Composer: Deanna WitkowskiDetailsFormat: Mixed Choir - 4 voicesVoicing: SATBIncidental Divisi: A, TAccompaniment: unaccompaniedNotation: standardPerformance Length: 3:06 Study Scores & Audio FilesStudy Score & Audio Order Printed ScoresOrder site / Alternate source of score: musicspoke.com Texts & TranslationsLanguage(s): EnglishText Source: G.K. Chesterton from The Wild Knight and Other Poems (1900)Text: The Christ-child lay on Mary's lap, His hair was like a light. (O weary, weary were the world, But here is all alright). The Christ-child lay on Mary's breast His hair was like a star. (O stern and cunning are the kings, But here the true hearts are). The Christ-child lay on Mary's heart, His hair was like a fire. (O weary, weary is the world, But here the world's desire). The Christ-child stood on Mary's knee, His hair was like a crown, And all the flowers looked up at Him, And all the stars looked down. Programming AidsPerformance Difficulty: very difficultSeasonal Usage: ChristmasDescriptive Terms: evocativerichstrengthAllow Excerpts: Composition is a single movementComposer’s Notes: Perhaps best known for his Father Brown novels, the English writer G.K. Chesterton (1874-1936) wrote many works articulating his Christian faith, including his 1908 classic, Orthodoxy. An Anglican who converted to Catholicism, his writings had a major impact on fellow writers T.S. Eliot and C.S. Lewis. “A Christmas Carol” comes from his 1900 collection, The Wild Knight and Other Poems. My setting, while almost strophic in nature, includes extended endings after each of the first three verses to evoke the warmness of Mary’s lap, heart, and breast. The lush harmonies throughout move to a unison (with the melody a fourth higher than heard at the beginning) in the fourth stanza where the Christ-child stands. The final, unresolved chord on the word “stood” is meant to leave our eyes fixed on the child, wondering- and yet knowing from history- where his steps will lead. Additional InformationDate of Completion: July, 2017Date of First Performance: Sunday, January 7, 2018Premier Performance Data: ChoralArt Camerata (Robert Russell, cond), Williston-Immanuel United Church, Portland, ME
