William L. Gillock ： Children’s Album No.2 Chorale Prelude

This short piece is distinguished by its solemn, chorale-like sonority and calm, prayerful character. Within its chord-centered writing, the melodic line and inner voices are carefully integrated, inviting the listener to appreciate the layering of the sound. One of its highlights is the way the musical expression changes with the harmonic progression. In performance, bring the melody out slightly above the other voices, while keeping the accompanying chords from becoming too heavy. Use the pedal only enough to connect the sonorities, taking care not to blur the changes between chords. Rather than using an overly wide dynamic range, maintain a poised sense of pulse and a gentle singing quality to bring out the piece’s quiet appeal.