PRODUCT DESCRIPTION
Christmas Thoughts
(SATB & ORGAN)
Music: Iain James veitch
Text: Various
- O Christmas Day
- Christmas Hymn
- A Cradle Song
- Christmas Bells
- A Christmas Thought
Theme: Christmas
Total Duration: 22 mins
Available individually in printed and digital versions (see related products below)
Christmas Thoughts brings together five contrasting poems each of which reference elements of the Christmas story. While none of these texts explicitly tell that story they do offer contemplations on the spiritual meaning of Christmas and, as such, illustrates its universal appeal and significance.
The sequence opens with O Christmas Day A invigorating, festive number setting a joyous and heart-felt poem by the Scottish born poet and bishop Robert McIntyre. In this poem all ‘hate and envy’ are ‘buried deep beneath the snow' - at least for Christmas Day! Here we have a feel-good text that is the embodiment of seasonal good-will.
The music stems from the tradition of the grand Victorian congregational carol, but becomes more of a proper concert opener because of the many changes of texture and voice, not to mention a independently-minded organ part. The piece builds up to a final verse complete with traditional high soprano descant. Play it loud!
Christmas Hymn, by the American poet Martha Lavinia Hoffman, reminds us of the transience of all material things including the ‘costly’ gifts brought by the three wise men - more important ‘are hearts full of love’.
The highly melodic central moment of the work is a setting of William Blake’s A Cradle Song. Although on one level a simple lullaby Blake, as in most of his poems from Songs of Innocence, associates the Child with the baby Jesus.
Christmas Bells (H.W. Longfellow) describes how the sound of Christmas Bells lifted the writer’s spirits despite personal tragedy and the horror’s of the on-going American civil war. The music here is more dramatic but ends in blaze of optimism.
The work ends with A Christmas Thought (Mary T. Lathrap) in which she writes, ’Tis not enough that Christ was born beneath the star that shone… he must be born within the heart’ echoing the sentiments expressed in Christmas Hymn.
Please note: EU customers may have to pay import taxes prior to delivery.
PRODUCT INFORMATION
- Size: 210 x 297 mm (A4)
- number of pages: 52 (50 of music)
- duration: 22 mins
- ISMN Number: 9790570531509
- Brand: Fieldgate Music
- Product Code: FM 150
- Weight: 0.21kg
