Description
Duration: 5′
Commissioned by: The Greater Tiverton Community Chorus, Tiverton, RI, directed by Beth Armstrong, in honor of the ensemble’s 40th anniversary.
Premiere:
December 10, 2021
St. John the Baptist Catholic Church
Westport, MA
Greater Tiverton Community Chorus, directed by Beth Armstrong
Heather Niemi Savage, piano
Robbie LePage, trumpet
Program Notes:
The birth of Jesus Christ is a seeming contradiction in terms. God became man. The King of Heaven was born into poverty and laid in a manger. Ignored in the city, his birth was heralded by angels in the countryside. When asked to write a Christmas piece for the Greater Tiverton Community Chorus, I was drawn to Thomas C. Roney’s poem, “O Holy Night” because it captures this dichotomy, both the intimacy of a private birth and the announcement by angels of a worldwide promise that, through this baby, peace and goodwill are given to all humankind. I aimed to capture the paradox of the meaning in Christ’s birth in this piece: it is new, yet quotes old familiar carols; it is a lullaby, yet an anthem; it is tender, yet exultant. All glory be to God on high, and peace, goodwill to men.
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