DESCRIPTION:
They that go down to the sea in ships, anthem for alto, bass, chorus, 2 violins & organ, Z. 57 (1685)

Matthew Bright, solo alto
David Thomas, solo bass
Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford
Simon Preston

The English Concert
Trevor Pinnock

There is a story to go along with this anthem. John Gostling was a famous bass singer in the employ of the Chapel Royal. It happened that King Charles II got himself a new ship, which he nicknamed after his mistress, the Duchess of Portsmouth, the Fubbs. He asked John Gostling to go with him on its first voyage to supply the entertainment. It so happened that a terrible storm blew up and they all were almost killed, or so thought John Gostling. For when he returned, he looked some verses from Psalm 107 which has a lot of storm and ship references, and asked Purcell to set them. This anthem features a prominent bass solo, as well as a countertenor solo voice. And much of the text is about the terrors of the sea.

The instrumental introduction has two sections, a slow beginning and a faster triple time second half. The bass opens the vocal music. He begins at the top of the musical line and descends as he sings, "They that go down to the sea in ships." A triple time arioso section begins on "At His words, and the winds ariseth" on upwardly spiralling lines, and the "storm" on stormy melismas. The waves are "lifteth up" to a motive that skips upwards in leaps, and that repeats higher and higher as the waves rise. The music "staggers" and "reels" as the ships are tossed at sea.

There is a dramatic mood change for "So When they Cry to Thee, Lord". Rich, chromatic harmonies and angular lines as the bass sings close to the countertenor at the top of his range. The mood is strained, minor, and mournful. The storm ceases as dramatically as it began. The bass and countertenor in imitative entrances sing "So he maketh". They sing in close duet; the storm winds down in a long melisma and the word "still" is treated pictorially. First it is uttered quietly with two rests following, and finally the upper voice sings a long still note as the bass voice continues the single utterances with two rests. All the while Purcell writes a dramatic decrescendo and finally the word "still" is sung on the last bass note and held alone, in piannissimo.

After an instrumental ritornello the song continues with "Then they are glad" sung in rich florid polyphony that features a violin solo above the two male voices. The sailors find a "safe haven" and settle gracefully and gently on a dramatic cadence. "O that men" continues polyphonicaly. "That they would exalt" closes the text in rhythmic diminution with a quick syllabic setting as the singers "praise Him" in lively imitation.

A final chorus featuring the full choir closes the anthem. Full, sumptuous, and rich, it is a dramatic ending to this wonderful work. [allmusic.com]

Art by Abraham Storck