Verbum caro factum est
Since the release of his first two compositions, works by the young American Daniel Elder have won many prizes.
The well-known text “Verbum caro factum est” from the first chapter of St John’s Gospel is the basis for this short, but exceptionally atmospheric and expressive composition. The word of God is set as a message which has held its truth since the beginning and will continue to illuminate our world in the future.
Over leaps of a bare fourth which sound like little bells in the three upper voices, the bass soars up twice with a minor-tonal melody, rising through almost the entire range of the voice from G to E flat’, until all the voices sing out joyfully the glory of God in a B flat major tonality. For the lines "… and dwelt among us" and "full of grace and truth" Elder finds a humble, restrained, and mysterious Palestrina-like homophony.
The piece requires divisi in soprano and bass in just a couple of bars. However, the registers are always comfortable and never exceed top F in soprano and tenor, so the piece is straightforward to perform.
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Composer
Daniel Elder
| 1986As a writer of choral, vocal, and instrumental music, Daniel Elder (b. 1986) ties these genres together to create forms and aesthetics that are at once lyrical and textural,with inspirations widely drawn from the contrapuntal roots of early sacred music through the adventurous and programmatic nature of early twentieth-century genres. Critics have hailed his works as “deeply affecting,” with emotional evocations ranging from lush lyricism to jagged polyphony. In the USA Elder’s compositions have been extensively performed by high school All-State and regional honors choirs as well as renowned college ensembles at both regional and national conferences. Internationally he has been performed as part of Italy’s Montu’ Beccaria Festival and a recent recording in London by the Grammy Award-winning Eric Whitacre Singers. The first major recording of Daniel's choral works, "The Heart's Reflection - Music of Daniel Elder" was released in October 2013 by the renowned Westminster Choir and Naxos of America. Daniel is also published by GIA Publications, Inc. (Chicago, IL) and Imagine Music (Medina, NY). Learn more at www.danieleldermusic.com. Personal details
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