As a vocalist, Christmas is always an exciting time of year. For months we practice our pieces, preparing for the busy concert season. This year I had the great opportunity to sing the piece Iam Sol Recedit by Ola Gjeilo. The piece opens with a lush choral texture accompanied by a soaring oboe melody to draw listeners in. It then settles into a warm wall of harmony, reflecting on an ancient Latin text which was composed by an unknown author and used in Catholic prayer for centuries:

As fades the glowing orb of day,
to Thee great source of life we pray;
to God the Father, and the Son,
and Holy Spirit, Three in One,
be endless glory as before
the world began, so evermore.
At early dawn, at close of day,
to Thee our vows we humbly pay.
Amen.

The striking thing about this piece is the contrast between the beauty of the music and the text itself. The setting of the sun is a subtle reminder of the reality of death, which is often a dark and painful idea to reflect upon. However, Ola Gjeilo seems to suggest that even in death there is beauty, as for the Christian, death is not the end, but merely the beginning. I think this is an important idea to keep in mind during the long winter months that seem to never end.