Christ's Nativity

“Christ’s Nativity” is written on a text by Henry Vaughan, a 17th century Welsh metaphysical poet. A simple melody is embellished throughout to follow Vaughan’s colorful depiction of the believer’s amazement at the incarnation, and a horn obbligato sounds the clarion call (“Awake!”), later wending along with Vaughan’s whispering winds, fluttering birds, and lifted stars, and culminating in climbing scales and leaping octaves as the chorus concludes with a request that their souls be healed and that Christ be born again. As a singer, I wrote this carol thinking of my experiences singing the great heritage of English, Welsh, Irish, and Scottish choral music, and as a former horn player, I was thinking of the long, flowing lines that are so satisfying to play. -- Peter Hilliard