Searching for Mark Swinton - 2 results.
In this arrangement, a familiar carol melody is presented with unfamiliar rhythms, accompanied by ostinato quavers and with the short Gloria refrain extended contrapuntally at the end of each verse. Sopranos set the scene in verse one, tenors take on the role of the angel in verse two, and altos provide Mary's awe-struck response in verse three, with reflective and almost static harmonies. The concluding narration is shared by the whole choir in verse four, culminating in an exuberant cascade.
This setting was written for St Mary's Scholars, the adult chamber choir of the Collegiate Church of St Mary, Warwick, to sing during the Palm Sunday Eucharist on 14th April 2019. On a day when the Gospel reading recounts the Passion of Christ, it seemed fitting to have a communion motet that would underscore one of the essential messages of the Passion as described by Paul and Timothy in their letter to the Philippians: that Christ humbled himself and accepted death on the cross. Accordingly, the music proceeds from a simple plainchant-like theme, from which harmony unfolds tentatively and humbly. A sudden outburst of more opulent harmony declares the exaltation of Christ's name by the Father, before the world takes up acknowledgement in quieter reverence, ultimately declaring Jesus as Lord in unison - expressing the catholic faith as one.