Duration: 3:25
ABOUT THE COMPOSITION
When I first spoke to Neil Bubke, director of the Lakeshore Chorale, about writing a Christmas commission, I knew that I wanted to write something up-tempo and fun. When I was a choral director at Waukesha West High School, I would consistently struggle to find an up-tempo choral piece for my students. Of course, there are plenty of traditional Holiday songs that are exciting, but one can program those songs only a handful of times before feeling bored.
Because I am such a slow lyrical type of composer, writing an up-tempo piece was immediately out of my comfort zone. For weeks upon weeks, I searched for a proper text that could serve such a composition, but each fell short of what I wanted. After a while, I began to think of some of my favorite Christmas compositions by Will Todd, John Rutter, and Mack Willberg, and thought to myself, “where did they get their poetry from?” To my surprise, a lot of the poetry was written by them. At that moment I knew, I had to write my own words for this commission.
Writing poetry has always scared me, so unlike most of my compositions I began writing the music first. I knew what the general feel of the piece would be. As I wrote the melodic and rhythmic ideas, words began to appear in my mind. The first phrase I remember saying to myself was “for Christ the newborn King.” My mind always came back to that phrase each time I wrote the music it is now associated with. In a similar fashion, that is how a lot of the poetry shaped up. There were specific musical moments that I generally knew what I wanted the text to be but had to workshop a few times before arriving to the current words.
The composition is meant to be fun, joyous, and reminiscent of English Christmas Carols. The mixed meter provides a fun dance-like pattern to illustrate the celebratory nature of the composition. Of course, I could not completely shake my love of lyrical slow moments, so the B section is peaceful and lush in contrast. While this section is contrasting, the style of singing should not be drastically different.
I hope this composition can serve as a fun option for many choirs in years to come.
TEXT
While watching o’er flocks one silent night outside of Bethlehem
A chorus of angels appeared ‘fore me proclaiming to all the land
-Zachary J. Moore
They sang "Hallelujah praise and sing rejoice for the newborn king, Sing Hallelujah, Hallelu for Christ the newborn King, for Christ the newborn King"
I tiptoed approaching a manger, that evening in Bethlehem.
Mary and Joseph were gathered ‘bout a Babe that was laid in hay.
They sang "Hallelujah praise and sing rejoice for the newborn King, sing Hallelujah, Hallelu for Christ the newborn King, for Christ the newborn King."
The Baby laid sleeping so silent that night in Bethlehem. I knelt by His side in wonder, a weight from my shoulders did lift.
The world took a breath of soft relief, for hope was alive that stary eve.’ Nations crescendoed and rose with joy praising the newborn Baby Boy
Singing "Hallelujah praise and sing, rejoice for the newborn King, Sing Hallelujah, Hallelu for Christ the newborn King, for Christ the newborn King!"
*Visit zacharyjmoore.com for more music and Zach’s updated bio*
A Celebratory Carol
Duration: ca 3:25
and words by: ZACHARY J. MOORE