Before the Word Came into the World | Benedict Sheehan | MusicSpoke

Benedict Sheehan

Before the Word Came into the World (2015)

SATB Choir A Cappella 

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Before the Word came into the world, the sages sought Him out in every place.

They saw Him not, but sensed His presence everywhere.

They found Him in living beings, in mountain crags and flowing streams, in seas and winds.

He was not these things, but He spoke in these things, guiding them.

Therefore the sages called Him also by His other name: the Way, the course that all things are to follow.

—From Christ the Eternal Tao (1999) Hieromonk Damascene St. Herman Press, Platina, Ca. Used with permission

First performed at the Church of St. John Nepomucene, New York, NY, on November 12, 2015, by the Chamber Choir of St. Tikhon’s Monastery. Benedict Sheehan, conductor.

Composer’s Note: This piece is based on a text from Christ the Eternal Tao, a work by an Eastern Orthodox monk who re-envisions the coming of Christ through the lens of Taoism and the writings of Lao Tzu. The music uses minimalist melodic techniques and subtle modal harmonies to conjure up something of the ancient and ethereal character of Taoist philosophy. It concludes with a dramatic downward motif, suggesting that "the Way" (Tao) is a way of descent into humility and self-emptying. This short piece makes a wonderful addition to any choral program, especially a Christmas concert.

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Before the Word Came into the World Text from Christ the Eternal Tao, by Hieromonk Damascene Music by Benedict Sheehan (b. 1980)

Freely, with a narrative quality. q = c. 96

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© 2015 by Benedict Sheehan. All rights reserved.

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BEFORE THE WORD CAME INTO THE WORLD • B. Sheehan

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BEFORE THE WORD CAME INTO THE WORLD • B. Sheehan

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BEFORE THE WORD CAME INTO THE WORLD • B. Sheehan

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BEFORE THE WORD CAME INTO THE WORLD • B. Sheehan

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