Dobrinka Tabakova

Arise Lord into thy Rest (Psalm 132)

Subtitle	for SATB choir a cappella
Year(s) composed	2022
Publisher	PSNY
Duration	5'
Premiere	March 11, 2023; St John the Evangelist Church Oxford as part of The Sixteen’s Choral Pilgrimage 2023; The Sixteen • Harry Christophers, conductor
Commission	Commissioned by and written for Harry Christophers and The Sixteen
Composer note	Dobrinka Tabakova pays tribute to Byrd in two works commissioned by The Sixteen, a continuation of the composer’s creative dialogue with the pre- and post-Reformation English choral tradition. Tabakova’s setting of Arise Lord into the Rest grows from the assertive energy of a rising fifth, stated repeatedly at the work’s opening and embedded in the homophonic choral chords that preface and support a florid, rhythmically flexible solo soprano line. “Providing partner settings carries a set of advantages and challenges, particularly if the original is by one of the greatest Renaissance composers and a master of polyphony. Finding a distinct, yet complementary approach to the word setting is always a long process. In the end I settled on a distinctly homophonic texture, to contrast the layered polyphony of Byrd’s exquisite settings.” – Dobrinka Tabakova