Gerald Finzi: Dies Natalis op. 8: Soprano or Tenor: Vocal Work

Cantata-Suffused with a sense of purity and innocence Dies Natalis sets out to depict a newborn child's first sensations of the world. Set to the text of a poem by Thomas Traherne and inspired by Botticelli's painting Mystic Nativity the sense of joy and wonder in the celebration of creation are conveyed with a spontaneity and rapture that are breathtaking. Originally composed as a cantata for tenor or soprano solo and string orchestra this is a reduction for Tenor (or Soprano) voice and Piano accompaniment.