Four Christmas Motets (2015)
Four Christmas Motets were commissioned by the Icelandic-Danish chamber choir Staka, and premiered by Staka under the baton of Stefán Arason in Copenhagen and Humlebæk in November and December 2015.
A part of the commission that the piece would be in some way related to Poulanc's Quatre Motets pour le temps de Noël, which was intended to be performed on the same concert that the premiere of the piece was planned. This is one of the reasons that my Four Motets share the same lyrics as Poulanc's piece.
The piece is composed of four movements and two interludes. The interludes, as well as the fourth movement, call for a solo soprano trio. The first movement also calls for a solo SATB quartet. The movements are:
O magnum mysterium
Interlde I
Quem vidistis pastores
Videntes stellam
Interlde II
Hodie (flt.)
Digital rehearsal material, where each voice has been isolated in a sound file has been made for most of the piece, and can be accessed through the composer.