Rise Up Early

Rise Up Early

Climbin' Up the Mountain

Lift Up Our Hearts

I Will Go Up

From Pent-Up Aching Rivers

Prelude on Rise Up, Shepherd

Alleluia, excita

The text originally comes from Psalm 80:2. It is traditionally used on the third Sunday of Advent, the 'Gaudete' or 'Rejoicing' Sunday, when penitential exercises are suspended to symbolize the coming of the joyous Christmas season. The text, Excita, Domine, is also used in some churches for the 'Stir Up Sunday' on which Christmas puddings are made and literally 'stirred up'. The beginning of the piece quotes the 'Alleluia' from the original chant, and then moves from the austere to the joyful 'Alleluia, excita' (Stir up thy strength, O Lord). The piece should move along quite briskly, symbolizing the joy andurgency of the text. -Jonathan Adams Duration: 1:34

Love from Two Pickthall Songs

In this first piece of a set called "Two Pickthall Songs," the poet asks the wind to be still, life to be sufficient, and time to be merciful. Each line of the poem is set to its own unique musical phrase, which directly relates to each image of the text. The music picks up emotion and energy on the word “breath,” as if the chorus is sighing. Later, the music increases its harmonic tension on the word “relentless.” The closing phrase is sung on a hum, as if to represent a memory, an echo, or perhaps a shadow in the window which reminds us of something that has passed. Duration: 2:30

In the Bleak Midwinter Earth Stood Hard as Iron

The original tune is set in F major using traditional harmony. The suspensions are set at words which reveal tension to be resolved, which I have not always done. The tonal structure is of a modified strophic design (A-[A]-B-A) in five verses.The textual structure is curious and even novel for that era. The A-(A)-B section of each verse makes "mixed" use of the words. Yet, the ends of the last "A" sections contain only three words or three syllables.Thus, "give my heart" sounds strangely empty on first hearing. However, it makes the structural beat pattern consistent. Yes, the rhyme scheme is A-B-C-B-D-E-F-E. Also, I have purposefully used all five originalverses so as to obtain full, glorious, Christmas storytelling!What gift can I give to the Christ Child? If the midwinter snow fully covers up all my transgressions, only to have them revealed again in spring, then I will give The Christ Child my contrite heart to balance the wager of my soul! -James McCulloughDuration: 4:30