It's called 'God so loved the world' by John Stainer (1840 - 1901).
John Stainer was an English composer who is not greatly admired today but is recognised for many of his more famous works like the cantata 'The Crucifixion'. The exerpt i'm showing here is actually the chorus from this cantata. It is written for the SATB choir and organ.
I've given a Roman Numeral (RN) analysis, function analysis and also the phrase structure analysis in the 'A' section in the scans below. The whole chorus follows a A-B-A' format but I would focus on the first 'A' section for now.
Comment on Function and Harmony
If I am not too mistaken (hopefully :D), the excerpt actually follows a rather 'simple' function of simply T-PD-D-T. However, Stainer uses 16 bars to colour and expand the PreDominant function.
From bar 5, the iii chord introduces the PD harmony that is further expanded with few secondary dominant chords found in bar 6 and 12. The PD expansion seems to lead to the tonicization of the IV chord in bar 16 through a suspended V7/IV chord. However, the modulation did not pause there, as it continues to expand through bar 17 to 20 before entering the Dominant function.
Comment on Phrase Structure
I have analysed the first section of this excerpt as a phrase group with a rather regular pattern of 4 bars per subphrase. I did not consider it as 2 simple periods nor a double period as there is no clear antecedent and consequent phrases. The first 4 bars seem to reach a Imperfect Authentic Candence (IAC) as it ends with a I chord in its first inversion, suggesting a possible antecedent phrase character. However, the following 4 bars did not suggest a more complete closure than the latter. Likewise for the other two 4-bar phrases. Therefore, I decided to take it as a phrase group with 4 separate subphrases.
Another point that suggests that it is a phrase group is the melody line. I noticed that the melody line (soprano) leaps up at every end of the subphrase, which causes less of a sense of closure to the hearer. This is also a way to build tension in the song that creates a forward movement throughout the chorus.
From bar 17 onwards to 23, the phrase structure changes to a sentence structure as the short-short-long character can be clearly seen through the melody and also the lyrics themselves.
Other Comments
As this piece was meant to be a capella, all of the direction of harmony and mood lies with the singers and the arrangement of the SATB sections. Stainer was able to build up tension through the direction of the soprano melody line and also the elaborated yet detailed expansion of the PD function by alternating between minor and diminished coloured chords that end with the major chords at the end of the subphrase.
The unison D note in bar 17 subtly introduces the new sentence phrase structure and also the promise that the lyrics deliver. The Dominant function is also expanded over 2 bars by the moving soprano and tenor line that colours the V chord.
Here's a link to the song in Youtube if you like: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X5Akz6J8Rw0&feature=related
Overall, it really is a delicately crafted song. Hope you enjoyed it as much as I did! :)
That's all for now. Feel free to comment too.
Thank you very much for reading.
God so loved the world, that He gave His only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life.
--John 3:16
