It Came Upon the Midnight Clear
This setting of the classic Christmas carol begins with a quiet and intimate first verse that broadens out into an angelic, celebratory interlude section culminating in an exciting fanfare. The second verse features a soaring duet between tenor melody and soprano descant, but devolves into chaos as the text reflects on the world’s “babel sounds,” but as the noise clears, the angels’ song resurfaces, drawing the piece to a serene and ethereal conclusion.
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Digital Performance Packet
Purchase of this piece includes a zip file containing PDFs of the conductor’s score, piano/vocal score, and instrumental parts. Purchase includes license to make necessary copies for unlimited rehearsals and performances for 12 months from date of purchase. If performed again after that window, please repurchase the Performance Packet.
A print version of the piano/vocal score is also available for purchase here.
Audio demo created using EastWest Hollywood Choirs and Spitfire Audio BBCSO.
| Descriptive Tags: | Angels, Carol, Celebratory, Christian, Christmas, Ethereal, Flight, Hymn, Light, New Hymn Settings, NIght, Singing |
| Difficulty: | Advanced |
| Duration: | 1-5 Minutes |
| Instrumentation: | Orchestra |
| Language: | English |
| Sacred or Secular: | Sacred |
| Season or Event: | Christmas |
| Voicing: | SATB |
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| SATB ⋅ SSATTBB ⋅ Unison | 6' 30" | English | ‘Rejoice! A Christmas Fanfare’ was written as the opening number for a series of four Christmas Concerts held in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall in December 2015. As a number of youth choirs and a community chorus were taking part in these concerts, they were all involved individually and jointly in the piece, which was built […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| ‘Rejoice! A Christmas Fanfare’ was written as the opening number for a series of four Christmas Concerts held in Birmingham’s Symphony Hall in December 2015. As a number of youth choirs and a community chorus were taking part in these concerts, they were all involved individually and jointly in the piece, which was built […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SATB | 4' | English | This setting of the classic Christmas carol begins with a quiet and intimate first verse that broadens out into an angelic, celebratory interlude section culminating in an exciting fanfare. The second verse features a soaring duet between tenor melody and soprano descant, but devolves into chaos as the text reflects on the world’s “babel sounds,” […] | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| This setting of the classic Christmas carol begins with a quiet and intimate first verse that broadens out into an angelic, celebratory interlude section culminating in an exciting fanfare. The second verse features a soaring duet between tenor melody and soprano descant, but devolves into chaos as the text reflects on the world’s “babel sounds,” […] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| SATB | 3' | English | A new choral piece depicting the Christmas star shining as the three Magi make their way to Bethlehem. Words by the composer. Commissioned by the San Francisco Choral Artists, and premiered in 2023 with Magen Solomon conducting. | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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