present music that is accessible to average
church choirs by one of the fi nest of early
Romantic composers. These pieces have
suffered neglect because they are largely unknown.
The hope is that choral conductors
will move from this introduction to the music
itself and then challenge their choirs to
sing it. These “beautiful, well-written pieces
… are faithful settings of the spirit of the
texts even if there are occasions of unfaithful
declamation and liturgically unjustifi ed
repetition.” 32 This music represents an important
and personally signifi cant portion of
Mendelssohn’s life’s work. It is unfortunate
for these pieces to remain in obscurity and
for music lovers and churches to be denied
the privilege of hearing and worshiping with
these fi ne pieces of sacred music.
Anton Armstrong
Adult Choir Conductor
Christopher Aspaas
Women’s Choir Conductor
Notes on Performing
Mendelssohn’s Church Music
If these sacred compositions are to be
performed today, a proper approach to
performing them is perhaps best modeled
on their composer’s own practice as
a conductor. Felix Mendelssohn was widely
acclaimed as a conductor.
[W]hether a great conductor
can ever be a great composer is
a doubtful matter. No modern
example of the kind exists,
save, perhaps in the case of
Mendelssohn:… 33
Mendelssohn was one of the fi rst famous
conductors to use the new baton technique.
He was renowned for his work with the
Gewandhaus Orchestra in Leipzig. He
[B]ased his interpretation on classical
principles, fluent, elastic, elegant;
and the highly declamatory, so
called ‘neo-German’ performance,
of which Liszt was the inaugurator
and Wagner the most important
exponent. 34
The tempo in Mendelssohn’s works should
never be allowed to drag. The composer
was often criticized for rapid tempi. He held
many rehearsals and was not satisfi ed until
all technical diffi culties were resolved. “He
made certain that the musicians thoroughly
understood the style and interpretation of
35, 36
the work under study.”
So, perform the works of Mendelssohn
in your churches and your schools. Beware
that editor’s markings in contemporary
editions do not always refl ect what Mendelssohn
wrote. If you have doubts, check
the complete works in a local university
library or consult a musicologist. Where
you are certain of Mendelssohn’s original
markings, be careful to observe those fi rst
before adding other interpretive dynamics.
On questions of tempo, see above. As for
style, err on the side of clarity of text and
delineation of musical lines. Where Mendelssohn
repeats material, as he often does, one
should use similar declamation for similar
music. For tone quality, consider that Mendelssohn
often writes in a manner similar to
Bach and yet his motets and other works
are precursors of Brahms. Consider also
that much of Mendelssohn’s church music is
polyphonic, so vibrato must be controlled to
allow various themes to shine through the
fabric and to aid tuning. The vast majority of
this music requires legato singing. In a few
cases marcato may be called for, but there is
almost never an instance in these pieces that
requires staccato treatment.
If your choir has never sung any Mendelssohn,
begin with “Lord, Have Mercy,” one of
the Geistliches Lieder, the Te Deum, or Psalm
100. If you have sung “He Watching Over Israel”
or “There Shall a Star from Jacob Come
Forth,” you might begin with one of the Op.
69 motets or include Aus tiefer Not or Hear
My Prayer in a service that allows more time
for music. Above all, sing Mendelssohn! You
will enjoy it, your choir will grow through it,
and your congregation will be uplifted.
Heather Potter
Youth Choir Conductor
Kenney Potter
Teen Choir Conductor
The St. Olaf Conference on
and
Worship, Theology the Arts
july 19–23, 2010
northfield, minn.
stolaf.edu/events/cwta • 800-726-6523
2011 National Honor
Daily worship will celebrate Advent,
Christmas Eve and Epiphany.
46 Choral Journal • April 2010