The tune BUNESSAN is a traditional Gaelic melody firstprinted in 1888 as the setting of Mary MacDonald's carol "Child in theManger." The tune was named after Mary's birthplace on the Isle of Mulloff Scotland's western coast. BUNESSAN is commonly associated with hymnscelebrating new beginnings: the aforementioned "Child in the Manger,"then the 1931 creation-celebrating hymn "Morning Has Broken," and themore recent but lesser-known 1982 hymn “Baptized in Water.” The title of this piece, “A Hymn of Beginnings,”recognizes that association.

Sacred bassoon solos aren’t common and those that exist tendto be quite pedestrian. With a new bassoonist in our church orchestra whosetalents go well beyond the pedestrian it seemed opportune to try something newand thus, “A Hymn of Beginnings” took shape. The music has a conventional feelbut with a palpable dash of the unfamiliar, achieved through subdued bi-tonalcoloring, matching the major-key melody with a minor-key harmonization thatmoves by descending thirds. Still, it remains quite accessible to the casuallistener with its familiar melody and obvious tonality.

“A Hymn of Beginnings” is suitable for intermediate leveland above musicians and works well at any time of the church year with itscontemplative yet varied moods. Its association with new beginnings makes itparticularly suited to Christmas, Easter, baptismal services, weddings, andothers.

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