MusicSpoke | Artist Owned Sheet Music™

About the Score

The composer writes: The author of the poem “O Magnum Mysterium” is unknown. Originally the text for a Gregorian chant, it was later used in polyphonic motets of the 16th century – and many settings have been composed since then. Perhaps the enduring appeal of the poem is based on its simple depiction of Christ’s humanity and humility, together with its expression of devotion to his mother, Mary. In composing my own setting, for SATB choir and soprano saxophone, it pleased me to think of the choir as representing the worldly creatures (people and animals) present at Jesus’s birth, and the saxophone as an otherworldly, mystical presence hovering above. It’s a fanciful notion, but I found it inspiring.

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