Wake, O Earth (2011)
For SATB or TTBB chorus and English Horn or Trumpet, 3′
Commissioned by the First Universalist Singers of Denver
On “Chanticleer” by William Austin
TTBB and Trumpet version:
Denver Gay Men’s Chorus; Donnie Lemley, Trumpet; Ben Riggs, Director
SATB and Trumpet version:
Regis University Concert Choir; Sarah Stoneback, Trumpet; John Hubert, Director
SATB and English Horn version:
First Universalist Singers; Miriam Kapner, English Horn; John Hubert, Director
Wake, O Earth PDF
For SATB or TTBB chorus and English Horn or Trumpet, 3′, Wake, O Earth is a joyful carol celebrating both the birth of Christ and the new sun of spring arising from winter’s darkness. To order, choose your voicing/instrumentation and indicate the number of copies needed for your choir.
About the Music
Wake, O Earth is a joyful carol celebrating both the birth of Christ and the new sun of spring arising from winter’s darkness. The text, from “Chanticleer” by Englishman William Austin (1587-1634), imagines the “chanticleer” (rooster) at night proclaiming a new light and urging “mortals,” “angels,” and “powers” to “wake and joy” to see the new “Sun” (symbolically interpreted also to mean the Son of God). I have adapted Austin’s original poem to a verse-refrain format that highlights his notions of waking, joy, and light.