Daniel Pinkham, (b. June1923, d. September 2006) studied piano as a young boy and started writing his own music at age six. He became one of the most versatile American composers although less well known among the public, perhaps because he spent his whole life in Massachusetts. He was born there, taught at Boston Conservatory, Simmons College in Boston, Harvard, the University of Boston, and the New England Conservatory. He became Music Director of Kings Chapel, Boston, in 1958 and held that office for 42 years. He studied with many musical legends including Paul Hindemith, Walter Piston, Arthur Honegger, Aaron Copland, and Samuel Barber. He studied harpsichord with Polish legend Wanda Landowska and organ with E. Power Biggs. He was a performer of note not only on harpsichord and organ, but also on piano and carillon. As a composer he not only wrote for all these instruments, but also vocalists.
Pinkham was a versatile composer whose prolific output of compositions represents a broad cross-section of 20th century musical trends. He produced work in virtually every genre, from symphonies to art songs to scores for films and music for television documentaries. The preponderance of his music, however, is religious in nature, which reflected his longstanding relationship with King’s Chapel.
Before it was fashionable, Pinkham championed the revival of early music. But, toward the end of his life, he also explored electronic music and experimented with avant-garde techniques. He created his unique style from varieties of energetic, propulsive rhythms, and brilliant polyphony, while preserving a sophisticated, appealing, and modern harmonic sound.
Christmas Cantata, composed in 1957, is an early Pinkham work and remains one of his most popular works. It is one in which his synthesis of early music and contemporary styles is clearly evident. The Latin texts are taken from the traditional responses from the Christmas masses and are set for three equal ensembles: chorus, brass choir and organ. Although it uses the traditional Nativity texts, it is original throughout.
The first movement opens with a rather declamatory statement, “Shepherds, what have you seen? Tell us!” before moving into a dance-like section of ever shifting meters and syncopated rhythms.
The second movement features an arched melody which is passed antiphonally between the two instrumental choirs, over which is spun a long, dreamy choral line set mostly for women’s voices.
The final movement is an extended crescendo of continually shifting tonalities, with verses taken from Psalm 100 alternating with the chorus the angels sang to the shepherds, “Glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth to men of good will.”
SOURCES:
Montano-Saad, C. (2006)http://metropolitandetroitchorale.org/article4b.htmlretrieved on 11/7/2014
Fancher, J. R. (2002)http://www.napervillechorus.org/program_notes/pn_200211_pinkhamcantata.html retrieved 11/7/2014
Sabine Feisst, “Pinkham, Daniel (Robers)”, The New Grove Dictionary of Music and Musicians, second edition, edited by Stanley Sadie and JohnTyrrell (London: Macmillan Publisher, 20010
Friends of Music, St. Paul’s Cathedral, Buffalo, New York (2002) http://musicatstpauls.com/events/daniel-pinkhams-christmas-cantata retrieved on 11/7/2014
Wikipedia (2014) http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daniel_Pinkham retrieved on 11/7/2014
Moore, M. (2009) http://www.mcchorus.org/program_notes/Feast122009.pdfretrieved on 11/7/2014