Once again we find ourselves facing the busiest time of year, both in our personal lives and in our music ministry role. It is also the time of year I most enjoy, both in my personal life and in my role as a music director. There are scores of magnificent anthems and motets for Advent and Christmas. While many choose to stick to the expected carols, which are certainly important and meaningful, I challenge you to break out of that comfort zone and explore the beauty that the following choral pieces can bring to your Advent and Christmas liturgies.
Because this is a busy time, I aim to choose new Advent and Christmas pieces shortly after Easter and introduce them to the choir prior to our break over the summer. We read through each piece of music and spend a bit of time rehearsing problem areas if time permits, so that in the fall these pieces are somewhat familiar. I encourage you to try this method of teaching new music. Introducing a piece several months before needing to work on it gives the choir a sense of recognition when it is reintroduced. This process is extremely beneficial at the very busy times of year such as Christmas. I hope you enjoy learning some fresh literature for this magical yet hectic season full of wonder and awe.
Angela Westhoff-Johnson
Managing Music Editor for OCP
and music director at St. Mary's Cathedral in Portland, Ore.
Let the Peace of Christ Rule in Your Hearts
by David HurdThis piece has many wonderful things to offer a skilled choir: excellent text that can be used on several occasions and exciting, challenging, but accessible music. I always look for those pieces that demand rehearsal time but are still achievable. If music is too easy and doesn’t need to be rehearsed, it’s hard to motivate the choir. On the flip side, it can be discouraging to rehearse a difficult piece to death and still not really get it right. This piece, scored for SATB choir and organ, is one that must be rehearsed but will prove rewarding to the choir. Although the text is general, it works especially well on Thanksgiving, at ordinations and graduation, and as a blessing. David Hurd provides rhythmic and dynamic variety, resulting in a solid, exciting anthem.
| Difficulty Level: Difficult No Assembly Edition SATB |
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Octavo (ship) |
$2.10 | Add to Cart |
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Octavo (download) |
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Preview |
Verbum Caro
Anonymous
Eight bars in length, this strophic motet for SATB choir is pleasant and melodious. It’s appealing for those singing it as well as for those hearing it. I have used this intimate choral gem for years near the beginning of the Lessons and Carols service preceding Midnight Mass. It’s a charming carol that’s very manageable for choirs whose forces are limited but which still have a desire for well-crafted material. At the same time, it’s appealing for highly skilled choirs. The text “Verbum caro factum est” is the responsory to the eighth lesson of II. Vespers of the Nativity. While it is certainly appropriate for the Christmas season, this text can be used as a general motet throughout the liturgical year:
The Word was made flesh And dwelt among us. Alleluia.
The Lord hath made known His salvation. Alleluia.
Nigh to me, he called unto me, Thou art my Father. Alleluia.
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No Assembly Edition SATB a Cappella |
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Octavo (ship) |
$1.60 | Add to Cart |
