SKU: CF.CM9580

ISBN 9781491154021. UPC: 680160912520. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: D mixolydian. English, Latin. 15th Century Medieval Carol.

The text of this poem is from the Trinity Carol Roll, an English manuscript housed at the Wren Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is originally in the Norfolk dialect of Middle English but has been modernized for use in this setting. Also, it's macaronic, meaning it combines words from two languages, the other being Latin which was in use by the church when this carol was written. The Latin phrases come from different parts of the Advent/Christmas liturgies; a sequence called Laetabundus, the title of an Introit antiphon called Gaudeamus, and the shepherds response in the gospel of Luke 2:15, Transeamus. Latin phrase translation source Alleluia Alleluia Laetabundus Res miranda A thing to be wondered at Laetabundus Pari forma of equal form Laetabundus Gaudeamus Let us rejoice! Gaudeamus Transeamus Let us go Luke 2:15 The poet compares the Virgin Mary to a rose. She has a special place among all women in being chosen as the mother of Jesus, and likewise the rose has a special place among all flowers surpassing them in complexity and beauty. The music in this setting mimics the petals of a rose as it blooms. Imagine the petals unfurling over time as does the music which starts in unison for each verse and expands outward into two and three vocal lines with increasingly complex harmonic twists. Word painting is employed in several places but none are as important as the dramatic climax in the fourth verse where the shepherds along with all the angels in heaven proclaim Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God on high). What a sound that must be! On these words the music reaches it loudest point as the sopranos rise to their highest note and the compassthe distance between the highest and lowest noteis at its widest. The setting is brought to a close as the five Latin phrases that finished each verse are repeated as a coda and musically summarize the five verses of the carol.
The text of this poem is from the Trinity Carol Roll, an English manuscript housed at the Wren Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is originally in the Norfolk dialect of Middle English but has been modernized for use in this setting. Also, it's macaronic, meaning it combines words from two languages, the other being Latin which was in use by the church when this carol was written. The Latin phrases come from different parts of the Advent/Christmas liturgies; a sequence called Laetabundus, the title of an Introit antiphon called Gaudeamus, and the shepherdas response in the gospel of Luke 2:15, Transeamus. Latin phraseA translation source Alleluia Alleluia Laetabundus Res miranda A thing to be wondered at Laetabundus Pari forma of equal form Laetabundus Gaudeamus Let us rejoice! Gaudeamus Transeamus Let us go Luke 2:15 The poet compares the Virgin Mary to a rose. She has a special place among all women in being chosen as the mother of Jesus, and likewise the rose has a special place among all flowers surpassing them in complexity and beauty. The music in this setting mimics the petals of a rose as it blooms. Imagine the petals unfurling over time as does the music which starts in unison for each verse and expands outward into two and three vocal lines with increasingly complex harmonic twists. Word painting is employed in several places but none are as important as the dramatic climax in the fourth verse where the shepherds along with all the angels in heaven proclaim Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God on high). What a sound that must be! On these words the music reaches it loudest point as the sopranos rise to their highest note and the compassathe distance between the highest and lowest noteais at its widest. The setting is brought to a close as the five Latin phrases that finished each verse are repeated as a coda and musically summarize the five verses of the carol.
The text of this poem is from the Trinity Carol Roll, an English manuscript housed at the Wren Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is originally in the Norfolk dialect of Middle English but has been modernized for use in this setting. Also, it's macaronic, meaning it combines words from two languages, the other being Latin which was in use by the church when this carol was written. The Latin phrases come from different parts of the Advent/Christmas liturgies; a sequence called Laetabundus, the title of an Introit antiphon called Gaudeamus, and the shepherd's response in the gospel of Luke 2:15, Transeamus. Latin phrase translation source Alleluia Alleluia Laetabundus Res miranda A thing to be wondered at Laetabundus Pari forma of equal form Laetabundus Gaudeamus Let us rejoice! Gaudeamus Transeamus Let us go Luke 2:15 The poet compares the Virgin Mary to a rose. She has a special place among all women in being chosen as the mother of Jesus, and likewise the rose has a special place among all flowers surpassing them in complexity and beauty. The music in this setting mimics the petals of a rose as it blooms. Imagine the petals unfurling over time as does the music which starts in unison for each verse and expands outward into two and three vocal lines with increasingly complex harmonic twists. Word painting is employed in several places but none are as important as the dramatic climax in the fourth verse where the shepherds along with all the angels in heaven proclaim Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God on high). What a sound that must be! On these words the music reaches it loudest point as the sopranos rise to their highest note and the compass--the distance between the highest and lowest note--is at its widest. The setting is brought to a close as the five Latin phrases that finished each verse are repeated as a coda and musically summarize the five verses of the carol.
The text of this poem is from the Trinity Carol Roll, an English manuscript housed at the Wren Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is originally in the Norfolk dialect of Middle English but has been modernized for use in this setting. Also, it's macaronic, meaning it combines words from two languages, the other being Latin which was in use by the church when this carol was written. The Latin phrases come from different parts of the Advent/Christmas liturgies; a sequence called Laetabundus, the title of an Introit antiphon called Gaudeamus, and the shepherd's response in the gospel of Luke 2:15, Transeamus. Latin phrase translation source Alleluia Alleluia Laetabundus Res miranda A thing to be wondered at Laetabundus Pares forma of equal form Laetabundus Gaudeamus Let us rejoice! Gaudeamus Transeamus Let us go Luke 2:15 The poet compares the Virgin Mary to a rose. She has a special place among all women in being chosen as the mother of Jesus, and likewise the rose has a special place among all flowers surpassing them in complexity and beauty. The music in this setting mimics the petals of a rose as it blooms. Imagine the petals unfurling over time as does the music which starts in unison for each verse and expands outward into two and three vocal lines with increasingly complex harmonic twists. Word painting is employed in several places but none are as important as the dramatic climax in the fourth verse where the shepherds along with all the angels in heaven proclaim Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God on high). What a sound that must be! On these words the music reaches it loudest point as the sopranos rise to their highest note and the compass--the distance between the highest and lowest note--is at its widest. The setting is brought to a close as the five Latin phrases that finished each verse are repeated as a coda and musically summarize the five verses of the carol.
The text of this poem is from the Trinity Carol Roll, an English manuscript housed at the Wren Library of Trinity College, Cambridge. It is originally in the Norfolk dialect of Middle English but has been modernized for use in this setting. Also, it's macaronic, meaning it combines words from two languages, the other being Latin which was in use by the church when this carol was written.The Latin phrases come from different parts of the Advent/Christmas liturgies; a sequence called Laetabundus, the title of an Introit antiphon called Gaudeamus, and the shepherd’s response in the gospel of Luke 2:15, Transeamus.Latin phrase  translation sourceAlleluia Alleluia LaetabundusRes miranda A thing to be wondered at LaetabundusPares forma of equal form LaetabundusGaudeamus Let us rejoice! GaudeamusTranseamus Let us go Luke 2:15The poet compares the Virgin Mary to a rose. She has a special place among all women in being chosen as the mother of Jesus, and likewise the rose has a special place among all flowers surpassing them in complexity and beauty.The music in this setting mimics the petals of a rose as it blooms. Imagine the petals unfurling over time as does the music which starts in unison for each verse and expands outward into two and three vocal lines with increasingly complex harmonic twists.Word painting is employed in several places but none are as important as the dramatic climax in the fourth verse where the shepherds along with all the angels in heaven proclaim Gloria in excelsis Deo (Glory to God on high). What a sound that must be! On these words the music reaches it loudest point as the sopranos rise to their highest note and the compass—the distance between the highest and lowest note—is at its widest.The setting is brought to a close as the five Latin phrases that finished each verse are repeated as a coda and musically summarize the five verses of the carol.

SKU: CF.CM9634

ISBN 9781491157060. UPC: 680160915620. 6.875 x 10.5 inches. Key: G major. English, English. Traditional Christmas Spiritual.

Berg's fantastic setting of this beloved American Christmas spiritual for advanced tenor-bass choirs tells a story of hope and meaning. The various textures throughout the a cappella arrangement with solos add much variety and musical interest. A holiday programming must!.
This beloved American Christmas Spiritual, like all spirituals and/or folk songs, tells a story. This is a story of hope and meaning. The introductory solo call and response (mm. 1-7) is hymnic in nature, just to get us started. (Think of it as an effective head fake!) The entrance at m. 8 from the upper three voices (we'll call them the trio part henceforth) is pivotal. They set the stage for the conversation between the singers and the soloist for the rest of the song. From this point, the song is basically a Jazz Trio in vocal form. The bass singers take on the role of the cool dude in the back wearing dark glasses and a beret playing the string bass. They provide the driving force for the forward movement of the entire song. The trio part, basically tenors 1 & 2 and baritones, take on the role of the keyboard providing chordal structure and syncopation. Their job is to fill the listener's ear with sound and rhythm. The soloist tells the story using the known melody and text with appropriate improv opportunities to keep the listeners focused on the message of the song. There is enough repetition to make for easy learning, but this also means that the chords need to snap into position cleanly every time. The Verses are easily identified (there are three) and presented with some small variations in Verse 3 (see mm. 56-58...this only happens once). The Refrain (mm. 30-37) is the part of the song where the singers switch from the Jazz Trio role and actually become a Men's Choral Ensemble. This Refrain is repeated after Verse 3 at mm. 66-71. Between verses 2 & 3, there is not a refrain. Instead, there is a bridge repeated from the introductory material, but used this time to move us into a new key signature. This can be a very exciting moment for the singers as well as the listeners! Measures 72-75 is known in the business as a vamp. It can be repeated once and then move on, OR it can be repeated multiple times, depending on the comfort level of the soloist and the response of the audience. It is important that there be a clear signal from the conductor as to how to end the vamp and move effectively to the actual coda of the song. The ending should be sung with tight control that only looks like reckless abandon! Faces bright; words clean; melody clear; rhythms precise! Enjoy.
This beloved American Christmas Spiritual, like all spirituals and/or folk songs, tells a story. This is a story of hope and meaning. The introductory solo call and response (mm. 1-7) is hymnic in nature, just to get us started. (Think of it as an effective head fake!)The entrance at m. 8 from the upper three voices (we’ll call them the “trio part” henceforth) is pivotal. They set the stage for the conversation between the singers and the soloist for the rest of the song. From this point, the song is basically a Jazz Trio in vocal form. The bass singers take on the role of the cool dude in the back wearing dark glasses and a beret playing the string bass. They provide the driving force for the forward movement of the entire song.The “trio part”, basically tenors 1 & 2 and baritones, take on the role of the keyboard providing chordal structure and syncopation. Their job is to fill the listener’s ear with sound and rhythm.The soloist tells the story using the known melody and text with appropriate improv opportunities to keep the listeners focused on the message of the song.There is enough repetition to make for easy learning, but this also means that the chords need to “snap into position” cleanly every time. The Verses are easily identified (there are three) and presented with some small variations in Verse 3 (see mm. 56-58…this only happens once).The Refrain (mm. 30-37) is the part of the song where the singers switch from the “Jazz Trio” role and actually become a “Men’s Choral Ensemble”. This Refrain is repeated after Verse 3 at mm. 66-71. Between verses 2 & 3, there is not a refrain. Instead, there is a bridge repeated from the introductory material, but used this time to move us into a new key signature. This can be a very exciting moment for the singers as well as the listeners!Measures 72-75 is known in the business as a “vamp”. It can be repeated once and then move on, OR it can be repeated multiple times, depending on the comfort level of the soloist and the response of the audience.It is important that there be a clear signal from the conductor as to how to end the “vamp” and move effectively to the actual coda of the song. The ending should be sung with tight control that only looks like reckless abandon!Faces bright; words clean; melody clear; rhythms precise! Enjoy.