This Advent moon (Charles H. Giffen)

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  • (Posted 2009-10-14)  CPDL #20342:     
Editor: Charles H. Giffen (submitted 2009-10-14).   Score information: Letter, 8 pages, 175 kB    Copyright: Personal. May be freely distributed, duplicated, performed, or recorded. Please inform the composer of any performances of this work.
Edition notes: Corrected edition uploaded 2010-04-22, correcting B1 in m.32 from G to A. Revised edition uploaded 2011-09-20, reflecting minor text underlay changes.

General Information

Title: This Advent moon
Composer: Charles H. Giffen
Lyricist: Christina Rossetti

Number of voices: 4vv   Voicing: SATB
Genre: Sacred, Anthem

Language: English
Instruments: A cappella

First published: 2009
Description: This anthem sets the first three stanzas of the poem Advent by the Victorian poet Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), albeit with lines 5 and 6 of the third stanza coming first. It was composed for the composer's wife shortly after the death of her father on 15 September 2009.

Except for cadences, the first two sections appear later in strict (chromatic) inversion. The following excerpts illustrate the beginning of the second section:

"This Advent moon shines bright and clear, these Advent nights are long"

\relative c'' { << </p> <pre><< { \clef treble b4( c) d c b1 ~ b4 a g b a1 b4( c) d c b1 ~ b4 a g fis fis1 } \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"string ensemble 2" </pre> <p>\\ </p> <pre>{ g1 g4 a g fis e2 e fis1 g1 g4 a g( fis) e1 d } >> </pre> <p>\new Staff << </p> <pre>{ \clef bass d4( e) fis e d1 ~ d4 c b d d1 d4( e) fis e d1 ~ d4 c b a a1 } \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"string ensemble 2" </pre> <p>\\ </p> <pre>{ g1 g4 fis e d c2 c d1 g1 g4 fis e( d) c1 b } >> </pre> <p>>> }

and its subsequent chromatic inversion:

"'Watchman, what of the night?' But still his answer sounds the same"

\relative c'' { << </p> <pre><< { \clef treble e,1 e4 f g a b2 b a1 e1 e4 f g a b1( c) } \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"string ensemble 2" </pre> <p>\\ </p> <pre>{ a,4( g) f g a1 ~ a4 b c a a1 a4( g) f g a1 ~ a4 b c d d1 } >> </pre> <p>\new Staff << </p> <pre>{ \clef bass e,1 e4 d e f g2 g f1 e e4 d e f g1( a) } \set Staff.midiInstrument = #"string ensemble 2" </pre> <p>\\ </p> <pre>{ c,4( b) a b c1 ~ c4 d e c d1 c4( b) a b c1 ~ c4 d e f f1 } >> </pre> <p>>> }

Also, part of the chorale melody 'Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme' appears in inversion. Most of the setting is SATB, although the sopranos and basses divide briefly in the "Watchman" sections, and the vocal texture transforms to SATB divisi after the words 'All night we watch and rise.'

External websites:

See also:

– Advent Anthem by Douglas Brooks-Davies for SATB choir, in a different adaptation of the original Rossetti poem.
– Advent a C.M.D. hymn tune with two harmonizations by the composer, inspired by the this work.
– This Advent moon shines cold and clear (Charles H. Giffen) for the hymn using the above hymn tune.

Original text and translations

Original text and translations may be found at This Advent moon shines cold and clear.

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