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'The Word'
A cantata for Christmas
words and music by Chris Reynolds 2020
Set for SSATBB, with satb soloist.
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The original version is scored for piano, oboe, viola and cello,
( there will also be an organ transcription
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It follows the story from Genesis .... " In the beginning God created Heaven and Earth"
and touches on the Old Testament prophecies of the birth of a Messiah, and then moves into the New Testament stories of Jesus's birth
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Performed by Sarum Voices, musical director Ben Lamb
if you're interested in performing with your choir, you can find the rehearsal tracks here
The Rondo
These are Biblical passages, bedded in a rondo which is initially set in a double harmonic minor scale ...
from which come that sense of the Orient, and of mystery.
(The idea came from an early morning raga form, - sung to me in a pub one evening! )
The movement from the Old Testament,
" In the beginning God created heaven and Earth .... ", to the New ..
"In the begining was the Word ....."
is marked by a gradual transition between minor and major scales
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The Songs |
| click on the title to hear the individual songs |
The first song 'In the beginning' ( Genesis 1:1)
This owes much to the Hindu tradition of Shiva, dancing all into being, the weaving of a cloak of flesh for the indwelling of spirit.For me, this vision of creation is congruent with that of particle physics and cosmology, and encompasses the 'hard' problem of conciousness.
The second song 'Can it Be' ?
owes much to T.S.Elliott, not only his 'Journey of the Magi'
but also to 'Little Gidding'
The fifth, 'How does this wind blow?'
a peal of bells for Christmas morning. |
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thanks to George Streatfeild for the use of his photographs |
to find out more, contact me on queries @singsatb.co.uk
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