"Up-hill" [Christopher Roland Brown]

"Up-hill" [Christopher Roland Brown]

First line of lyrics: Does the road wind up hill all the way?

Part of: "Magnificat"

Brown, Christopher Roland; music (English, born 1943)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

1980 [publication]

London: Chester Music

genre: sacred music|song|song cycle

solo: soprano|alto|tenor|bass

chorus: SATB chorus

instrumentation: orchestra

initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats

initial time signature: 3/4

origin: United Kingdom

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "Up-Hill"

Place in the larger work: Section III(a) of 10 sections in "Magnificat" as follows: I. "Magnificat"; I (a). "O we can wait no longer" (Walt Whitman); II. "Et Misericordia"; II (a). "Who is at my window" (Anonymous); III. "Fecit potenciam"; III (a). "Up-hill" (Christina Rossetti); IV. "Suscept Israel"; IV (a). "If there had anywhere appeared"; "Interlude"; V. "Gloria Patri" (Record for Magnificat).

Composition history: "This work was commissioned by the St Albans Chamber Choir with funds provided by the Eastern Arts Association."

Tempo markings: quarter note = 52

Performance instructions: For orchestra (2 flutes, 2 oboes (2 doubling oboe d'amore), 1 bassoon, 3 trumpets, timpani/percussion (1 player), organ, strings). The composer suggests that "Magnificat" may be played in two different ways. Version I: the complete work as it appears in the score (duration: c. 34 minutes). Version II: a setting of the latin Magnificat using cuts made on score, which omits all the English texts, and using only soprano solo, chorus and orchestra (duration: c. 19 minutes).

Performance history: "First performed on 7 March 1981 in the Queen Elizabeth Hall, London by the St Albans Chamber Choir, conducted by Richard Stangroom."

Notes: A manuscript score.

Format 1: musical score

5 pages (pp. 34-39); version 1 performance time 34 minutes; version 2 performance time 19 minutes.

Other data reference(s): Record for "Magnificat". Music Online: Classical Scores Library, Volume III, Alexander Street, https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity|score_movement|2339360. Accessed 27 Feb. 2018. This source maybe restricted except to subscribing institutions or individuals.

Cataloguer: Sarah Pennington, University of Ottawa

musical score: Royal Academy of Music Library, London

This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: Record for "Magnificat". Music Online: Classical Scores Library, Volume III, Alexander Street, https://search.alexanderstreet.com/view/work/bibliographic_entity|score_movement|2339360. Accessed 27 Feb. 2018. This source maybe restricted except to subscribing institutions or individuals.

Opus: 52

Record: CRM-uphill-brown

File(s): CRM-uphill-brown-bars33-34.jpg

"This score is protected by copyright. All rights reserved by Chester Roland Brown and Chester Music."

The Christina Rossetti in Music project website is hosted in Canada at the University of Ottawa Library, and we aim to comply with Canadian copyright laws. If you believe we have violated Canadian copyright law, please contact us at christinarossettimusic@uottawa.ca. The Christina Rossetti in Music project is strictly not for profit and intended for research and educational purposes only.