Dies Sanctificatus

It’s lots of alleluias!

This is the third and possibly the liveliest of the Five Christmas Fanfares for 8-part choir. All five are fairly spirited it has to be said, as well as antiphonal, short and with enthusiastic rhythmic characteristics such as additive rhythms, mixed meters and distinctive articulations.

Dies Sanctificatus sees the main rhythmic and melodic ideas hocketing between the men’s and women’s voices with a ostinato mixed meter rhythm being maintained throughout the piece. Did I mention it was lively! Boy, it’s lively!

Alleluia, Alleluia.
Dies sanctificatus illuxit nobis:
venite, gentes, et adorate Dominum:
quia hodie descendit lux magna super terram.
Alleluia.

Alleluia, alleluia.
This holy day shines upon us;
come gentiles, and adore the Lord,
for today a great light is come upon the earth.
Alleluia. (Ps97)

The world premiere of this anthem was by the Rock Festival Choir in Alnwick, Northumberland – they performed the whole set of Five Fanfares.

This performance is by Choralation from Westlake Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools in Auckland, New Zealand. Choralation sang the piece in the Big Sing Finale in 2011 when they were bestowed with the Platinum Award, and again for broadcast by TVNZ’s “Praise Be!” programme.  When I was Composer-in-Schools in 1993 for the New Zealand Arts Council, Westlake Girls was one of the schools I visited every week and composed several pieces for their choir Key Cygnetures. It’s very heartening to maintain the link with this school even though I now live so far away, and different music directors have taken over the choirs and music department!