The choir of Westminster Cathedral sing Eric Whitacres hautingly beautiful setting of Lux Aurumque during Midnight Mass 2009. Lux, LuxLux, Lux Lux Lux Calida Calida Gravis que Gravis que Gravis que Pura Pura velut aurum canunt et canunt et canunt Lux Aurumque (Light and Gold, sometimes Light of Gold) is a choral composition in one movement by Eric Whitacre. It is a Christmas piece based on a Latin poem of the same name, which translates as Light, warm and heavy as pure gold, and the angels sing softly to the new born baby. In 2000, Whitacre set a short Latin text for mixed choir a cappella. In 2005, he wrote an arrangement for wind ensemble. The choral version became known through Whitacres project Virtual Choir in 2009. The piece is also available for mens choir. Its duration is about four minutes. The inspiration for the work was a short poem in English, Light and Gold, by Edward Esch (born 1970), which begins with the word Light and ends angels sing softly to the new-born babe. Charles Anthony Silvestri translated this text into Latin for Whitacre, and attempted to render the original poem into Latin as singably and as sonically beautifully as I could. The piece was composed in 2000 on a commission from the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and dedicated to Dr. Jo-Michael Scheibe. It was published by Walton Music in 2001.In 2005, Whitacre adapted it for wind band, a version first performed at the annual conference of the Texas Music Educators Association and dedicated to Gary Green. He also arranged it for mens choir. The version for mixed choir is part of Whitacres project Virtual Choir. The video as a mix of individual recordings by 185 singers from 12 countries caused a colossal on-line rush in interest when it was uploaded in 2011, and has been viewed on YouTube more than four million times since.
Posted on: Tue, 27 Jan 2015 01:10:46 +0000
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