His Light in Us
The work is a thanksgiving about the gift of a tiny child, and that only the nature of love is changeless. It sings about our renewed hope and how light now shines. And the key word is "renewed", because Christmas is a new and refreshing gift, our hearts are renewed, and our hope is renewed, so it's reflecting the glory of what goes on in our spirits at Christmas.
Commissioned by the St. Olaf Choir and Dr. Anton Armstrong for the 2016 St. Olaf Christmas Festival.
DETAILS:
- Instrumentation: SATB & piano
- Duration: 5 minutes
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Author/lyricist: Euan Tait
- Language: English
- Year: 2016
- Licensing: Earthsongs
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A J. W. Pepper Editor's Choice
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THE TEXT
God’s distant call
flares in the night,
so long expected, so longed for;
and all my life,
Christ called my name,
and now at last, I’ll answer Him.
Renewed, his hope,
his light in us,
incarnate, fragile,
our Lord appears,
Alleluia, alleluia!
Eternal,
so perfect,
his cry of changeless love.
Alive, awake,
His call is here:
it is the crying of the Child;
I know Christ’s call,
its hidden flame,
it makes my spirit flare with hope!
Renewed, his hope,
his light in us...
This root, this stem, this flowering Love,
this mustard seed,
it grows to the greatest tree,
the birds of souls have nested there.
The light of the night
Now blazes at dawn!
You’ve lead me here,
O little child,
your being singing with God’s life.
The kingdom sings,
it choirs with earth,
all creation lives Christ’s peace.
Renewed, his hope,
his light in us…
Euan Tait
Instrumentation: SATB, SSAA, or TTBB div. unaccompanied
Duration:5minutes
Author/lyricist:Anon 20th century
Language: English
Year: 2011
Licensing: Norsk Musikkforlag
A work about hope in the darkest time of life. The text was written by a Jew hiding in Cologne, Germany, during World War 2 where the text was found scratched onto a wall.
Commissioned by the St. Olaf Festival (Olavsfestdagene) in Trondheim, Norway, and premiered on July 30 by the Nidaros Cathedral Girls' Choir at an event with the bishop of Nidaros Tor Singsås and actress Liv Ullmann. The SATB version was premiered by the Nidaros Cathedral Boys' Choir on November 26, 2011, in Nidaros Cathedral, Trondheim. A TTBB version was commissioned and premiered by Chor Leoni and conductor Erick Lichte in 2017. Arrangments for wind ensemble or brass band are also available.
I believe in the sun, even when it's not shining.
I believe in love, even when I feel it not.
I believe in God, even when He is silent.
Anon. 20th Century
