Greenery
CH4088

Star

Music: trad. arr. Sheena Phillips. Words: Philipp Nicolai, trans. Henry Harbaugh
SATB
performance time approx 1m 50s
Range S: f' – f'' / A: f' – d'' / T: f – f'' / B: F – g
Complexity: **

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Hear a synthesized realisation
This piece is part of the set Three Christmas choral stocking fillers
The next piece is Go Tell It!
Star is sold only in the set Three Christmas choral stocking fillers, and is not available for sale as an individual piece.
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.

Words

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
Canasg Choral Music Publishing
Canasg Music
16 Morningside Park,
Edinburgh EH10 5HB, Scotland
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