SET
Christmas, midwinter, New YearCatalogue no. 4088
Star
Music: trad. arr. Sheena Phillips, Words: Philipp Nicolai, trans. Henry Harbaugh
Voicing: SATB
Performance time approx: 1m 50s
Range S: f' – f'' / A: f' – d'' / T: f – f'' / B: F – g
Price code:
Complexity:
This piece is part of the set "Three Christmas choral stocking fillers".
It is not available for purchase as a single piece.
The set also includes:
Star is a free treatment of the 16th century German chorale tune Wie Schön Leuchtet der Morgenstern (How lovely shines the morning star). Over ‘dynamic cluster chords’ created by upper voices singing the same phrase independently, tenors and basses respond in unison. All voices together join in the F major cascade of the final phrase, holding different notes in the scale to finish the piece on a warm chord. Make sure that some singers plan to finish on the low Fs, to give the chord a firm foundation.
How lovely shines the Morning Star!
The nations see and hail afar
The light in Judah shining.
Thou David’s Son of Jacob’s race,
My Bridegroom and my King of Grace,
For Thee my heart is pining.
Lowly, Holy,
Great and glorious,
Thou victorious
Prince of graces,
Filling all the heavenly places.
Philipp Nicolai (1597), trans. Henry Harbaugh