The Christmas Music of Amy Beach

The Christmas Music of Amy Beach

by R. Rojas

Amy Beach was the first female composer from the United States to have a symphony performed by a major orchestra. She was also the first American composer whose music education was done totally in the United States.

A website dedicated to Beach has a good biography on the composer, and the Library of Congress link that I give below, lists various books on Beach. The Library of Congress also has a small biography.  AmyBeach.org also has a Timeline of her life.

Beach's Christmas music is not grand, and we found videos for all of these works and posted them below. In addition, we posted videos of her sacred music that we could find. If no video is included, it means we could not find one for that piece.

Beach's Christmas Music

Beach's 1893 "Bethlehem," Op. 24 is based on the text by G.C. Hugg:

"Bethlehem" Op. 24

Hugg wrote a good deal of his own music, including many hymns and Christmas works. He appears to only have written the text in this piece. Above it is performed by the Choral Society of Pensacola. A facsimile of the score can be seen at the United States Library of Congress page: Bethlehem a Christmas Hymn. In another Library of Congress entry under "Bethlehem," op. 24 by Amy Beach, the small articles states: 

Amy Beach's "Christmas Hymn," Bethlehem, op. 24, was heard on December 24, 1893, at Boston's First Church Unitarian. Arthur Foote was the organist. He was also one of the composers included in a group called the Boston Six whose other members were Amy Beach, George Chadwick, Edward MacDowell, John Knowles Paine, and Horatio Parker.

The piece sets a text by George C. Hugg, a compiler of late-nineteenth-century hymnals. Beach's hymn enjoyed great popularity, receiving performances at the First Baptist Church, Boston, in 1893 and, a few years later, in Detroit and Minneapolis. Arthur P. Schmidt published and disseminated Beach's works, serving as an early champion of women composers. Beach also was an energetic promoter of her own music. (1)

"Peace on Earth," Op. 38 is a version of "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear" on the text of E.H. Sears. The piece is from 1897: 

"Peace on Earth," Op. 38

A facsimile of the orignal score can be found at the Library of Congress: Peace on earth Christmas anthem: op. 38. A separate article ""Peace on Earth, op. 38, (1897)" by Amy Beach," although short, gives some history:

Peace on Earth, op. 38, (1897), Beach subtitled "Christmas Anthem." It is an ambitious piece that sets to music verses one, four, and five of the E. H. Sears text, "It Came upon the Midnight Clear." For the fifth verse, Beach uses a variant published by Edward Bickersteth in his 1879 Hymnal Companion to the Book of Common Prayer. The anthem exemplifies her use of colorful, imaginative harmonies and smoothly voiced part writing.

In her Music's Ten Commandments as Given for Young Composers (1915), she wrote "Hear as much choral music as possible. The study of voice writing, as illustrated in the master works, is of the greatest importance." Beach inserts frequent expressive markings throughout the anthem. Immediately following a poco animato and ff at "From Heaven's all-gracious King," she writes Tranquillo, pp, for "The world in solemn stillness lay." Then she highlights "To hear the angels sing" espressivo. She places a dolce at "Peace on the earth," and another espr. on the repetition of that text phrase.

Beach's use of expressive devices serves to demonstrate adherence to her tenth musical commandment: "Remember that technic is valuable only as a means to an end. You must first have something to say--something which demands expression from the depths of your soul. If you feel deeply and know how to express what you feel, you make others feel." (2)

"Constant Christmas," Op. 95 (1922) uses a poem by Phillips Brook and is written for soprano, alto, 4 voices, organ:

"Constant Christmas," Op. 95

The text can be found on page 27 of the facsimile of Christmas song and Easter carols by Phillips Brooks (1904), but we also included it below. (3) It is SATB and is also available at St. James Music Press.

Text:

The sky can still remember
The earliest Christmas morn,
When in the cold December
The Savior, Christ, was born.

And still in darkness clouded,
And still in noonday light,
It feels its far depths crowded
With Angels fair and bright

No star unfolds its glory,
No trumpet wind is blown,
But tells the Christmas story
In music of its own.

No eager strife of mortals
In busy field or town
But sees the opened portals
Through which the Christ comes down.

O never-failing splendor!
O never-silent song!
Still keep the green earth tender,
Still keep the gray earth strong,

Still keep the brave earth dreaming
Of deeds that shall be done,
While children's lives come streaming
Like sunbeams from the sun.

O Angels sweet and splendid,
Throng in our hearts and sing
The wonders which attended
The coming of the King.

Till we too, boldly pressing
Where once the shepherds trod,
Climb Bethlehem's Hill of Blessing,
And find the Son of God.

"Around the Manger, Op. 115" has three versions. The first 1925 version is for 4 voices, organ/piano (1925), version for 1v, piano/organ. The second 1925 version is for female chorus 3 voices, organ/piano. The 1929 version is for female chorus 4 voices, organ/piano.

Here it is performed by the Crystal Cathedral Choir:

"Around the Manger," Op. 115

Winter

I could find only one winter-themed work and that was inside of a bigger piece "Eskimos" Op. 64:

Eskimos, Op. 64: No. 1, Arctic Night:

Lullabies

Beach composed five pieces on lullabies and/or cradle themes:

Fairly Lullaby, P. 37, No. 3 on text by Shakespeare:

Five Burns Songs (1899): "Dearie, Scottish Cradle Song," Op. 43, No. 1:

2 Mother Songs, Op. 69: No. 1, "Baby":

A Cradle Song of the Lonely Mother, op. 108 (1914):

Baby (S.R. Quick); May Flowers (Moody); 1932 (1933), Op. 137/1.

Sacred Music

Beach has much more sacred music and a lot of what I term seasonal music (one touched upon by Philip Burnelle below). 

As for sacred music, they include:

Mass in B flat major:

A "Graduale" which was later added to her Mass in B flat major (performed by Wells School of Music):

The hymn "Praise the Lord All ye Nations" performed here by
USC Thornton University Chorus:

:

Choral Responses (1891): Nunc dimittis (Bible: Luke ii.29), With prayer and supplication (Bible: Philippians iv.6–7), Peace I leave with you (Bible: John iv.27), Op. 8/1:

1. Nunc dimittis

2. With prayer and supplication

3. Peace I leave with you

Alleluia, Christ is risen (after M. Weisse, C.F. Gellert, T. Scott, T. Gibbons) (1895), arr. with violin obbligato (1904), Op. 27.

The hymn Teach me thy way (Ps lxxxvi.11–12), 1895, Op. 33.

Help us, O God (Pss lxxix.9, 5; xlv.6; xliv.26), 5 voices (1903), Op. 50:

Service in A, alto, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, 4 voices, organ: Te Deum, Benedictus (1905), rev. omitting Gloria, 1934; Jubilate Deo; Magnificat; Nunc dimittis (1906), Op. 63:

Te Deum

Benedictus

Jubilate Deo

Magnificat

Gloria (1)

All hail the power of Jesus' name (E. Perronet), 4 voices, organ/piano, 1914 (1915), Op. 74:

Thou knowest, Lord (J. Borthwick), tenor, bass, 4 voices, organ (1915), Op. 76: 

Canticles (1916): Bonum est, confiteri (Ps xcii. 1–4), soprano, 4 voices, organ; Deus misereatur (Ps lxvii); Cantate Domino (Ps xcviii); Benedic, anima mea (Ps ciii), Op. 78/1: 

Deus misereatur

Te Deum, f, tenor, male chorus 3 voices, organ, 1921 (1922), Op. 84:

There are various "Te Deum"s by Beach on YouTube. These videos do not note if they are Opus 84 as they could be the "Te Deum" from her Mass in B, Op. 5.

The Lord is my shepherd (Ps xxiii), female chorus 3 voices, organ (1923), Op. 96.

Benedictus es, Domine, Benedictus (Bible: Luke i.67–81), bass, 4 voices, organ (1924), Op. 103/1.

Let this mind be in you (Bible: Philippians ii.5–11), soprano, bass, 4 voices, organ (1924), Op. 105 (performed by Yale Schola Cantorum):

Lord of the worlds above (I. Watts), soprano, tenor, bass, 4 voices, organ (1925), Op. 109.

Jesus my Saviour (A. Elliott) (1925), Op. 112:

Benedicite omnia opera Domini (Bible: Daniel iii.56–8) (1928), Op. 121.

Communion Responses: Kyrie, Gloria tibi, Sursum corda, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, Gloria, soprano, alto, tenor, bass, 4 voices, organ (1928), Op. 122:

Kyrie

Agnus Dei, SA, chorus, organ/piano (1936) [suppl. to op.122]:

The Canticle of the Sun (St Francis), soprano, mezzo-soprano, tenor, bass, 4 voices, orchestra, 1924, orchestral score (1928), Op. 123: 

Two Sacred Songs: Evening Hymn: The shadows of the evening hours (A. Procter), soprano, alto, 4 voices, 1934 (1936), Op. 125/2:

Evening Hymn

Sprit of Mercy

Christ in the universe (A. Meynell), alto, tenor, 4 voices, orchestra, orchestral score (1931), Op. 132

Four Choral Responses (J. Fischer) (1932), Op. 133.

God is our stronghold (E. Wordsworth), soprano, 4 voices, organ, Op. 134.

Hearken unto me (Bible: Isaiah li.1, 3; xliii.1–3; xl.28, 31), soprano, alto, tenor, bass, 4 voices, orchestra, orchestral score (1934), Op. 139.

O Lord, God of Israel (Bible: 1 Kings viii.23, 27–30, 34), soprano, alto, bass, 4 voices, 1935, Op. 141.

Lord of all being (O.W. Holmes) (1938), Op. 146

I will give thanks (Ps cxi), soprano, 4 voices, organ (1939), Op. 147:

Hymn: O God of love, O King of peace (H.W. Baker), 4 voices, 1941 (1942).

Pax nobiscum (E. Marlatt), (female chorus 3 voices)/(male chorus 3 voices/4vv), organ (1944)

Mass in A

Seasonal

Beach also composed a good deal of music focused on the seasons:

Four Songs, 1890 (1891): "The Summer Wind" (W. Learned), Le secret (J. de Resseguier), (1901), Op. 14/1:

"Summer Dreams" Op.47 for 1 Pianos 4 Hands:

"Farwell Summer" Op. 102:

"The year's at the spring" (R. Browning), female chorus 4 voices, piano (1909); Ah, love, but a day (Browning), female chorus 4 voices, piano (1927), Op. 44/1:

"Ah, Love, but a Day!"

Only a Song (A.L. Hughes), "One Summer Day" (Hughes), female chorus 4 voices (1904), Op. 57/1.

"Dusk in June" (S. Teasdale), female chorus 4 voices (1917), Op. 82:

Four Songs, 1890 (1891): "The Summer Wind" (W. Learned), (1901), Op. 14/1:

Three [R.] Browning Songs (1900): "The year's at the spring," arr. soprano, tenor, piano (1917), arr. 1v, piano, violin (1920), arr. chorus by H. Norden (1949), nos.1–2 arr. chorus (1927), Op. 44/1:

Four Songs, 1903–4 (1904): "Autumn Song" (H.H.A. Beach), , arr. with violin obbligato (1919), Op. 56/1:

Only a Song (A.L. Hughes), "One Summer Day" (Hughes), 

female chorus 4 voices (1904), Op. 57/1.

"May Eve," 4 voices, piano, 1921 (1933), Op. 86.

"Springtime" (S.M. Heywood) (1929), Op. 124:

"April Dreams: (K.W. Harding), 1935.

Although Beach is one of those women composer "hiding in plain site," as scholar Melissa Wertheimer describes her and other female composers, there has been a lot of interest in her work of recent. This includes the creation of a website for her, which we used in creation of this post: AmyBeach.org.

Also, on YouTube there are tons of videos seeking to bring Beach's music back to the attention of modern orchestras and choirs. Some gems include:

This video is from Classical Nerd: The Great Composers: Amy Beach:

Mary Spender: Amy Beach and the Western Music Canon:

Last, Philip Brunelle's Musical Moments series on the VocalEssence channel has an episode on Beach and Brunelle is always good to educate us:

The Classical Breakdown Podcast did an episode on her on: The Life and Music of Amy Beach, an American Composer and it is a good episode if you are unfamiliar with Beach's music.

The Library of Congress also had a good deal of interesting writing on Beach. One can begin with the Amy Beach: A Guide to Primary and Secondary Resources at the Library of Congress.

Amy Beach is a composer worth familiarizing one's self with and her works continue to be rediscovered.

Notes:

1. Beach wrote a "Gloria" for her Mass in E flat major and for her Service in A. We are not sure if this video called Mass in A is mislabeled and it is her Service in A.

References: 

Biography. https://www.amybeach.org/about/biography/. Accessed January 26, 2023.

1.  Bethlehem, op. 24, Amy Beach. Library of Congress. https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200153369/. Accessed January 27, 2023.

2. Peace on Earth, op. 38, (1897)" by Amy Beach, Library of Congress: https://www.loc.gov/item/ihas.200153399/. Accessed January 27, 2023.

3. Brooks, Phillips. Christmas songs and Easter carols, D.B. Updike at the Merrymount Press, Boston, for E.P. Dutton and Company, in September, 1903: https://archive.org/details/christmassongsa00broogoog/mode/2up. Accessed January 27, 2023.