Monday, December 01, 2003
Music of the Day
Peace, all.
"The King Shall Come When Morning Dawns," text by John Brownlie, might have been my favorite Advent song about 10-15 years ago. Haven't done it at Mass in about 5 years, and won't be using it this year either. One of many tunes that works with organ, guitar, a cappella, or with just about any instrument or singing group you can muster. One of those tunes that for some reason, publishers don't bother with guitar/organ compatibility, so I arranged a concertato of it with 4-part voices, descant, flute and oboe in my Illinois parish (*sigh* when I had a great oboe player) back in '88. F minor is a horrible key, even for a chromatic hammered dulcimer, so it got hiked up a half-step.
Two items: that fourth verse line "And let the endless bliss begin" just sends me. That's where the players drop out in the concertato version and sing 4-part a cappella. Also, I note Alan Hovhaness uses this melody in the final movement of his Exile Symphony. Between "bliss," Hovhaness, and some good dulcimer, how can you go wrong?
