Pieces

Christe Redemptor Omnium (choral arrangement)

The words and melody of ‘Christe redemptor omnium’ are hundreds of years old. Here is an arrangement of the Christmas plainchant hymn for SATB choir divisi, the effect warm and full, building over the sevenfold structure of the piece.

[ Buy and download on Sheet Music Plus ]

SATB unaccompanied, some divisi | Duration: 4m15 | Difficulty: Moderate (flexible, sustained singing)

We sang the original many times in Schola Cantorum and I fell in love with it.

Words:

  1. Christe, redemptor omnium,
    ex Patre, Patris unice,
    solus ante principium
    natus ineffabiliter,
  2. Tu lumen, tu splendor Patris,
    tu spes perennis omnium,
    intende quas fundunt preces
    tui per orbem servuli.
  3. Salutis auctor, recole
    quod nostri quondam corporis,
    ex illibata Virgine
    nascendo, formam sumpseris.
  4. Hic praesens testatur dies,
    currens per anni circulum,
    quod a solus sede Patris
    mundi salus adveneris;
  5. Hunc caelum, terra, hunc mare,
    hunc omne quod in eis est,
    auctorem adventus tui
    laudat exsultans cantico.
  6. Nos quoque, qui sancto tuo
    redempti sumus sanguine,
    ob diem natalis tui
    hymnum novum concinimus.
  7. Jesu, tibi sit gloria,
    qui natus es de Virgine,
    cum Patre et almo Spiritu,
    in sempiterna saecula. Amen.

Rhymed English translation by
John Mason Neale (1818-1866)

  1. O Christ, the Father’s only Son,
    whose death for all redemption won,
    before the worlds, of God most high,
    begotten all ineffably.
  2. The Father’s Light and Splendour Thou
    their endless Hope to Thee that bow:
    accept the prayers and praise today
    that through the world Thy servants pay.
  3. Salvation’s author, call to mind
    how, taking the form of humankind,
    born of a Virgin undefiled,
    Thou in man’s flesh becamest a Child.
  4. Thus testifies the present day
    Through every year in long array,
    that Thou, salvation’s source alone
    proceedest from the Father’s Throne.
  5. Whence sky, and stars, and sea’s abyss,
    and earth, and all that therein is,
    shall still, with laud and carol meet,
    the Author of thine Advent greet.
  6. And we who, by Thy precious Blood
    from sin redeemed, are marked for God,
    on this, the day that saw Thy Birth,
    sing the new song of ransomed earth.
  7. All honour, laud, and glory be,
    O Iesu, Virgin-born, to Thee;
    whom with the Father we adore,
    and Holy Ghost forevermore. Amen.

Night Lights: 30 piano moments (2021)

Piano Solo | 30 pieces 
Difficulty: intermediate – varying. Mainly short pieces.
2021

Listen:

The fifth book of 30 short evocative piano pieces.  These span in a variety of styles that paint a picture or a mood.  And piece 30 doubles as an index to the others!  Have a browse through and enjoy…

Difficulty: Short pieces, mainly intermediate level with a couple more challenging and a few more straightforward.

Four Hildegard texts (2021)

SSAA unaccompanied | Duration: 7 minutes | Difficulty: Moderate

Sheet music on SMP or Gumroad.

Four settings of texts by Hildegard of Bingen, individually each between 1-2 minutes. They may be performed individually or as a set. Written without any reference to the (still available!) melodies written by Hildegard — you could perform them in that context however…

  1. O mirum admirandum
  2. Vos flores rosaum
  3. O virga mediatrix
  4. O choruscans lux stellarum
IV. O choruscans lux stellarum performed by OC Women’s Chorus, 2022
O mirum admirandum NOTE: recording is a 3rd lower than the printed music.
Vos flores rosarum
O virga mediatrix
O choruscans lux stellarum

More info: blog post


Clarinet choir version

This piece also exists in a version for clarinet choir, arranged by Peter Anthony Smith