Lux Aurumque

nativity-church.jpgThere’s nothing like soaring choral music to get one’s Advent Season off to a good start.

Yesterday, I put Alabama’s coaching woes far behind me and dove headlong into Advent by attending a concert of the University of Alabama at Huntsville Chorus and the Huntsville Youth Chorus at the historic Episcopal Church of the Nativity in downtown (kudos to RocketCityPoet for the stunning view of Nativity above).

Small in numbers but large in both volume and spirit, both choruses hit several high notes, including such classics as Lauridsen’s O Magnum Mysterium and Vilvadi’s Magnificat in G Minor. Throw in some rousing audience participation on favorites like O Come, All Ye Faithful and Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and by the time we were done, everyone was ready to hang some greens and then some (for my personal reasons on why I’ve chosen to celebrate Advent, see my essay “The Case for Advent” from last year).

But the one song that grabbed me and transported me to otherworldly places was a modern composition by Eric Whitacre called Lux Aurumque (Light of Gold). UAH chorale director Dr. Michael Conran reminded us that in order to pull that one off that you had to have the “right soprano.” Well, Ms. Erin Maguire was just that, and when she and her chorus mates were done, there was hushed silence and finally, after taking a few seconds to regain our wits, applause. Disappointed we were, to find ourselves still held captive by the surly bonds of earth after apparently being carried off to such high and heavenly places.

Take a listen to Lux Aurumque at the link above and see if you don’t agree. After a few minutes of listening to that, I couldn’t care less whether Alabama hires Nick Saban or Ronald McDonald because frankly, when you get right down to it, it simply doesn’t matter.

12 Comments

  1. Terri

    Our community choir did The Messiah yesterday and I missed it. I hope to catch something else soon. Let us know what is coming up in H’ville and maybe I can find something there.

  2. Ed

    Yes, sorry I missed it too. The annual CCA concert is tonight. Not quite chorale music, but enjoyable none the less.

  3. Brady

    Thanks for the post. Choral music can transport you to the heavens, that’s for sure. I got to see Vivaldi’s Magnificat a year ago. It was great fun singing in 500 year old churches. A real privilege.

  4. Mike the Eyeguy

    First United Methodist in downtown Huntsville will host the annual Boar’s Head/Yule Log Festival next Sunday 12/10 at both 4:30 and 6:00pm. That one has a medieval twist and tells the story of Good King Wenceslas.

    Also, Nativity will also host the traditional Anglican service Lessons and Carols on 12/17 at 5:00pm.

    Be there early for both of those since they tend to fill up quickly.

    Brady, sounds like from your comment about 500-year-old churches that you’ve discovered a lesson that modern church planners tend to forget when building their plain Jane “worship centers”–architecture matters.

  5. lAURA

    Mike Amen! Some things just bring you back to reality and make you realize what is important. I just came from spending most of the night Mrs. TOmmie Seitz and her family. She is guardian of her 3 month old grandbaby and probably will now get full custody. She is 71 years young. Her daugher Lisa Baker’s funeral is right before brother Bob Jones and Gary is preaching both. Just makes you want to hold on too your family and realize what is important and sure isn’t football. You always know what i am thinking. Thanks for the wonderful day to day writings.

  6. Laurie

    So many of my Christmas memories are wrapped around church and singing. Our youth group would take a charter bus every year to carol to shut-ins. (I was exposed to chicken pox in 10th grade, and my biggest terror was that I would come down with them before the caroling party. I made it. Barely. This story is somewhat less romantic now that I’m a mom and realize that even without symptoms I exposed everybody I came in contact with.)

    In 3rd-6th grades we sang outside the sanctuary before the candlelight service on Christmas Eve. After that we sang in the service itself. I still know the alto part to every single Christmas carol.

    My most vivid memories are of leaving the dark church on Christmas Eve singing “Silent Night,” going out the door into the icy cold, looking down from the hill over the lights of Denver. That just IS Christmas, and nothing I’ve experienced in my adult life quite captures the same feelings.

    This year my daughter will be singing in the same service at the church I grew up in. That thought puts a smile on my face.

    Thanks for bringing up the memories. 🙂

  7. Mike the Eyeguy

    Laura–Amen right back. It seems that every few years or so our congregation goes through a bad patch of untimely deaths right before Christmas. Eyegal was good friends with “Bo Bo” Jones and the next couple of days will be rough. Bless you for spending time with Mrs. Seitz in such a difficult time.

    Laurie–I am a relative Johnny-come-lately to Advent and Christmas in all its pomp and splendor and am soaking it up like a sponge. I’m glad that you and others have such good memories of earlier times and that new memories are still in the making.

  8. Bill Gnade

    Lauridsen sends me stumbling about, left dizzy by sheer beauty. I had not heard any of Lux Aurumque until this morning. Though the link you posted here leads to a muddy recording, you are right: The harmonies are stunning, and there is no doubt that the wrong soprano would sully this gem.

    Thank you for reminding me of such transcendence, such glory.

    O Magnum Mysterium: simply one of my favorites.

    Merry Christmas,

    Gnade

  9. Mike the Eyeguy

    Bill, you’re right, that’s not a first rate recording, but I was so anxious to get a clip of the song posted that I put up the first thing I could find. Still, the beauty shines through. Glad you enjoyed it, and Merry Christmas right back atcha.

  10. Laurie

    Hey, I went to my daughter’s Christmas choir concert last night, and guess what they sang? Lux Aurumque! Small world. And a beautiful song!

  11. Mike the Eyeguy

    Maybe not as beautiful as “Stop the Cavalry,” but still pretty darn good.

  12. andrew

    I’ve been singing ‘Lux Aurumque’ recently in a choir I’m in. The recordings don’t really do it justice, you’re right. Fantastically beautiful.

Comments are closed.