8028 In Dulci Jubilo

Heironymus Praetorius (1560 – 1629)

arranged by Roger Harvey for 5 part brass ensemble

(2 trumpets, horn, trombone, tuba/bass trombone; alternate parts for trumpet and trombone, line 3)

Difficulty: Medium

Price: £20.00

Programme note:
Hieronymus Praetorius was not related to the much more famous Michael Praetorius, though the Praetorius family had many distinguished musicians throughout the 16th and 17th centuries.
Heironymus was born in Hamburg, and spent most of his life there as organist at the church of St. Jacobi
He wrote much music for lturgical use mostly in the Venetian polychoral style, which uses numerous voices divided into several groups, an adventurous concept for the time in North Germany. However he made little use of the basso continuo, preferring the a cappela style.
Praetorius was also the first composer to compile a collection of four-part German chorales with organ accompaniment, a sound which was to become a standard in Protestant churches for several centuries. The music in the collection was compiled from four churches in Hamburg; 21 of the 88 settings are of his own composition.

Performance note:
This version of In Dulci Jubilo is made from the 8 part setting. It can be used to accompany a choir. In this case it is suggested that the brass play verse 1, tacet verse 2, trumpets only with choir for verse 3 and tutti again for verse 4. Dynamics and phrasings should match those used by the choir.
If it is to be played as an instrumental item. Vary the dynamic from verse to verse and feel free to add suitable embelishments in the later verses.