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Duration
7 min
Short description
Tribute to Caesar was composed with another a cappella choir piece, The Woman with the Alabaster Box for the 350th anniversary of the Karlstad Episcopacy in Sweden. Both works were premiered by the Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble in Karlstad Dome in October 1997.
Although separate works, they have some common features. Tribute to Caesar also presents a scene from the Gospel of Matthew, where the Pharisees question Jesus about the tribute. Jesus’ words have also been given here to the bass voices, the speech of the Pharisees is sung by all the voices together. Both pieces were composed for an English text. Because of the multitude of the monosyllabic words in English, according to the rules of the tintinnabuli method the melodic lines m…
World premiere
Concert: Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble
Erik Westberg Vocal Ensemble
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Vocal text
Then went the Pharisees, and took counsel how they might entangle him in his talk.
And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
Tell us therefore, What thinkest thou? Is it lawful to give tribute unto Caesar, or not?
But Jesus perceived their wickedness, and said, Why tempt ye me, ye hypocrites?
Shew me the tribute [of] money. And they brought unto him a penny.
And he saith unto them, Whose is this image and superscription?
They say unto him, Caesar’s. Then saith he unto them, Render therefore unto Caesar the things which are Caesar’s; and unto God the things that are God’s.
When they had heard these words, they marvelled, and left him, and went their way.