Night of Nights

Contents

The music in this cantata is intimately tied up the text, a text which was the original source of inspiration and the reason it was even composed in the first place. Every 'night' represents a small world filled with independent musical resources; for instance, lullaby-type rhythms and polytonality are used to accompany the spoken text, or the rhythmic, melodic and harmonic austerity of the 'Sibyl's Song', the hint of folk-like music in 'Kings' Night'; the joy and sounds of people having fun in the decadent sort of waltz 'New Year's Eve' in which we hear poly-rhythms and musical effects we often associate with contemporary music; sadness and suffering in the duet 'Night of the Holy Innocents' where we hear the composer paying homage to Benjamin Britten and his 'A Ceremony of Carols, op. 28. The piece concludes with a Song of Peace; here the composer uses a simple melody which the audience is supposed to sing
The children's voices and the adult's voices are the most important things in this work, whether they are reciting the text or singing it. The voices are always accompanied by three main instruments that go far beyond their simple accompanying roles. Often they dialog and intertwine with the voices adding color and variety to each 'night'.
The text takes us on a stroll through the feast days in the Christmas Cycle, a stroll which takes the 21st century as its point of departure; by doing this, we can talk about both a child's world as well as the adult's world. This work would be a great addition to church's and schools with multiple choirs.
The premiere of this work took place on December 23, 2006.