Anniversaries in Sacred Music: Singing the Nicene Creed with Frank Martin and Ralph Vaughan Williams

To Thee, O unbegotten One, And Thee, O sole-begotten Son,
And Thee, O Holy Ghost, we raise / Our equal and eternal praise

—From the Tenth-Century Latin Hymn,
​“Be present, holy Trinity”

In our five-part survey of the settings of the ordinary of the Mass by Frank Martin (1890–1974) and Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872–1958), we now come to the heart of the Mass ordinary and its unique opportunities for text painting, the Nicene Creed. Consider, for a moment, the five parts of the Mass which have inspired countless composers through the centuries:

Kyrie (“Lord, have mercy”)
Gloria (“Glory be to God on high”)
Credo (“I believe in one God”)
Sanctus (“Holy, holy, holy”)
Agnus Dei (“Lamb of God”)
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The Kyrie and the Gloria are adjacent to one another in the divine liturgy, so the trinitarian petitions for clemency in the Kyrie flow seamlessly into the song of the angels in the Gloria. The Sanctus and the Agnus Dei are both part of the Communion liturgy, separated only by the Our Father, the Words of Our Lord, and the sharing of the peace, but united by their eucharistic context. The Creed, then, is set apart in this typical five-part progression because it is liturgically somewhat distant from the other four texts, it is the longest of the five texts, and usually treated as the centerpiece of musical settings of the Mass. The Creed gives the composer a chance to paint in vivid musical colors the majesty of the Father, the humiliation and exaltation of the Son, the vivification of the faithful through the Lord and giver of life, as the two composers we are exploring in this “Anniversaries in Sacred Music” series demonstrate.

Martin’s setting of the Creed begins in textual unison, and then becomes more polyphonic and complex, making the most of both choirs and opportunities for textual and musical contrast. For example, the choirs echo one another on majestic phrases such as “God of God, light of light,” as if two choirs of angels are calling to one another. Set in contrast to this music is one of Martin’s most endearing musical phrases and a highlight for composer and listeners alike: “The Credo holds some of Martin’s own favorite music, on the words ‘et incarnatus est’ [1:42 in the video below]; he would use this music again in his Christmas Oratorio, stressing that these bars from the Mass were ‘very dear to me’” (Dale Warland, as quoted in ACC CD 120, liner notes). Martin uses a jagged and ascending motif for “Crucifixus,” perhaps depicting the Son of Man as being lifted up on the cross. “Et sepultus est” (“He was buried”) descends to the depths, followed by buoyant sixteenth figures to depict the resurrection of the Son of God. The new life of the One who rose on the third day carries seamlessly into the life of the Spirit, the Lord and giver of life, a musical reminder that the life lived incarnationally in the Son is now lived sacramentally in His body, the church.

So clear away all distractions, rejoice that seventy percent of English words come from Latin, and give thanks that Frank Martin—after a forty-year hiatus—finally let the world hear this remarkable music, especially fitting for the commemoration of the Council of Nicea on June 12th. Times for Martin are on the left, by the Latin text; times for RVW are on the right, by the English translation.
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Credo in unum Deum,
Patrem omnipotentem,
factorem caeli et terrae,
visibilium omnium
et invisibilium,

00:26
Et in unum Dominum
Iesum Christum,
Filium Dei unigenitum,
et ex Patre natum,
ante omnia saecula,
 
00:52
Deum de Deo,
lumen de Lumine,
Deum verum de Deo vero,
genitum, non factum,
consubstantialem Patri:
per quem omnia facta sunt.

1:20
Qui propter nos homines
et propter nostram salutem
descendit de caelis.

1:42
Et incarnatus est
de Spiritu Sancto
ex Maria Virgine,
et homo factus est.

2:19
Crucifixus etiam pro nobis
sub Pontio Pilato;
passus et sepultus est,
 
3:16
et resurrexit tertia die,
secundem Scripturas,
et ascendit in caelum,
sedet ad dexteram Patris.

3:47
Et iterum venturus est
cum gloria,
iudicare vivos et mortuos,
cuius regni non erit finis.

4:11
Et in Spiritum Sanctum,
Dominum et vivificantem:
qui ex Patre
Filioque procedit.
 
4:26
Qui cum Patre et Filio
simul adoratur et conglorificatur:
qui locutus est per prophetas.

4:39
Et unam, sanctam, catholicam
et apostolicam Ecclesiam.

Confiteor unum baptisma
in remissionem peccatorum.

5:01
Et expecto resurrectionem
mortuorum,
et vitam venturi saeculi.
Amen.
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I believe in one God,                      
the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
and of all things visible
and invisible.

00:28
And in one Lord
Jesus Christ,
the only-begotten Son of God,
born of the Father,
before all worlds,
 
00:52
God of God,
Light of ;ight,
very God of very God,
begotten, not made,
of one substance with the Father:
by whom all things were made.

1:28
Who for us men               
and for our salvation
descended from heaven.

2:03
And was incarnate                          
by the Holy Spirit
of the Virgin Mary,
and was made man.                     

2:49
He was crucified for us                  
under Pontius Pilate;
suffered and was buried,
 
3:42
and rose the third day,
according to the Scriptures,
and ascended into heaven,
sits at the right hand of the Father

4:00
And he will come again
with glory,
to judge the living and the dead,
Whose kingdom shall have no end.

4:27
And in the Holy Spirit,
Lord and giver of life:
who out of the Father
and the Son proceeds.
 
4:44
Who with Father and Son
is worshiped and glorified:
who spoke by the prophets.

5:19
And in one, holy, catholic
and apostolic Church.

I confess one baptism                   
For the remission of sins.

5:46
And I expect [the] resurrection
of the dead,
and the life of the world to come.
Amen.
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In contrast to Martin’s opening the Credo with the full choir, RVW’s setting of the Creed starts with an ancient custom of having a single voice sing the opening statement. (This practice is hardly necessary in corporate congregational singing, but the custom outlived the necessity, as everyone experiences when the Pastor sings “Glory be to God on high” in the Gloria of the Common Service.) Having started with an old tradition, RVW then switches to his trademark blend of the old and the new. Texts dealing with the majesty of God are generally given to both choirs, while texts dealing with the individual personhood of the Son and life in the Spirit are given to one choir or to the four soloists. I would love for you to join the conversation (see the chat window below) and let me know what your favorite moments of either setting of the Credo. I am especially struck by RVW’s musical depiction of the incarnation at 1:28 and 2:03, the musical descent into the grave through 3:40, all set in vivid contrast to the joy of the resurrection starting at 3:42. Throughout the work, RVW’s understanding of the text and his musical skill are evident. Perhaps you will agree with one critique from Cathedral Chronicle: “The London press, almost without exception acclaimed the Mass as a great work, some critics even going as far as to call it one of the greatest choral works of the century. . . .” (Richard Terry, as quoted in Michael Jameson, Ralph Vaughan Williams: An Essential Guide to His Life and Works, p. 58).
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I mentioned at the outset that the Nicene Creed is set apart from the four other texts by its placement in the liturgy and its unique opportunities for musical expressions of the work of the Trinity, especially how One of the Trinity suffered and rose for us. Most of us are probably accustomed to speaking the Nicene Creed or perhaps singing Martin Luther’s creedal hymn, but this is not the case in every country. In RVW’s England, for instance, choirs of men and boys (i.e., boy sopranos and professional male altos, tenors, and basses) will offer liturgical performances of the Mass during the summer months. In this “Choral Eucharist,” the choir sings the ordinary of the Mass to challenging settings, hopefully to include the two works explored in this five-part series during this anniversary year. While this practice has the potential to cross the line between worship and concert, the message is profound all the same: the Nicene Creed is too rich in grace just to be spoken. As Martin and Vaughan Williams and a host of composers have demonstrated, the confession of the unbegotten Father, the sole-begotten Son, and the Spirit who proceeds from them veritably begs to be sung as a hymn of praise to the holy blessed Trinity. In the words of the Athanasian Creed, “The catholic faith is this, that we worship one God in Trinity and Trinity in Unity.”
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Extra Choral Credit: Hearing Martin’s Entire Mass
Featuring the Netherlands Chamber Choir
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The Netherlands Chamber Choir (Dutch Nederlands Kamerkoor) is a full-time Dutch choir that was founded in 1937 as the Chorus Pro Musica to perform Bach cantatas for Dutch radio. It has since expanded its musical offerings and outreach to include good choral repertoire of all periods. This chamber choir (i.e., a choir formed to sing chamber music, usually consisting of a few dozen singers) is often mentioned in the same breath with other professional choirs in Europe that were originally founded for radio (imagine the scratchy premieres in the early days of transistor radio!), but which now enjoy the fruits of digital technology, in addition to live performances. As the following video attests, their international reputation as a prestigious ensemble at the top of their craft is well deserved. Their flawless intonation, clear diction, and constant sense of melodic line are simply superb. In the following performance under Peter Dijkstra, see how the double-choir effect is heightened by fully-engaged singers who love the vocal arts and gladly share the joy of singing.