The texture of this pieces starts monophonic with only the soprano preforming, then in bar 2 there is use of two part texture with the addition of the alto this causes the texuture to be homo-rhythmic where the melodic interest is shared between two parts, the piece then goes to 4 part in bar 7 where the texture is homophonic. There is also use of octave doubling.
The structure of this piece is strophic, as the music follows the two stanzas if the poem the song uses. The structure of this piece can be labeled as ABA (last A varied). Each line of poem in this song leads to one bar.
This piece starts off in the key of G major, although it is tonally ambiguous, the same notes are used in the key of E minor later. Verse two stays in G major. The second bar of the Lamb is bitonal, this means there are two keys being played at once (G major/ Eb major) this continues through the third bar to the 6th, the last 2 bars are in E minor Aeolian.
The harmonic intervals in this piece in two-part writing do not imply chords like 18th century music once did; there is also use of double false relation. The Four part harmonies are much more conventional. It is built on triads and 7th chords, with the use of double suspensions seen (these are prepared). The 4 part writing also resolves nicely. There is some unconventional use of modal influences and consecutive perfect 5ths.
There are strong indications of serial influences in the melody lines of this song. You can see this through his use of retrograde and inversion and sometimes uses a seven note set of notes, which don’t repeat, similar to that of serialist pieces. This piece is mainly conjunct