Hodie Christus natus est
4-Part - Sheet Music

Item Number: 20168972
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SATB choir, a cappella

SKU: C5.5038

Composed by William Grabbe. Arranged by Karl Henning. Text: Liturgy of the Hours. Magnificat antiphon for Christmas Vespers. Christmas. Octavo. Published by CanticaNOVA Publications (C5.5038).

Inspired by the text and music of the Office chant of the same name, Bill Grabbe wrote a seasonal motet, here arranged for SATB choir, a cappella by Karl Henning. The Latin text. Hodie Christus natus est... translates: "Today Christ is born; today the Savior appears: today the angels sing on earth, the archangels rejoice: today the righteous exult, saying: 'Glory to God in the highest!' Alleluia!" The music, while not directly quoting the Gregorian chant, still maintains a chant-like atmosphere. Easily within a very comfortable range (e.g. sopranos and tenors sing no higher than D), the motet uses shifting meter signatures to capture the flowing quality of chant. A very short section on the word "exsultant" employs the Medieval practice of "hocket," which breaks a long melismatic phrase into very short sections of only a few notes, with rests between. An interesting programing note would be to sing this motet twice during Communion at Christmas Midnight Mass, with a simple, chanted Magnificat setting (perhaps Tone 8 on G) between, thus mimicking its origin as the Magnificat antiphon for Christmas Vespers.