Festival Magnificat by Randol Alan Bass SA - Sheet Music

This composition was commissioned in 2012 by the Sacramento Choral Society, combined with the Sacramento Children’s Chorus, to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the former institution. Sacramento Choral Society Music Director, Dr. Donald Kendrick, served as the conductor for the premiere of the work in December of that year.This is the second setting of this text by the composer [RBM-118]. Rather than the 4-movement structure of the previous composition, this version has been cast into one, uninterrupted movement. Although much more brief than the earlier multi-movement work, the entire liturgical Magnificat text has been utilized.In addition to the SATB materials, the work features a treble chorus (children or women’s voices) – which may be alternatively sung by selected women’s voices drawn from the mixed chorus rather than requiring a separate SSA ensemble. The piece is characterized by a neo-Baroque styling, which is suitable for Holiday programming as well as other choral-orchestral concert situations. This work is particularly effective when programmed at the beginning of a concert or concert half, given its fanfare-like opening and broad lyrical phrasing throughout.