Notes on the text-setting of Holst’s “Hymn for Jesus”.

... Notes on the text-setting of Holst's "Hymn for Jesus". In this essay, I aim to explore the text-setting of Holst's "Hymn for Jesus". The work incorporates a double choir (SATBSATB) in the second hymn, and a semi-chorus throughout which consists initially (in the first hymn) of trebles and later of tenors and baritones, and then (in the second hymn) of trebles and altos. The semi-choruses in the first hymn sing in unison, giving a monophonic vocal texture - added to the orchestra, the overall texture is homophonic. Throughout the first hymn, the music is homorhythmic - the text is set to quavers, with crotchets on the last note of each phrase being the only exception to this rule. Adding to this impression of regularity and preciseness is the use of phrases of very similar lengths. However, as the music of the first hymn is in free time, the perceived note values of a

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