In this post are several choir songs and the responsorial psalm for Christmas.
As with the Advent music posted earlier, much of this music was composed for the choirs of St Hubert in a period of time from the mid-eighties to the early nineties.
Look, God Is Among Us
Look God Is Among Us, was composed as a Christmas present for my son, Luke, when he was 10 years old. I adapted the text from Isaiah 12, one of the readings on Christmas Eve. Here is the text of the song:
Look! God Is Among Us
Refrain
Look! God is among us,
The Holy One of Israel.
Come in greatness,
Shout for joy!
O God, you are our salvation,
You are our strength, our comfort.
In you we place our trust,
We have no fear.
Refrain
Come, O Zion draw water,
From the springs of our God.
Drink deeply from the font
Of our salvation.
Refrain
All who live in Zion,
Proclaim God’s name to all people.
Declare God’s mighty works,
Invoke God’s name.
Refrain
Look God Is Among Us (c) 1987 music and text by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
How Beautiful the Mountains
How Beautiful the Mountains was composed for my choirs in 1986. The text is adapted from Isaiah 52, one of the readings for Christmas Eve Masses. Many of these songs I began to compose in the month of June. I would pour through the readings of Advent and Christmas, choose texts, start to adapt those texts for music, and then do the composing and arranging. The Fall of 1986, the local association for liturgical musicians in the Archdiocese had a “contest” for original music composed by the directors of music in the Archdiocese. I entered this song, and won second or third place. Winning was not necessarily important. Performing the song for a wider audience was exhilarating. Here is the text:
HOW BEAUTIFUL THE MOUNTAINS
How beautiful the mountains that ring with the news that our God is king,
The voices of our watchmen excitedly shout for joy! (repeat
Refrain:
Rise out of your ruins Jerusalem,
God’s consolation has come to you.
For all the ends of the earth have seen
Have seen the salvation of our God.
How blessed are the messengers announcing the good news
Break into song O Zion proclaiming God’s peace to all. (repeat)
Refrain
How blessed are the eyes that behold our Lord God, our Comforter,
Returning to his people, redeeming them, bringing them peace. (repeat)
Refrain
The music:
How Beautiful the Mountains (c) 1986, music and text by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
Our Savior Is Born To Us
Our Savior Is Born to Us was composed as a Christmas present for a music colleague of mine, Joann Klinglehutz, at St Hubert. Joann was an educator and incredible soloist at St Hubert, and we played many a wedding over the years at St Hubert. She later got married and moved to Omaha.
I adapted the text from Isaiah 62, another reading proclaimed at one of the Masses on Christmas Eve. The refrain was composed to be sung as a round. As you listen to the recording you will hear the refrain sung in unison when it is introduced. After the first verse, it is sung as a two part round. After the second verse, it is sung as a three part round. And, following the third verse it is sung as a four part round. I have updated the arrangement to include a three octave bell choir, 2 violins, 2 flutes, a brass quartet, SATB choir, and piano. Here is the text:
OUR SAVIOR IS BORN TO US
(soprano solo)
Let us rejoice in the Lord,
Our Savior is born to us.
True peace descends upon us from Heaven.
(full choir)
Let us rejoice in the Lord,
Our Savior is born to us.
True peace descends upon us from Heaven.
Blazing forth from the East,
God comes from the dawn.
Filling the earth with a new light ne’er before seen.
Overcoming the darkness in our land.
(2 part round)
Let us rejoice in the Lord,
Our Savior is born to us.
True peace descends upon us from Heaven.
Desolate, forsaken we shall be no more.
As a crown of glory held aloft in God’s hand,
For all the nations to see.
(3 part round)
Let us rejoice in the Lord,
Our Savior is born to us.
True peace descends upon us from Heaven.
We have become delightful, espoused to God.
No one can silence the joy alive in our hearts.
Our Savior is born to us!
(4 part round)
Let us rejoice in the Lord,
Our Savior is born to us.
True peace descends upon us from Heaven.
The music:
Our Savior Is Born to Us (c) 1992, music and text by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
All the Ends of the Earth
All the Ends of the Earth, Psalm 98, is the responsorial psalm for Christmas Day. There are many, many musical versions for choir and cantors composed over the years. The music was composed by me for SATB choir and piano in 1985. I used the text that was provided in the Lectionary for Mass at that time (when the Catholic Church in the United States still had a decent translation of the scriptures.
In 1983, I was still the full-time music educator at St Wenceslaus, but worked nights and weekends at St Hubert 25 miles away. Ruthie was pregnant with our fourth child, and the baby was due at Christmas. Needless to say, I was a bit trepidatious about that, not wanting to be stuck directing music at all the Christmas Eve/Christmas Day Masses, and not being able to be with Ruth if she should go into labor (Note: our daughter was born two weeks later). When I composed this musical setting of this psalm, I had been working at both St Wenceslaus and St Hubert for two years. My family and I were living on my meager church salary and were officially living under the poverty level. My choirs got to know my family, and after one rehearsal in Advent 1984, the pastor, Father Barry Schneider, OFM, called me into his office and gave me an envelope with $1000. He said it was a gift from an anonymous donor to my family. What was looking to be a very meager Christmas at my home, turned into something far more special for my kids. I composed this setting of Psalm 98 as a thank you to the anonymous donor. About 20 years later, I finally discovered who the donor was. They are one of those special families that touch the lives of many so positively.
The music is based on a repetitive chord pattern, known as a “ground” in music theory. There are many popular songs that do this. Think Louie, Louie by the Kingsman, or any 12 part blues chord pattern. David Haas had composed a psalm setting of Psalm 100, “We Are Your People”, using this technique. I decided to base this psalm setting on the same principle. While the chord pattern remains the same, I composed two separate melodies to be sung over that chord pattern, one for the refrain, and one for the verse. At one point, in this psalm setting, you can hear both melodies being done simultaneously. Here is the text:
PS 98 ALL THE ENDS OF THE EARTH
Refrain:
All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
All the ends of the earth have seen the saving power of God.
Sing to the Lord a new song,
For he has done wondrous deeds;
His right hand has won vict’ry for him,
His holy arm.
Refrain
(women)
The LORD has made his salvation known
In the sight of the nations he has revealed his justice.
(men)
He has remembered his kindness and his faithfulness,
Toward the House of Israel, the House of Israel.
Refrain
(super imposed over the verse is the melody of the refrain)
All the ends of the earth have seen the salvation of our God.
Song joyfully to the LORD,
All you lands break into song,
Sing praise.
Refrain
Sing praise to the Lord with the harp,
With the harp and melodious song.
With the sound of the trumpet and horn
Sing joyfully before the King, the Lord.
Refrain
Here is the music:
All the Ends of the Earth (c) music by Robert Charles Wagner. All rights reserved.
