John Sanders The Reproaches - Sanders Society

John Sanders
The Reproaches

Analysis by Douglas Mason

Introductory notes

• The intention of this analysis is not to identify and distinguish between conscious
and subconscious decisions by the composer but rather to identify the stylistic
features of the music which create a sense of unity throughout the piece (and
ultimately enhance the meaning/atmosphere of the text).

• The music in The Reproaches can be seen to be primarily constructed from five
motifs, a, b, c, d, and e (shown below) which are used throughout the piece in
various ways.

a (pitch) b (rhythm) c (pitch) d (rhythm) e (pitch)

        

Douglas Mason
26/11/2009

John Sanders - The Reproaches

Analysis by Douglas Mason

O My People (1)

a (inversion (or retrograde)) homophonic
b
SOPRANO   b     
imitative       

      
  
parallel 3rds b
c (pitch)

b

ALTO           

'2' '3'
A diminished (unprepared)
2nd inversion c
(IIc)
Eb diminished

a (pitch) Eb Major (VI diminished)

b (rhythm) (VI)

    b
 parallel 3rds
TENOR      

c

b

BASS             
      

( 7 6) a (inversion)

(unprepared)

HARMONY G minor a (as 'parallel' triads)
(I)
bitonal
F major
(VII)

bitonal

G minor E minor

(I) (*1) (I)

false relation ( Bb/ B)

tonic pedal

(inner pedal)

TONALITY G MINOR G AEOLIAN E MINOR

*1
or
G minor 11th in
3rd inversion (I 11d)

Analysis Copyright © 2009 Douglas Mason

Musical extracts copyright © The Royal School of Church Music.

Reproduced by permission of the RSCM.

a ba  

b        

e (pitch)
9

     

d (rhythm) b b (augmentation)
inner pedal
be b b (augmentation)
db
         
      

E minor (IV6 )
(IV)

  da bb
 imitative
      
      

b inner pedal

db b b

                
 

98 98
(unprepared) (unprepared)

a (inversion) a (inversion)

B minor F# minor G minor (diminished IV7 b)
(I) 1st inversion 9th in 3rd (*4)
Vb inversion
(*3)
bitonal
G minor Ebminor
(I 9d) (I)
(*2) (I)

false relation ( B/ Bb) false relation ( G/ Gb)

B AEOLIAN G AEOLIAN Eb MINOR G MINOR

*2 *3 *4
or chord also or
B minor 9th in 3rd contains Vc minor VI6
inversion (I 9d) of following
chord
chord also contains Vc
of following chord

homophonic

18 b  b (augmentation) 

     

b b (augmentation)

      

b a (inversion)

     

preparation dissonance resolution

b b (augmentation)

        
    
3
4 43
(unprepared)

D minor G minor
(V) (V7 ) (I)

G AEOLIAN

Verses One, and Four to Nine

  a (inversion)  c (inversion)

    

e (inversion) e

TONALITY G AEOLIAN

Verses Two and Three

  c (inversion) e (inversion) a 

  

e

transposition of bars 5 to 7 of Verse One inversion of bars 1 to 3 of Verse One

TONALITY G AEOLIAN

  a (inversion)  c (inversion) 

    e

e (inversion)

repeat of Verse One

O My People (2) Tenor and Bass

Tenor and Bass doubling Soprano
doubling Soprano and
Alto down octave Soprano 2 and Tenor 2 Soprano 2 and Tenor 1 and Alto down

in parallel octaves in parallel octaves octave

polyphonic e (range of melody)

homophonic d b e (inversion) b
b a
b

SOPRANO             i        

d d (augmentation)

ALTO Alto and Bass d a (inversion) a (inversion)   
in parallel octaves d
    
b      

    

23 d (retrograde augmentation) b c (inversion)
(unprepared)

c (inversion) inner pedal

d (augmentation)

a (inversion) passing b
d bd note

TENOR            ii     (7th)   

e (inversion)
b a (inversion)

chain of suspensions d (retrograde)

passing imitation of e

b d b note (7th) Soprano 2 b

     iii(*5) (and Tenor 1)   
  
        

BASS 

23 98 43 9 84
(unprepared) e (inversion) a
d
c (inversion)
e a (inversion)

HARMONY G minor C minor G minor Ebmajor F major G minor
(I) (VII) (I)
(IV) (I) (VI)

descending sequence

TONALITY G AEOLIAN

*5
chord also contains Vc
of following chord

Soprano 2 and Tenor 1 Soprano 1 and Tenor Soprano 2 and Tenor 1
in parallel octaves
in parallel octaves in parallel octaves

e (range of melody)

9 bb b b

                   

ii d (augmentation) d (retrograde augmentation)   c
passing
d note d (retrograde augmentation)
(9th)
passing b
     
note b a (inversion)
iii (7th)
        
  

d c (inversion) c (auxiliary note (7th))

inversion of Bass 1 in
bars 13 to 14 (imitation)

d (retrograde augmentation)

d (augmentation) a (inversion)

passing passing
d note b note b

  i    (7th)   (7th)    

   

 e (inversion) accented
passing
a (inversion) note d (retrograde
(6th)(*6) augmentation)

d (retrograde) inversion of Bass 1 in

imitation c (inversion) accented bars 12 to 13 (imitation)

of Tenor 1 passing d (retrograde
augmentation)
(and Soprano c note d (retrograde augmentation)
(2nd)
2)
                      



3 98 43 43 43

db b b
a

C minor D minor Eb major D minor G minor
(IV) (V) (VI) (V) (V 7) (I)

*6
implication of Ic
simultaneously with
V (bitonal)

Holy is God

from O My People (1)
bars 9 to 11

homophonic d e b (diminution) e b (diminution)
d
     a     a     
SOPRANO     
d   
d
    dd
ALTO     
d b (diminution) d b (diminution)

            

c (inversion) c (inversion)
c

TENOR d d d b (diminution) d b (diminution)

                    

a (inversion)

d d d b (diminution) d b (diminution)

                     

BASS

'e' e 98 98
(unprepared) (unprepared)

false relation ( F#/ F) ee

HARMONY G minor B minor F minor A minor E minor G minor D minor F minor
(I) (Ib) (I) (Ib) (IV) (I) (I6 ) (IV) (I) (I6) (IV)

octatonic octatonic octatonic

false relation ( Bb/ B) false relation ( Ab/A) false relation ( B/ Bb) false relation (A / Ab)

descending sequence

TONALITY G MINOR (B MINOR) F MINOR E MINOR D MINOR C AEOLIAN

e as scale rather than interval
(also relates to Alto bar 9)

9 d   d

    c (inversion)    
 
passing notes  passing
note
passing c e as scale rather than interval
note d

   

from O My People (2) d (retrograde)
bar 15 (Alto 2 and Tenor 2)
(also e as scale rather than d
interval) c (inversion)

  d passing passing
note appoggiatura note

     



ea

a (inversion)

   d   d 

   43

4 3 76 43 imperfect cadence
(unprepared)

(e) 1st inversion
D minor
C minor
(I) (Ib) (IVb) (IV6 b (V)
or II 7c) (*7)

G AEOLIAN

*7
or
G minor 2nd
inversion (Ic)
with added 2nd
for 1st beat of bar