Once Again My Heart Rejoices - Christmas Hymn / Carol
This was one of the first new settings of traditional hymn texts I pursued. Once Again My Heart Rejoices is another powerful Christmas text displaced by well known favorites. By incorporating a fresh musical approach, I hoped to bring attention back to Gerhardt's meaningful message.
I felt the text presents gifts from heaven from the angel voices and the "conqueror's" voice with the saints below lifting our voices back up to heaven. I tried to mimic this with a musical seesaw of down and up and down and up. Although short verses, much like From Heaven Above to Earth I Come, proceeding through all 6 verses presents what is really meant by a Christmas gift.
Merry Christmas!