John McCabe

Amen/Alleluia

This little tribute to William Ferris and the William Ferris Chorale consists of two sections, the first slow and the second quick. The text is simply the two words of the title, the Amen being the first section and (with minimal overlap) the Alleluia the second. In each part, the relevant word is gradually built up from its component syllables or sounds, and the second section is a gradual progress from a quiet, light texture to a blazing final cadence. Commissioned by the William Ferris Chorale for their 20th Anniversary Season and first performed by them on 27 March 1992 at Mount Carmel Church, Chicago, Illinois, conducted by William Ferris.