Page 11 - Forbes L'Estrange I will hold him

Composer’s Notes
I took as my inspiration for this piece a wonderfully evocative painting [shown left] by my friend the Reverend Ally Barrett depicting the annunciation. The central figure of Mary is flanked on the left by the angel of God whose wings embrace her and on the right by a dove, representing the Holy Spirit. Ally explained to me her thinking behind the painting: ‘Mary is able to be overwhelmed but not obliterated by the Holy Spirit because the same God who calls her is also holding her and giving her strength; likewise, she can hold Jesus because she herself is held.’ I was particularly struck by the second part which gave me my title of ‘I will hold
him’ and around which I constructed the text, culminating in the voice of Mary praying to God, saying ‘I will hold Him as Thou holdest me’.
Beginning with the familiar story of the angel Gabriel coming to Galilee to bring Mary the news that she will bear God’s son, the verses thereafter take the form of a conversation between Gabriel (Tenors and Basses) and Mary (Sopranos and Altos). The turning point comes at verse 5 when Mary repeats the words which the angel has just spoken but in the first person, indicating her willingness to accept God’s calling. For the final section of the piece, Mary, now represented by a solo soprano, communes directly with God through prayer. The metre changes from the folky 6/8 to a freer colla voce at which point the choir resumes its verse 1 role of narrator. The solo line would ideally be performed by a woman or a girl treble, since it represents the voice of Mary.
The organ/piano part is intended for rehearsal purposes only. I would encourage choirs to experiment with the hummed sections which can be performed as Mm, Nn or Ng, depending on which creates the best balance with the melodic lines. Lastly, I am very grateful to Revd Ally Barrett for providing the inspiration for this piece which I hope choirs will enjoy singing as part of their Christmas carol services.
Joanna Forbes L’Estrange www.joannaforbeslestrange.com