September 15, 2024
Schiller Institute NYC Chorus 9/11 Memorial Concert
Tragedy & Hope: Restoring America's Classical Tradition
Excerpt:
Dmitry Bortniansky Choral Concerto No. 22 Psalm 27 (26 in the Orthodox listing)

The full concert program is available at
https://www.sinycchorus.com/9_11_memorial_concert_restore_the_classical_in_america
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Gospod prosvecshenie moe i Spasitel moi,
kogo uboyusya?
Gospod zacshititel zhivota moyego,
ot kogo ustrashusya?
 
Acshe opolchitsya na mya polk,
ne uboitsya serdtse moe,
acshe vostanet na bran,
na Nego az upovayu.
 
Yako skri mya v selenii Svoem v dehn 
zol moikh pokri mya
v taine seleniya Svoego,
na kamen voznese mya.
 
I nine se voznese glavu moyu na vraghi moya:
obidokh, i pozhrokh v selenii Yego
zhertvu khvaleniya i voskliknoveniya,
poyu i vospoyu Gospodevi.
 ____________ 
The Lord is my light and my Savior;
Whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the strength of my life;
Of whom shall I be afraid?

Though an army may encamp against me,
My heart shall not fear;
Though war may rise against me,
In Him will I be confident.

For in the time of trouble
He shall hide me in the 
secret place of His tabernacle
He shall set me high upon a rock.

And now my head shall be lifted up 
above my enemies all around me;
Therefore I will offer sacrifices of joy in His tabernacle;
I sing and I will sing praises to the Lord.
 ____________
 Dmitry Stepanovich Bortniansky was born in Hlukhiv in the oblast of Chernihiv in Ukraine in 1751. There at the Preparatory Music School, he started his music education at an early age and at the age of seven he was sent to St. Petersburg to continue his studies and sing with the Imperial Chapel Choir. 

In 1764, the Venetian composer, Baldassare Galuppi, became director of the Chapel Choir under Tsarina Catherine II and directly took over Bortniansky studies. Already on his arrival, Galuppi said of the Chapel Choir, "I'd never heard such a magnificent choir in Italy." Bortniansky accompanied Galuppi on his return to Italy in 1768 and studied there for the next 11 years. 

On his return to St. Petersburg in 1779, Bortniansky assumed the position of director of the Chapel Choir, and in 1796 became Director of Vocal Music and Administrator of the Imperial Chapel, overseeing the direction of music throughout the Russian Empire until his death in 1825.

The excellence of the chapel choir under Bortniansky's direction is evidenced by the fact that in 1824, at the express wish of the composer himself, Ludwig van Beethoven's Missa Solemnis was premiered in St. Petersburg by Bortniansky’s Imperial Chapel Choir.

Bortniansky’s sacred works, included 72 liturgical hymns (26 of them for double chorus), including for Catholic Latin and German Protestant texts, 45 choral concertos encompassing the Psalms (including 10 for double chorus), cantatas, 10 Te Deum’s, the Liturgy for three voices, and eight sacred trios. His secular works include seven operas and many chamber and orchestral works.

The Concerto No. 22 contains a prominent theme in the middle adagio movement, which is echoed in the popular 19th century revivalist folk song Say Brothers, Will You Meet Us? It became the basis for the abolitionist camp song, John Brown’s Body, and subsequently the American Civil War anthem, the Battle Hymn of the Republic.