White: Christmas Joy

Description

"Fantasy on How Great Our Joy" received its premiere at the London Winter Festival of Sound 2022 in London, England at the Croydon SDA Church by composer and organist, Professor Janise White. This organ work represents an exhilarating work of joy and adoration to our Saviour, Lord and King. As a clarion call for Christmas, soft flutes carry the melody over a dreamy pentatonic configuration with a drone in the pedals. Staccato trumpets exhibit the "joy" chordal motif, repeating and swelling to a joyous cadenza on the pedals in toccata style. This jubilant moment continues to intensify as syncopated harmonies join the final verse in elongation on 32' pedals to its majestic close.

"Toccata on in Dulci Jubilo" is designed as a short Organ Postlude performed during the Advent/Christmas Season. The work opens with a medley of Carols including Joy To The World, Angels We Have Heard On High, and Silent Night, before leading to the exuberant "In Dulci Jubilo" (Good Christian Men Rejoice)! White's arrangement of "In Dulci Jubilo," a 1328 German Chorale theme is combined with the magnificent accompaniment of Charles-Marie Widor's famous Toccata from Symphony No. 5 (1879). It appears in 6/8 meter as opposed to the original 4/2 meter. Tritonic interludes intercept the flow of the German Carol alternately, propelling the music to its rousing end.