Two Pentatonic Hymns (1988) (Caroline S. Arnold)
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CPDL #32397: 
- Editor: Richard DeMattia (submitted 2014-07-07). Score information: Letter, 10 pages, 604 kB Copyright: CPDL
- Edition notes:
General Information
Title: Two Pentatonic Hymns (1988)
Composer: Caroline S. Arnold
Lyricists: Josiah Hopkinscreate page and William Cowper
Number of voices: 4vv Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Hymn
Language: English
Instruments: A cappella
Published:
Description: An adaptation and arrangement of two 19th-century American hymns (Expostulation, and Western Melody) for SATB, a capella, with soprano solo. First performance on June 2, 1988 by the Congressional Chorus, Washington DC.
Program notes by the composer
A number of American hymn-tunes from the early 19th century are constructed on five tone, or pentatonic scales. The most well-known of these tunes is the one best known as "Amazing Grace"; another is the old Sunday School favorite, "Jesus Loves Me."
The pentatonic scale is easily visualized as the black keys in one octave on the piano keyboard (from F# to F#), or played as a C major scale leaving out the F and the B. Various reasons have been put forth for the use of this scale -- that it is simpler and hence easier; that it represents a more primitive "modal" scale; that it is based on the limitations of fold-music instruments. However, the evidence of a number of "through-composed" (entirely invented by a composer; not based on a folk-tune or existing melody) pentatonic hymns from the 1800s suggests rather that it was a popular style among people who attended church and prayer meetings. Whatever the reason, these tunes enjoyed considerable popularity, and were printed and reprinted in collections for well over a hundred years.
It is from one such collection -- Gospel Hymns Consolidated, John Church: Cincinnati, and Bigelow & Main: Chicago, 1883 -- that these two hymns were taken. The first, "Expostulation" was through-composed, melody and words, by the Rev. Josiah Hopkins in 1830. It was invariably printed unharmonized, for solo or unison singing. The second hymn, "Western Melody" is apparently a folk-tune collected by Dr. Lowell Mason and first published in 1826, with the text used here, a poem by William Cowper (1731-1800). This hymn always appears with a conventional I-IV-V harmonization and is unambiguously major in mode.
This adaptation is a secular piece on the musical and textual resources of these two hymns. While respecting the religious fervor of the originals, I have intended only to give performers and listeners a glimpse into 19th century hymns and their ambience, not to advance the sectarian beliefs of that time. Caroline Arnold, January 1988, Washington, D.C.
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Original text and translations
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