Conductor-teachers in various educational settings employ different strategies when programming music for performance. Some begin by identifying an overarching theme and then selecting pieces that align with it, while others start with a collection of works and search for a unifying thread. In some cases, conductor-teachers may choose not to use a theme, and sometimes the programming process varies from concert to concert. Although composers, poets, musical epochs, and the titles of works often serve as surface-level identifiers for organizing music within a thematic framework, a thorough study of the scores can uncover a deeper understanding of the music and text, revealing alternative possibilities for programming.
For example, consider Palestrina’s motet Super flumina Babylonis (1604), a setting of the first two verses of Psalm 137.
| Super flumina Babylonis illic sedimus et flevimus, dum recordaremur tui Sion. In salicibus in medio ejus suspendimus organa nostra. | By the streams of Babylon we sat down and we wept when we remembered you, O Zion. Among the willows on its banks we hung our harps.1 |
The text poignantly depicts the Israelites weeping as they recall their homeland, having been captured, exiled, and enslaved. They also “hang [their] harps” on willow trees, an “ancient symbol of sorrow and desolation,”2 because they “cannot sing their song in a strange land.” Furthermore, Rabbi Joshua Greenberg observes that, in Jewish tradition, Psalm 137 is recited on the saddest day of the Jewish calendar.3 In Palestrina’s setting, the shortest section of music, “illic sedimus et flevimus” (we sat down and wept), contrasts starkly with the longest section, “suspendimus organa nostra” (we hung our harps). Palestrina devotes more musical material to the action of hanging their harps than to the anguish of sitting and weeping, highlighting the importance of action in the midst sorrow. While this text is typically categorized as sad, desolate, or distressed, a deeper analysis reveals a more complex narrative. Though the Israelites are undoubtedly dejected, they also take active steps to move beyond their sorrow. Moreover, the memory of their homeland becomes a crucial source of comfort and survival. From this perspective, themes such as hope, longing, redemption, resolution, and liberation could also serve as meaningful frameworks for programming. In his book Song of Exile, David Stowe provides a contemporary example that supports this interpretation. Referring to the Melodians’ 1970 hit song “Rivers of Babylon,” Stowe highlights how the psalm was “set to reggae music to raise awareness of the Rastafari movement, with its calls for justice and liberation.”4
Regardless of the ensemble(s) you conduct, when programming music for the spring season, semester, or beyond, remember that a thorough examination of the score can not only enhance rehearsal effectiveness, but may also open new avenues for interpretation and programming. Challenge yourself this semester to rediscover a piece you have previously prepared and explore fresh ways to present it for performance.
1. Ron Jeffers, Translations and Annotations of Choral Repertoire: Sacred Latin Texts, (Earthsongs, 1988), 208.
2. Ibid., 209
3. Joshua Greenberg, “Psalm 137: Entering the Psalm,” Hebrew College, accessed January 15, 2025, https://hebrewcollege.edu/resource/psalm-137-the-waters-of-babylon/
4. David Stowe, Song of Exile: The Enduring Mystery of Psalm 137, (Oxford University Press, 2016), 54.
Brandon Williams is the R & R Chair for Tenor/Bass Choirs for the Eastern Region of ACDA. He can be reached at [email protected].