Hymni
Instrumentation
Chorus (SSAATTBB)
Chorus (SSAATTBB)
Glockenspiel (ad lib.)
Vibraphone
Piano
Commissioned by the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington, D.C., J. Reilly Lewis, Music Director. Made possible by the Richard Wayne Dirksen Memorial Endowment Fund.
When Reilly Lewis asked me to contribute a Christmas motet to the 2014 holiday program by the
Cathedral Choral Society, I was somewhat reticent given my agnosticism. The opportunity to work
with such a brilliant chorus and a musician of Reilly’ caliber at their helm proved irresistible, however,
and I composed Hymni in a flurry of activity in October, 2014.
Hymni, as the title suggests, consists of two hymns wrapped into one. In setting religious texts, I am
often drawn to those exploring mystical ideas and, for a Christmas motet, I wanted to explore the
rather profound and mysterious concept that is the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. I
chose two texts: a credo doxology by the fourth century writer, Prudentius and the famous “O
Magnum Mysterium” of Catholic liturgy. These texts suggest to me the overwhelming question early
Christian theologians faced trying to explain the idea that God would become a man and, in that way,
become unnoticed among humanity to the point that only “dumb” animals would bear witness to his
birth.
Hymni is dedicated to J. Reilly Lewis and the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington, D.C.
Cathedral Choral Society, I was somewhat reticent given my agnosticism. The opportunity to work
with such a brilliant chorus and a musician of Reilly’ caliber at their helm proved irresistible, however,
and I composed Hymni in a flurry of activity in October, 2014.
Hymni, as the title suggests, consists of two hymns wrapped into one. In setting religious texts, I am
often drawn to those exploring mystical ideas and, for a Christmas motet, I wanted to explore the
rather profound and mysterious concept that is the incarnation of God in the person of Jesus Christ. I
chose two texts: a credo doxology by the fourth century writer, Prudentius and the famous “O
Magnum Mysterium” of Catholic liturgy. These texts suggest to me the overwhelming question early
Christian theologians faced trying to explain the idea that God would become a man and, in that way,
become unnoticed among humanity to the point that only “dumb” animals would bear witness to his
birth.
Hymni is dedicated to J. Reilly Lewis and the Cathedral Choral Society of Washington, D.C.