A haunting choice to introduce your mid-level choirs to a cappella choral textures, and a nice counterpoint to the season of Major tonalities. The composer writes: "I was introduced to this tune from a beautiful children's picture book illustrated by Frances Tyrrell. The imagery of the Christ child appearing in a far-removed cultural context was eye-opening as I considered the blonde-haired, blue-eyed Jesus I knew. I was delighted to find a lesser-known, hauntingly beautiful, and fresh Christmas piece in the face of more familiar carols. It was like re-discovering the nativity story for the first time through someone else's perspective."

Item Number: A0.891209 With plenty of unison, conservative vocal range and tessitura, and guarded homorhythmic and polyphonic divisions, this piece would be great for either beginning men's choir or for the tenors and bass of your mixed choir to distinguish themselves on your Christmas concert or for a men's Advent or Christmas anthem. Would also be an effective selection for men's ensemble or duet to take to Solo and Ensemble festival. "Personent Hodie" is a Christmas carol originally published in the 1582 Finnish song book Piae Cantiones, a volume of 74 Medieval songs with Latin texts. Arranged for unison voices and orchestra in 1916 by Gustav Holst (1874?1934), it is often used as a processional hymn in church and cathedral services. The text is translated by "James M. Joseph," a pseudonym of the composer Jane M. Joseph (1894?1929).