Composer: Anthony MosakowskiDetailsFormat: Multiple ChoirsVoicing: SSAATTBB-SSAATTBBAccompaniment: unaccompaniedNotation: standardPerformance Length: 6:36 Study Scores & Audio FilesStudy Score & Audio Order Printed ScoresOrder site / Alternate source of score: AnthonyMosakowski.com Texts & TranslationsLanguage(s): LatinEnglishText Source: traditional Latin antiphon; German hymn, trans. Theodore Baker, slightly alteredText: O Root of Jesse, who stands as a sign for all people, before which kings shut their mouths, which the nations beseech: come to liberate us, now, do not delay. Programming AidsPerformance Difficulty: difficultSeasonal Usage: AdventChristmasDescriptive Terms: fullrichcontemplationexpectationhistoricalAllow Excerpts: Composition is a single movementComposer’s Notes: I was commissioned to compose this piece by Choral Arts Philadelphia for their O Antiphons project to which seven Philadelphia-area composers contributed a setting of one of the O Antiphons. When researching the text for my assigned antiphon, "O Radix Jesse", I realized that there is a strong resonance between the biblical references of both “O Radix Jesse” and “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming”. As Praetorius’s setting of this hymn is one of my favorite compositions, I decided to incorporate it into my piece, albeit with some respectful “temporal distortions”. The choir is divided into two parts. In the first half of the piece, choir two sings the beginning of the Latin text of the O Antiphon while choir one sings a time-distorted version of "Lo, How a Rose" in 8 voice parts. The choirs then swap roles in the second half of the piece. Additional InformationDate of Completion: July, 2015Date of First Performance: Wednesday, December 2, 2015Premier Performance Data: Choral Arts Philadelphia (ew Glandorf, cond), St. Clement's Church
