Cantate Domino is the first of the Five Christmas Fanfares for 8-part choir. It was composed around the same time as Hilda’s Whimsy, and both are influenced by Indonesian musical characteristics. In Cantate Domino you can hear this in the interlocking rhythmic patterns of the sopranos’ and altos’ melodic lines, which are lifted from a piece of Balinese Gamelan music! The tenors and basses have a section (quia mirabila fecit) of heterophonic mellifluousness, where the four parts essentially sing the same music, but at different speeds, creating a kind of out-of-synch-ness.

You can hear the world premiere performance of this song in the video below and you can find the scores here!

The piece was composed for and first performed by Concentus, the chamber choir based at the University of Queensland in Brisbane, Australia. This is their world premiere performance at St. John’s Cathedral in the city under the vibrant conductorship of Ed Bolkovac. The piece has been performed several more times both on its own and also as part of a performance of the full set of five.

Cantate Domino canticum novum:
quia mirabila fecit.
Gloria Patri.
Puer.

Sing a new song to the Lord,
for he hath worked wonders.
Glory be to the Father.
A child.  (Ps.97,1)

Update 2017: the Manchester-based choir Kantos included Cantate Domino on their Christmas CD The Silver Stars At Play and in their subsequent Christmas concerts that year.

Update 2020: Kantos recorded the song again as part of their lockdown Advent Calendar:

Update December 2025: Kantos included it again in their Christmas programmes for concerts in Chester and Manchester. I went to the Manchester concert and it was a huge thrill!