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VocalEssence Music Press
Carol of the Night
David Evan Thomas
A moody, wordless texture and an expressive melody lead to an affirmation of hope.
SATB, a cappella
“Carol of the Night” treats an image common to all religious traditions: the kindling of light in the darkness. From a moody, wordless texture, an expressive melody leads to an affirmation of hope and lively interplay between the voices. The work was a winner of the Welcome Christmas Carol Contest in 2017.
Composer’s Notes
“Carol of the Night” treats an image common to all religious traditions: the kindling of light in the darkness. The Spirit unfolds the mystery, but it is for humanity to “blow on the embers of the heart.” In the music, searching harmonies set a melancholy tone, but a four-note, ascending “light”-motive soon spreads throughout the texture, as if from candle to candle. “Carol of the Night” was composed during the holiday season in 2016. It was a winner of the Welcome Christmas Carol Contest the following year, and was premiered by the Ensemble Singers of VocalEssence conducted by Philip Brunelle in 2017.
—David Evan Thomas
Text
In this holy darkness,
this quiet hour,
the beating heart is heard,
a gentle drumbeat of longing.
This night,
something so primal shakes the earth—
the Spirit comes to us
and rests among us.
Unfold for us, O Spirit,
the mystery and power of Love,
cradled in human form,
not as king but peasant child.
Blow on the embers of the heart,
that Love may be born in us anew
this night,
and we might see the beauty of holiness
in humble places,
and bow down
with grateful heart.
Now, the night beckons,
for here we find the Light,
a beacon on this uncertain road.
Here is the Light.
—Jean Greenwood
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