Or ecco ch’è nato il Salvatore!

Today’s Advent offering is a little longer than the usual.

Okay—it’s rather a lot longer: 25 minutes.

But if you’ve got a long drive, or have some time at home, have a listen to Ottorino Respighi’s “Lauda per la Natività del Signore”

You seldom hear Respighi, but I very much like the few pieces of his that you can catch on classical music stations. “Pines of Rome” and “Fountains of Rome”, the first two of his Roman Trilogy, are quite enjoyable. (I don’t think I’ve heard “Roman Festivals”.) But my favorites are “Ancient Airs and Dances” and “The Birds”.

Ah, but back to the current work, “Hymn of Praise for our Lord’s Birth”. The text is attributed to Jacopone da Todi in the 13^th Century, and the main characters are the Angel who announces the Nativity to the shepherds, Mary, and the Shepherds.

The singing and such are fine, but I just love Respighi’s integration of the instruments in the orchestra. It’s so…I don’t know. But it is.