Fetterman

MUS205
Dr. Natter
3 May 2022
“My Spirit Sang All Day” Conducting Analysis

Please note for this analysis that my L.H. gestures are worked into the rest of the analysis.

I. Harmony
a. The chords of this piece do not behave like they would in a traditionally tonal
piece. For example, V chord M16.3 to i6 chord M17, but the i6 is not used as
dominant or tonic prolongation. There are, however, very tonal fragments that our
ears cling on to. For example, V/iv chord M21 to iv chord M22.
b. This piece frequently modulates.
i. It begins in G major
ii. M6: E major from a plagal cadence
iii. M12: G# major from a VII chord
iv. M17: C# minor from an authentic cadence
v. M23: e minor from a plagal cadence
vi. M27: b minor/D major from a PAC
vii. M31: G major (but on the IV chord to the I#7)
viii. M33-35: Half cadence in G major (IV-V)
ix. M36: Solid arrival in G Major (“and I replied”)
c. I believe all this modulation is used to create the question of what it is that the
protagonist is so joyful about, and then in M36, the truth of the joy is finally
revealed and there is no more question about it, just as there is no more question
about the tonality of the piece.
II. Melody
a. The main melodic motif of this piece in scale degrees is 1 2 3 4 5 and this motif is
used to mark a new phrase, with the exceptions of phrase 4 and phrase 5.
 i. Phrase 4 has 5 m6 m7 m2 1 sun by S. When rearranged, this makes 5 m6
m7 1 m2 (or 1 2 3 4 5 in Locrian) which is a different version and has a
different quality than 1 2 3 4 5.
ii. Phrase 5 has 1 2 3 4 5 in minor, but it is in a slower rhythm than the usual
1 2 3 4 5 motif
b. The alterations of the main motif are used to express confusion or doubt about
what it is that the protagonist is joyful about. Perhaps instead of the protagonist
proclaiming their joy, the people questioning are speaking their interpretations of
that joy, before they understand just quite what it is.
III. Texture
a. The texture is mostly homophonic, although there are places when a voice part or
two jumps out of the texture and these are things I will have to bring out in my
conducting
i. M3-4: SA and TB pairings, cue TB M3.3
ii. M6-7: Altos sing “my heart an echo caught” while other parts hold out a
long tone. Hold out other three parts with L.H turned over. Cue altos with
R.H. M6.4.
iii. M10-11: SA and TB have different melodies, though I will not need to cue
these
iv. M13-15: Tenors sing “My eyes gan peer around” while other parts hold
out a long tone. Cue tenors M13.4 and cut off everyone else M15.
v. M25-26: SA and TB pairings. Cue SA with L.H. M25.4 and cue TB with
R.H. M25
b. These voices that are coming out of the texture are supposed to be the questions
of those around the protagonist inquiring what the joy is.
IV. Phrasing
a. The singers can take a breath whenever there is a rest (in the music, and the ones I
wrote in the score)
i. Quarter rest M4.4
ii. STB half rest M7.4
iii. Quarter rest M9.4
 iv. Quarter rest M11.2
v. T dotted quarter rest M13.3
vi. SAB quarter rest M15.2
vii. Quarter rest M20.3
viii. Quarter rest M22.2
ix. SA half rest M25.2
x. TB quarter rest M25.4
xi. Quarter rest M27.4
xii. Quarter rest M30.5
xiii. Quarter rest M32.2
xiv. Quarter rest M35.3
xv. Quarter rest M37.2
xvi. Quarter rest M41.2
b. Of course, these rests are very frequent, so the singers do not need to take a breath
during every single rest
c. The phrases are broken up like stanzas of the poem:
i. Phrase 1: M1-6, “My spirit sang all day, O my joy. Nothing my tongue
could say, Only My joy!”
ii. Phrase 2: M7-13, “My heart an echo caught, O my joy And spake, Tell me
thy thought, hide not thy joy.”
iii. Phrase 3: M14-20, “My eyes gan peer around, O my joy, What beauty hast
thou found? Shew us thy joy.”
iv. Phrase 4: M20-27, “My jealous ears grew whist, O my joy, Music from
heaven is’t, Sent for our joy?”
v. Phrase 5: M28-35, “She also came and heard, O my joy, What, said she, is
this word? What is thy joy?”
vi. Phrase 6: M36-end, “And I replied, O see, O my joy, ‘Tis thee, I cried, ‘tis
thee: Thou art my joy.”
V. Dynamics:
a. M5-6 hairpin: Turn over L.H. to crescendo and then conduct R.H. smaller for
decrescendo
 b. M8.4-9.1 crescendo: Move L.H. forward (and “spake” gesture)
c. M10-11 decrescendo: Move L.H. back in
d. M12 crescendo: Turn over L.H. over the course of one measure (singers will
naturally decrescendo in M13 if I don’t move L.H. anymore)
e. M15 crescendo: Bring L.H. back into play and conduct larger
f. M21.4-22.1 hairpin: Bring hands forward and back
g. M23 crescendo: Raise L.H up and sideways.
h. M27 decrescendo: Bring the L.H. back down to plane
i. M28 piano: Use both hands for intensity
j. M30 crescendo: Bring L.H. up (and stay up for “what” gesture)
k. M35 decrescendo: Bring both hands inwards towards each other
l. M36 forte: Use both hands to cue largely
m. M38 decrescendo: Start L.H raised and lower it to plane
n. M39 crescendo: Move L.H outwards on its side
o. M40 crescendo: Move L.H outwards on its side
p. M43 crescendo: Move both hands away from each other on their side (like
holding an expanding balloon)

Honor Code: I affirm I have upheld the highest principles of honesty and integrity and I have not
witnessed a violation of the Gettysburg Honor Code. -Sally Fetterman