Starting on Easter Sunday and continuing the next two weeks, the Raphael Choir will be singing different verses of This Joyful Eastertide as the Introit.  The catchy melody had its origins as a seventeenth-century Dutch folk tune; however, by 1685 the melody had been borrowed as was the custom in those days and applied to a hymn tune.  In addition to the triumphant lyrics, there are also two interesting musical techniques to listen for in the song.  First are the melismas, which is when many notes are sung on one syllable of a word.  For example, the sopranos and tenors sing six notes on the first syllable of the word “sorrow” in the first verse.  The second technique is called a sequence, which is when a motive or phrase is repeated over and over but starting at different pitches each time.  At the end of This Joyful Eastertide, for example, the choir sings the word “arisen” four times, raising the pitch each time to re-enforce musically the image of the sung word “arisen.”  In this way, the composer uses the music to strengthen the ideas his words are stating.  Be sure to listen for the melismas and sequences during the three weeks the Choir sings this charming piece.