Walker, Lucy - O nata lux

Series	Contemporary Choral Series
Pages	8
Publication Date	11 October 2023
Grade of Difficulty	intermediate
ISBN	9781784548704 (1784548707)
ISMN	9790060141249 (M060141249)
UPC	196288194392

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Commissioned by the Choir of Pembroke College, Cambridge, for the first ever BBC Radio 3 Choral Evensong broadcast from the college, this introit or short motet was written to commemorate the occasion of Candlemas. Echoing the text, rich in light imagery, the recurring motif, first heard at the opening of the piece, unfolds from a single pitch into glowing harmonic colours. After a luminous climax where the texture reaches its widest span, with a soaring soprano solo, the piece ends by returning cyclically to the meditative state of the opening, fading to a single note once more. As a versatile introit or as a concert piece, this gentle and reflective setting of the archaic text would suit confident choral groups.