The Choral No. 1 in E major invites a patient observer to discern and discover relationships between motives in a form that is basically a theme followed by three variations. Franck presents the theme almost exactly in five-part harmony, all basically written within the vocal ranges of a choir. These opening 15 bars in E major are then repeated and embellished in G major, followed by a registration change for a soft 18-bar chorale melody, which is the most recognizable recurring melody of the entire piece. —Excerpted from a note by Gillian Weir and notes from the LA Phil archives