Thy Light Is Come
David P. Sartor
About this work:
This festive anthem was commissioned and premiered as a work for mixed voices and organ by Peter Fyfe and Christ Episcopal Church in Nashville, Tennessee. In 2004, at the request of Washington (D.C.) National Cathedral Choral Society Music Director J. Reilly Lewis, Sartor created a new version of the piece that included brass and timpani. The new version was performed three times to a total audience of 10,000 as the concluding work on each of the Choral Society's critically acclaimed “The Joy of Christmas” concerts at the Washington National Cathedral, by the 240-voice Cathedral Choral Society with the Washington Brass, timpani and organ, conducted by Dr. Lewis.
The text of Thy Light Is Come, drawn from Isaiah 60, proclaims in glorious fashion that God’s presence is the light that illuminates a new future. The opening choral fanfare on the word “Arise” establishes a celebratory mood, and the work’s four sections employ quickly-shifting tonal centers and a wide palette of expressive demands to musically depict the scripture’s poetic imagery. After a return of the opening fanfare confirms that our light has indeed come, an extended “Amen” coda brings the anthem to a joyous and full-throated conclusion.
Thy Light Is Come is recommended for advanced and professional choirs, and is ideal for Epiphany concerts, Christmas concerts, or any festive occasion. It can be performed with or without the optional brass and timpani parts
Year composed: 1987
Duration: 00:08:01
Ensemble type: Chorus, with or without Solo Voices:Chorus with Keyboard
Instrumentation: 1 Organ, 1 S, 1 A, 1 T, 1 B
Instrumentation notes: Optional Brass: 3 trumpets, 2 Trombones, Bass Trombone, Tuba, Timpani