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Use: Christmas
Required Resources: SATB choir
Optional Resources: Organ
Language: English
Christmastide is always the shortest season in our Church year.
It does, however, embrace various feasts of saints and liturgical celebrations apart from the major festivals of Christmas, Mary Mother of God, Epiphany and Baptism of the Lord.
This short octavo presents two brief, easy motets that allow your choir to sing the glories of Christmastide on any Sunday or weekday of the season; concluding with its traditional end on the Feast of the Presentation (February 2).
O Splendor of God's Glory Bright is a chorale-like setting of a familiar Ambrosian text from the 5th century, in its translation by Robert Bridges (1899).
As can be expected from Dr. Brumby, the voice parts are comfortable and wonderfully singable.
Paired verses of the original poem are combined here into a double-long stanzas; there are four of these, ending with a Doxology.
Another "textbook" chorale sets the lyrics, In His Temple Now Behold Him by Henry James Pye (1851).
This setting repeats that last hymn phrase, "Now to praise Him, His redeem-ed, Shall break forth with one accord," creating a four-phrase motet.
The text is appropriate for the Feast of the Presentation of the Lord (OF) or the II Class Feast of the Purification of the Blessed Virgin Mary [Candlemas] (EF).
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