One of the many joys of Christmas is that it is the season when the music and poetry of past ages appear in contemporary settings. Our program includes texts that are more than 1000 years old–with some melodies almost as ancient–but many of the arrangements and original compositions on our program date from the last twenty years.

Every Christmas Eve since 1919, Once in Royal David’s City has been the processional hymn of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at the King’s College Chapel, Cambridge. The text, by Cecil Frances Alexander, was published in a hymnal for children in 1848. It was set to music a year later by the English organist, Henry John Gauntlett.

Dan Forrest [b. 1978] is a graduate of Bob Jones University, where he has since served as chairman of the department of music theory and composition. He has received grants and awards from the American Society of Composers, Authors and Publishers (ASCAP) and the American Choral Directors Association. Arise, Shine!—text taken from Isaiah: 60–received its world premiere in 2007 at New York’s Carnegie Hall.

A native of Norway who has lived in the US since 2001, Ola Gjeilo [pronounced Yay-lo] has achieved world-wide acclaim for his choral compositions. Spotless Rose [2012] is based on a 16th century German text known in English as Lo, how a rose e’er blooming.

After St. Francis of Assisi [1182-1226] introduced the nativity scene as a Christmas tradition, singing hymns at the crèche became popular in France. Noe! Noe! [2008] is a fine representative of this age-old custom, in which participants often dressed as shepherds.  Mack Wilberg–music director of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir–made this arrangement of a traditional French carol from the region of Alsace that surrounds Strasbourg. 

Andrew Carter’s [b. 1939] music appears regularly in the service of lessons and carols broadcast annually from King’s College Chapel, Cambridge by the BBC. A Maiden Most Gentle [1978] uses the melody associated with the Lourdes Hymn–Immaculate Mary–while the text is taken from writings by the 8th century English monk known as the Venerable Bede.

Evening Quiescence is a recent composition by Christian Humcke, a Bucknell University graduate who is currently Organist and Music Director at St. Mark’s Lutheran Church, Williamsport PA. His chamber opera Cajuum Jaa Amajiis was staged by the Bucknell Opera Company in April, 2015.

K. Lee Scott [b. 1950] has published more than 300 anthems, hymns, and other–mostly sacred–compositions. His hymns are included in 8 hymnals and MorningStar Music recently published Rejoice in God: the Lee Scott Hymnary. Using the ancient Latin text that dates back to the 4th century, Gloria [2011] is in three movements. Brass fanfares and toccata figures characterize the opening movement, a paean to the glory of God. The second movement–whose central text is miserere nobis (have mercy on us)–is meditative while the last movement uses an unusual meter–3+3+2–to propel voices and instruments to a dramatic climax that features phrases from the traditional Lutheran hymn All Glory Be to God on High.

A native of Kingston, Ontario, Mark Sirett  [b 1952] teaches at Queen’s University and directs the Cantabile Choirs of Kingston. The text of The Oxen [2006] is a poem by Thomas Hardy, author of Tess of the D’Urbervilles and Jude the Obscure.