program notes by composition > W > When Jesus Wept
When Jesus Wept
William Schuman
When Jesus Wept was composed by William Schuman as the opening movement to his New Englan Triptych, Three Pieces for Orchestra After William Billings . Schuman based When Jesus Wept on the round of the same name by the American composer William Billings. He intended this beautiful and haunting work to be an introduction to his Chester overture, one of his most well-known works.
The piece opens with intertwining melodies in the baritone and trumpet. It builds to a climaxwith the band playing the melodies in unison. The closing features baritone and trumpet again.
Last updated on July 7, 2013 by Palatine Concert Band