Michael Winikoff

In the beginning

Michael Winikoff

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Program Notes

When selecting text to set I’m always drawn to text that has vivid imagery. To me the start ofGenesis is one such text: I find the image of “the spirit . . . hovering over the surface of the waters”quite vivid.

The very start of the piece includes Hebrew text (transliterated below, with CAPITALS being usedto indicate the emphasised syllable of each word), but the rest of the piece is in English.

The piece is not religious, so much as spiritual. The first movement is intended to convey mysteryand awe. The second energetically depicts the emergence of the wondrous cacophony of life,in all of its forms, and the emergence of a complex ecosystem from a barren rock. The thirdmovement is a gentle contrast, and presents humanity’s “mandate” to govern the earth. Gentlenessin this movement grows to swelling love and passion1. This is followed by an increasingly urgentwarning about neglecting our assigned stewardship of the earth. The warnings of rains not coming(droughts), the earth drying up and lying polluted are apt, given the climate change consequencesthat are being observed today.

This piece was begun in 2010, with the first three movements taking form fairly quickly. However,an initial version of the final movement proved unsatisfying, and was thrown out, and a completelydifferent middle section and ending were written, with the piece finally being completed (promptedby the ROCCC!) in early 2016.

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Hebrew Transliteration: (Genesis 1:1-2)bereSHIT baRA eloHIM et hashaMAyim ve’et ha’Aretz.veha’Aretz haiTA TOhu vaVOhu, veKHOsekh al P’NEI teHOM.veRUakh eloHIM meraKHEfet al p’nei haMAyim.

Performance Notes

Note: throughout the piece, when changing between simple and compound time, the pulse ofquavers remains constant.

I

In the opening bars the sopranos and altos produce the sound of wind by exhaling individually.

Bars 2-5 are repeated as many time as needed to allow for the text to be read. When bar 2 is reachedfor the second time the Hebrew text is cued. The Hebrew text should be read by a male voice, andshould be strong until the end of the first line (“ha’Aretz”). At this point it should continue quietly,and the English, preferably read by a female voice, should begin (“In the beginning . . . ” until“Then God said’). The English reading should pause before “Then God said”. Once this point isreached, the conductor should cue the (female) reader when bar 5 is reached, and the text shouldbe read towards the end of the bar, so that when the choir then continues to bar 6, the overall text is“[read] Then God said [sung] let there be light”.

The piece grows in volume and strength from the initial quiet (and mysterious) opening, with aslow but steady crescendo from bar 16 through to the start of bar 20.

The text “for the Lord God had not yet sent rain . . . ” should be sung somewhat freely (like arecitative).

1As in the love of a parent for their children, not the love of, oh, get your minds out of the rutter, er, gutter.

II

This movement must be sung energetically, but not too fast (lest chaos return!)

The middle section should give the impression of a cacophony of animals emerging (fish, bird,etc.). In singing some of the rhythms (especially “let the earth produce every sort of animal”) itmight be easier to not watch the conductor too closely (since the rhythm is off the beat). No matterwhat happens, the choir should come together at bar 54 (the 7/4).

The closing (bar 56 onwards) should be joyous and celebratory.

III

This movement is gentle at first, and then (from the key change onwards) should be sung withgrowing energy and passion. Bar 80 onwards should be sung with a feeling of love, as in the loveof a parent for their children, with the climax of the movement being bar 85.

Note that if the choir does not have enough sopranos and tenors to manage the extended divisi, thenthe first soprano part could be sung by a solo or a few sopranos, and the first tenor could be sungby a solo, or a few tenors, leaving the rest of the sopranos (respectively tenors) to sing the secondsoprano part (respectively second tenor).

IV

The opening should be sung somewhat freely (recitative). The first “but the Lord God warned him”(bars 95-96) should be abruptly loud and harsh (helped by the high A from the tenors), and thesecond (bars 96-97) a quiet echo.

The warning (“If you break . . . ”) from bar 98 onwards should be firm and dark in tone. Initiallyquiet (mp), but steadily growing in volume until around bar 104. The slight diminuendo in bar 105should not drop too far down, and then the crescendo resumes in bar 107, continuing through to theanguished cry of “failed” (bars 112-113). The tuning in bars 102 and 103 requires care.

In my mind I picture the initial phrase (“If you break . . . ”) as being the voice of God. However,after “I will punish you”, the text “That’s why the spring rains have failed” is the voice of humanity,lamenting the failure of their crops, and the ensuing famine.

The next section (“the earth mourns and dries up, the crops waste away and wither”) should bemournful. The crescendo to the cry “wither” (bar 126, echoed in 127 and 128) should not be toostrong. It is an echo of the much stronger cry at 112-113.

The ending of the piece (from bar 130) should begin very quietly, and perhaps be a little slowerthan the preceding section. It then grows and strengthens, reaching its climax with a firm, but notstrident, ff at bar 134 (“you will eat your fill and live securely in your own land”). Note that thedynamic remains strong until the end up bar 136, and then begins to reduce – don’t drop the volumetoo fast.

The soloist for bars 118-120 and 122-124 should be one of the sopranos in the choir.

It may prove advisable to have some of the second sopranos join the first altos in bars 133-136.Alternatively, if the choir is too small to comfortably divide into 7 parts on the final page then theparts could be divided as: S=soprano solo, A1=rest of sopranos, A2=altos, T1=tenor solo, T2=restof tenors.

Text

(New Living Translation)

I

(Genesis 1:1-3) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formlessand empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over thesurface of the waters. Then God said, “Let there be light,” and there was light.

(Genesis 2:4-5) . . . When the Lord God made the earth and the heavens, neither wild plants norgrains were growing on the earth. For the Lord God had not yet sent rain to water the earth, andthere were no people to cultivate the soil.

II

(Genesis 1:11,20,24,25) Then God said, “Let the land sprout with vegetation—every sort of seed-bearing plant, and trees that grow seed-bearing fruit. . . . Let the waters swarm with fish and otherlife. Let the skies be filled with birds of every kind . . . Let the earth produce every sort of animal”. . . And God saw that it was good.

III

(Genesis 1:27-28) So God created human beings in his own image. . . . Then God blessed them andsaid, “Be fruitful and multiply. Fill the earth and govern it. Reign over the fish in the sea, the birdsin the sky, and all the animals . . . ”

IV

(Genesis 2:15-16) The Lord God placed the man in the Garden of Eden to tend and watch over it.But the Lord God warned him, . . .

(Leviticus 26:15-16) . . . if you break my covenant . . . I will punish you.

(Jeremiah 3:3) That’s why [even] the spring rains have failed.

(Isaiah 24:4) The earth mourns and dries up, [and] the crops waste away and wither.

(Leviticus 26:3,5) If you follow my decrees and . . . obey my commands, . . . You will eat your filland live securely in your own land.

In The BeginningMichael Winikoff

(*) bereSHIT baRA eloHIM et hashaMAyim ve’et ha’Aretz. [softer, cue English (below)] veha’Aretz haiTA TOhu vaVOhu, veKHOsekh al P’NEI teHOM. veRUakh eloHIM meraKHEfet al p’nei haMAyim.

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. The earth was formless and empty, and darkness covered the deep waters. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the surface of the waters. [wait for cue] Then God said ...

Copyright 2016 Michael Winikoff. All rights reserved.

I

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

8

34

34

34

34

(unpitched wind sound) Largo = 50

(unpitched wind sound)

mm

pp, hushed

Aw

p

((*) Hebrew, then English text) cue: "then God said"

Let there be

3

Let there be

3

mm

Aw7

S

A

T

B

8

light

light

( )

Aw

mp

Aw

mp

when the

when the

Lord God made the earth and the


12

S

A

T

B

8

-hea vens when the

-hea vens


when the

-hea vens -nei ther

Lord God made the earth when the

- 2 -

15

S

A

T

B

8

wild plants nor


grains were -grow ing on the

-hea vens -nei ther

earth -nei ther

wild plants nor

wild plants nor


19

S

A

T

B

8


rit.

earth, -grow ing on the

44

44

44

44

earth, for the

mf, slower, freely

earth, for the

mf, slower, freely

for the

mf, slower, freely

for the

mf, slower, freely

Lord God had not yet sent

Lo(rd)

Lo(rd)

Lo(rd)

rain to -wa ter the earth

and

23

S

A

T

B

8

aw

there were no -peo ple to

24

24

24

24

-cul -ti vate the

rit.

34

34

34

34

soil

a tempo

Aw

p

Aw

p

- 3 -

II

28

S

A

T

B

8

cue: "Then God said"

24

24

24

24

24

24

Let the

mf Allegro = 133, energetic

Let the

mf

Let the

mf

Let the

mf

land

land

land

land

34

34

34

34

34

34

sprout with -ve -ge

sprout with -ve -ge

sprout with -ve -ge

sprout with -ve -ge

44

44

44

44

44

44

-ta tion -e very

-ta tion -e very

-ta tion -e very

-ta tion -e very

98

98

98

98

98

98

33

S

A

T

B

8

98

98

98

98

98

98

sort of seed -bea ring plant and

=




58

58

58

58

58

58

trees that grow

trees that grow

trees that grow

trees that grow

44

44

44

44

44

44

seed -bea ring fruit

=

seed -bea ring fruit let the



-wa ters swarm with

37

S

A

T

B

8

fish and -o ther life

let the

let the -wa ters

-wa ters swarm with

swarm with fish and


-o ther life let the

let the -wa ters

- 4 -

41

S

A

T

B

8

let the -wa ters

-wa ters swarm with

swarm with fish and

swarm with fish and




let the -wa ters

-wa ters swarm with

let the

44

S

A

T

B

8

-wa ters swarm with

swarm with fish and


-wa ters swarm with


-o ther life let the -wa

let the -wa ters swarm


let the -wa ters

ters swam with fish

with fish and -o ther

let the -wa ters

47

S

A

T

B

8

let the sky be filled with

and -o ther life

life let the -wa

swarm with fish and

birds of -e very kind let the

let the -wa ters swarm

ters swam with fish

-o ther life let the -earth

sky be filled with birds of

with fish and -o ther

and -o ther life

-pro duce -ev ery sort of -a

- 5 -

50

S

A

T

B

8

-e very kind let the sky

life let the earth -pro duce

let the sky be filled with

-ni mals let the earth -pro duce

be filled with birds of -e very

-e very sort of -a -ni mal

birds of -e very kind let the

-e very sort of -a -ni mal

kind let the sky be filled

let the earth -pro duce -e

sky be filled with birds of

let the earth -pro duce -e

53

S

A

T

B

8

with birds of -e very let the

very sort of -a -ni mal let the

-e very kind let the

very sort of -a -ni mal let the

74

74

74

74

74

74

earth -pro duce -e very sort of -a -ni mal let the




55

S

A

T

B

8

earth -pro duce -e very sort of -a -ni mal and God

sp


sp


sp


sp

54

54

54

54

saw that it was good and God

(5/4 = 6/8+2/4)

saw that it was good and God( )


( )






- 6 -

58

S

A

T

B

8













61

S

A

T

B

8


saw that it was good( )

saw that it was good

saw that it was good

68

68

68

68

saw that it was

and God

and God

and God

saw that it was

saw that( )

saw that

saw that

saw that it was

Rit.

it was

it was

it was

65

S

A

T

B

8

good.

good.

good.

good.

34

34

34

34

And God

Slower

And God

And God

And God

saw that

( )

saw that

( )

saw that

saw that

it was

Rit.

it was

it was

it was

good

good

good

good

- 7 -

III

Spoken: "So God created human beings in his own image. Then God blessed them and said:"

70

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

8

be

mp Lento ( = 58), gentle

be

mp fruit ful and

fruit ful and

38

38

38

38

mul -ti

( )

=

mul -ti

34

34

34

34

ply fill the

=

ply fill the

fill the

24

24

24

24

74

S

A

T

B

8

24

24

24

24

earth and

earth and

earth and

44

44

44

44

-go vern it, fill the



24

24

24

24

earth and

earth and

earth and

34

34

34

34

-go vern it

-go vern it

-go vern it

54

54

54

54

78

S

A

T

B

8

54

54

54

54

reign -o ver the fish in the sea

mf (trumpet-like)


mf (trumpet-like)


mf (trumpet-like)

reign -o ver the birds in the sky and a(ll)

f

reign -o ver the birds in the sky let the

f

reign -o ver the birds in the sky

f

reign and all

f

- 8 -

80

Soprano 1

Soprano 2

Alto

Tenor 1

Tenor 2

B

8

8

44

44

44

44

44

44

44

44

(Aw)( )

a little slower ( = 55)

(Aw)( )

-wa ters swarm with( ) ( )

with Love ...

all the -a -ni mals

( )

with Love ...

all the -a -ni mals

( )

with Love ...

the -a -ni mals

( )

with Love ...

( )

( )( )

Aw


all let the sky

all the -a -ni mals

all the -a -ni mals

all the -a -ni mals

-wa ters swarm with

be filled with birds of -e very

all the -a -ni mals

all the -a -ni mals

83

S1

S2

A

T1

T2

B

8

8

( )

Aw

fish and -o ther life with

kind let the sky be filled

all the -a -ni mals

all the -a -ni mals

Ah

fish and -o ther li(fe)

with birds of -e very ki(nd)

all the -a -ni mals

all the -a -ni mals

rit.

Ah

Ah

all the -a -ni mals

- 9 -

86

S

A

T

B

8

Ah

slower mp

be -fruit ful

and

Rit.

-mul -ti ply

3

IV

90

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass

8

Andante = 55

the

mp

the

mp

the

mp

34

34

34

34

Lord God placed the

( )

Lord God placed the

( )

Lord God placed the

( )

man in the -gar den of

( )


( )


24

24

24

24

to

-e den to

-e den to

-e den to tend

68

68

68

68

tend and watch -o ver

=



and watch -o ver

38

38

38

38

95

S

A

T

B

8

38

38

38

38

it but the

sf

it but the

sf

it but the

sf

it but the

sf

44

44

44

44

Lord God warned him

=

Lord God warned him

Lord God warned him, but the

pp (echo)

Lord God warned him, but the

pp (echo)

54

54

54

54

If you

mp (Dark rich tone)

If you

mp

Lord God warned him: If you

mp

Lord God warned him: If you

mp

34

34

34

34

break my

break my

break my

break my

44

44

44

44

- 10 -

99

S

A

T

B

8

44

44

44

44

-co -ve nant, If you

3mf


3mf


3mf


3 mf

34

34

34

34

break my -co -ve

break my -co -ve

break my -co -ve

3

break my -co -ve

nant I will

( )

f

nant I will

f

nant I will

( )

f

nant I will

f

-pu nish you I will

-pu nish you I will

-pu nish you I will

-pu nish you I will

-pu nish you

-pu nish you, I will

-pu nish you

-pu nish you104

S

A

T

B

8

-pu nish I will

( ) ( )

-pu nish I will

( )

-pu nish

( )

pu nish I will( )

-pu nish I will( )

-pu nish I will

That’s

-pu nish you

-pu nish you

-pu nish you

why the

That’s why the

That’s why the

That’s why the

spring rains have

spring rains have

spring rains have

spring rains have

failed

failed

failed

failed

110

S

A

T

B

8

That’s why the

That’s why the

That’s why the

That’s why the

spring rains have

spring rains have

spring rains have

spring rains have

failed

failed, failed

rit.

failed

failed, failedfailed

failed, failed

failed

failed, failed

failed

failed

failed

failed

failed

p (echo) (Largo = 50)

failed

p (echo)

Aw

p (echo)

(unpitched wind sound) p (echo)

- 11 -

116

S

A

T

B

8



Aw

p

Aw

p

the

mp solo

earth mourns and dries up, the

p tutti

earth mourns and

122

S

A

T

B

8

dries up, the

solo

crops waste -a way and

the

-wi ther, the

tutti



-wi ther, the crops

the crops

the crops

-wi ther

mf

-wi ther

mf

-wi ther

mf

-wi ther

mf

127

S

A

T

B

8

-wi ther

mp

-wi ther

mp

-wi ther

mp

-wi ther

mp

-wi ther

p

-wi ther

p

-wi ther

p

-wi ther

p

A little slower ( = 47)

If you

pp

44

44

44

44

-fol low my -de crees, if you

-fol low my -de crees and -o

-fol low my -de crees and -o

- 12 -

132

S

A

T

B

8

bey my -com mands -o-o

bey my -com mands -o

If you -fol low my -de

If you -fol low my -de

bey my -com mandsbey my -com mands you

bey my -com mands

crees and -o bey my -com

crees and -o bey my -com

you will eat your fill and

ff

will eat your fill and

you will eat your fill and

ff

mands you will eat your

ff

mands you will eat your

ff

135

S

A

T

B

8

live -se -cure ly in

live -se -cure ly in

fill and live -se -cure ly in

fill and live -se

your own

your in

your

-cure ly in your own

your own

your own

own

land. And God

slower pp (echo)

land. And God

pp (echo)

land. And God

pp (echo)

land. And God

pp (echo)

34

34

34

34

139

S

A

T

B

8

34

34

34

34

saw that

rit.

saw that

saw that

saw that

it was

it was

it was

it was

good

a tempo

good

good( )

good

( )

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