Christmas Choral Arrangement
A few months ago, I was looking for a performance-based song to do for the Christmas Eve service. I looked at what the church had on file and wasn’t too excited. I then got the stupid idea to write or arrange something myself. Well the idea wouldn’t leave my head, so I spent entirely too much time arranging a piece for the service.
It combines two common Christmas hymns: O Come, O Come Emmanuel and God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. My attempt was to have the two songs talk to each other; they go back and forth and sometimes are sung at the same time. I was also listening to a lot of Thomas Tallis, a medieval composer. He wrote an insane 40-part piece for 8 choirs (yes, all at the same time) called Spem in Alium. Here’s a link to the Amazon MP3 album: Thomas Tallis: Spem in alium - Sing and glorify
The song begins with one part, all alone, singing O Come, O Come Emmanuel. I left more space between phrases to emphasize the loneliness and despair and longing that we have here on earth- looking forward to Christ coming. That moves to two parts singing God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, more of a joyful looking back to what the world is like now that Christ has come. Then the words come from a verse of O Come, but with two melodies simultaneously. The next verse has lyrics and melody from the two hymns going on at the same time, phrases started by some, finished by others. I’m attempting to get at the inbetween-ness of our current existence. The song ends with the chorus of O Come (”Rejoice! Rejoice! Emmanuel”) with one of its verses- the song ends up answering its own problem.
There are a couple main progressions I was trying to get at- the first is the singular to the many. One voice crying out in the wilderness is joined by other voices, and maybe they’re not even singing the same exact tune, but they are trying to work at it. The song ends not with a single voice, but with 2 parts. We are in the wilderness, yes, but there is a peace to be found.
The second progression was that of dissonance and resolution. This is probably true for any piece of music, but in this case, its used for working out the space between the promise and its fulfillment. Between us in lonely exile, in our misery to rest or rejoicing.
So, without to much exposition, here’s the song (pardon the recording quality): O Come, O Come Emmanuel / God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. If you want the score for whatever reason, let me know.
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January 11th, 2009 at 12:10 am:
On first listen, I’m enjoying this! Over the next few days, I hope to sit and listen and really dig into it - I’ll get back to you with those thoughts. Nice balance with dissonance and resolution, very smooth. Too often a song trying to bring those elements in ends up being abrasive.
January 12th, 2009 at 1:50 pm:
Chuck, thanks for that! If you have any more thoughts, I’d love to hear ‘em!
January 25th, 2009 at 5:26 pm:
Well, it took me a little longer, but I have been listening to this for awhile now. Including as I type this in a coffee house as Abby studies across from me.
I enjoy the beginning introduction to each song and the introduction to the singers. I’m not over the moon about the cascade that begins the melding of the two, but I really do like how the voices blend together very quickly after that. The tempo locks in well, and the dynamics help. Really nice holds and chord work that halts and the slows the pace.
The pitch is fine, but I am most happy with the bends towards the end of the piece. Some others I have had listen to it were struck by the oddity of that, but I for one think it my favorite moment.
I am eager to hear the raw voices with no effects. I think I could hear some things about the vocalists better.
Keep posting these things, I love it. Doxology and Wesleyan Grace, maybe? Gloria Patri?
January 26th, 2009 at 9:24 am:
Chuck, glad it’s something you spend time listening to, I’m humbled!
This is kind of a stilted recording, it was in a church office after practicing for a few hours. We got it performance ready just a few days before Christmas Eve (when we had to perform). That said, I will probably pull it out again next year so that we can work more on dynamics and pitch, but I’m glad you don’t see those as problems. The reason for the effects is to simulate what it would really sound like being performed in a real auditorium or cathedral. I had to do some recording magic to make sound a little bigger than the room recording of 6 people.
About the pitch bending, I’m not sure which part in the song you’re talking about, but it might be a mistake on our part?
I really want to do more choral pieces, but the next writing/recording endeavor is original worship songs and arrangements from our church. But there is an arrangement of a chant that will make it on there (Of the Father’s Love Begotten), so I guess that’s the best of both worlds.
Thanks for listening, Chuck.
March 4th, 2009 at 10:58 am:
yo, you got some phat voices up in that mug… i like the sparseness of the recording