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Composition - - American Recorder Society
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Unto Us is Born a Son
By Anthony St. Pierre June 2021
 
S A T B
 
 
The source of this tune, Piae Cantiones (Finland, 1582), is an eclectic set of medieval tunes. 'Unto Us…' ('Puer Nobis Nascitur') was widely disseminated in the English-speaking world when it appeared in the Oxford Book of Carols (1961), although it had appeared in various hymnals earlier.

A feature of this easy setting is that, between them, the bass and tenor play the tune backwards from bb. 38–49. The 6/4 section (bb. 26–35) recalls Michael Praetorius’ triple meter setting (1609).
-- Anthony St. Pierre
 
 
A clever and approachable SATB reimagining of the medieval carol. Interesting harmonies and just a few dissonances add plenty of fun to this easy new setting. Ornamentation is invited in the repeats, and a special alternate fingering for middle octave D on the Tenor is provided by the composer for your consideration. Some dynamics, articulation markings, slurs and accents give a rich color pallette to the sound, making it an entertaining addition to any holiday program, especially if you bring out the retrograde (backwards) melody in the lower parts toward the end.
-- Glen Shannon
 
 
No. of Recorder Parts:
4
Difficulty:
Easy
Occasion:
Christmas/Advent
Libraries:
New Music for Recorder
Date Added:
06/25/2021
Style:
Social/Casual, Concert, Fast/Up-tempo, Non-tonal/Modern, Folk/Traditional, Variations/Fantasies/Adaptations