Under the Shadow is a piano vocal score composed by Robert Denham. It is comprised of five vignettes and replies, a prologue, and an epilogue. Because it is considered a sacred piece, it often expresses themes pertaining religion. Additionally, the oratorio has themes about the conflict between light and dark. It uses these themes by describing a destructive event in history and in the Reply states a “hopeful truth” from the Bible or religious figure. Moreover, the composer utilizes many elements of music such as the manipulation of musical instruments and the voices of the choir to convey the story of the movement.
My favorite movement is Vignette 5: The Heart of a People. It is my favorite because of its theme and musical elements. This vignette is about the Holocaust from an eyewitness account of the Nazi gas chambers. To add, the lyrics question why anyone do such horrid things to …show more content…
To begin, there are many instances where the choir uses Gregorian chant like in measure 57-61 of the Vignette. This sets a serious mood in some parts of the song. Also, the choir repeats several lines in the song throughout which emphasises the main point of the vignette which is “I see everything”. Nevertheless, the choir sings with proper singing technique including elongated vowels, short deep breaths from the diaphragm, and being fully engaged the entire time they are singing. For instance, near the end of the movement, the lyrics describe something heavenly and the choir effectively tells the audience about this Heaven-like location by using singing technique specifically elongated vowels. The choir’s overall tone is warm but strong and passionate because of their technique and the lyrics they sing in the movement. Furthermore, there are two soloists, a mezzo soprano and a tenor. They also exemplify good singing technique which makes the solos much more
My favorite movement is Vignette 5: The Heart of a People. It is my favorite because of its theme and musical elements. This vignette is about the Holocaust from an eyewitness account of the Nazi gas chambers. To add, the lyrics question why anyone do such horrid things to …show more content…
To begin, there are many instances where the choir uses Gregorian chant like in measure 57-61 of the Vignette. This sets a serious mood in some parts of the song. Also, the choir repeats several lines in the song throughout which emphasises the main point of the vignette which is “I see everything”. Nevertheless, the choir sings with proper singing technique including elongated vowels, short deep breaths from the diaphragm, and being fully engaged the entire time they are singing. For instance, near the end of the movement, the lyrics describe something heavenly and the choir effectively tells the audience about this Heaven-like location by using singing technique specifically elongated vowels. The choir’s overall tone is warm but strong and passionate because of their technique and the lyrics they sing in the movement. Furthermore, there are two soloists, a mezzo soprano and a tenor. They also exemplify good singing technique which makes the solos much more