Sunday, December 11, 2016

And again I say rejoice

Oh, Lord—is that the time? Yes, yes, it is. Gaudete Sunday, the day when the contemplative preparation of Advent allows itself a bit of full-on wriggling, tailwagging joyfulness.

So today we’re getting something from the 17th Century English composer, Henry Purcell, “Rejoice in the Lord Alway”. This piece is sometimes referred to as the bell anthem, because of the way the vocal parts emulate a peal of bells.


But if that’s not enough joy for you, how about “Rejoice Greatly”, from Messiah by Handel? There are plenty of sopranos out there singing this, but I rather like Kathleen Battle’s interpretation—she captures the eager anticipation that we should feel on this Sunday.




1 comment:

  1. I love this piece, but the tenor is overmiked, and the contralto under.

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