Averitt: A Boy Is Born in Bethlehem

Description

Written in 2010 in honor of the 30th anniversary season of Winchester (Virginia) Musica Viva, who gave its premiere performance under their music director, Kenneth Nafziger. The piece begins simply with an almost folk-like melody whose brief phrases are heard throughout, fragmented, varied, and recombined in counterpoint. The music builds to a satisfying climax before a quietly mysterious "alleluia" ending, returning to the original simple melody. Duration: 3:50