A Christmas anthem written for St. Andrew's Episcopal Church in Madison,
Wisconsin. It was the first large piece I'd done and premiered on my thirtieth
birthday, so I would joke about missing the angst of turning thirty due to the
angst of the first performance. It turned out a lot more complex than I ever imagined at the beginning--solos, duets and choral sections.
I still think the duet in the middle, the section I've always referred to as the "French Movie Music" section is some of the prettiest I've written for voice.
December 1985
Lyrics:
A light is coming for the people of the Lord
The Lord is with you, fear evil no more.
There will be songs of joy as you celebrate on that day of Festival
The joyous festival for the people who seek refuge in the Lord.
Sing aloud, O Daughter of Zion, shout O Israel!
Celebrate with all of your heart, rejoice Jerusalem!
He has lifted all of you iniquities,
All of you enemies has he cast down.
Sing aloud, O Daughter of Zion, shout O Israel!
The Lord is in you midst, a warrior who brings victory.
He will rejoice over you in gladness, he will renew you in his love.
The Lord is in you midst, a warrior who brings victory.
He will rejoice over you in gladness, he will renew you in his love.
Behold at that time I will deal with your oppressors
And I will heal the lame and gather the outcast.
Then will I change your shame into good fortune
And praise will resound through all the earth.
And at that time then will I bring you home
At that time I gather you together.
Yea, I will make you renowned, most praised in all the earth,
When I restore your faith before your eyes.
Sing aloud, O Daughter of Zion, shout O Israel!
Celebrate with all of your heart, rejoice Jerusalem!
He has lifted all of you iniquities,
All of you enemies has he cast down.
Sing aloud, O Daughter of Zion, shout O Israel!
The Lord is in you midst, a warrior who brings victory.
He will rejoice over you in gladness, he will renew you in his love.
The Lord is in you midst, a warrior who brings victory.
He will rejoice over you in gladness, he will renew you in his love.
A light is coming for the people of the Lord
The lord is with you, fear evil no more.
There will be songs of joy as you celebrate on that day of Festival
A joyous festival for the people who seek refuge in the Lord.
The words are based (loosely) on the lectionary text for the day, Zephaniah 3:14–20:
Sing aloud, O daughter of Zion; shout, O Israel!
Rejoice and exult with all your heart, O daughter of Jerusalem!
The LORD has taken away the judgments against you, he has cast out your enemies.
The King of Israel, the LORD, is in your midst; you shall fear evil no more.
On that day it shall be said to Jerusalem:
"Do not fear, O Zion; let not your hands grow weak.
The LORD, your God, is in your midst, a warrior who gives victory;
he will rejoice over you with gladness, he will renew you in his love;
he will exult over you with loud singing
as on a day of festival. "I will remove disaster from you,
so that you will not bear reproach for it.
Behold, at that time I will deal with all your oppressors.
And I will save the lame and gather the outcast,
and I will change their shame into praise and renown in all the earth.
At that time I will bring you home, at the time when I gather you together;
yea, I will make you renowned and praised among all the peoples of the earth,
when I restore your fortunes before your eyes," says the LORD.