Author name: Marty Sauser

Arise, my beloved, my fair one, and come away;
Arise! Flowers appear on the earth. Arise!
For lo the winter is past, Flowers appear on the earth,
The time of singing is here. The voice of the dove is heard in our land.

As an expression of indomitable hope, we present Adolphus Hailstork’s Arise My Beloved. Having grown up as a chorister at All Saints Cathedral in Albany, Hailstork describes himself as a “cultural hybrid” of predominantly white, Eurocentric music education and Black cultural and musical heritage. With text from the Song of Songs, this piece is bursting with complex, rhythmic vitality, exclaiming with delight that “lo, the winter is past,” and “flowers appear upon the earth.”

Silent night, holy night! All is calm, all is bright
Round yon Virgin Mother and Child.
Holy Infant so tender and mild, Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night! Shepherds quake at the sight;
Glories stream from heaven afar, Heavenly hosts sing, “Alleluia!
Christ the Saviour is born!”

Silent night, holy night! Son of God love’s pure light
Radiant beams from Thy holy face, With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth!

Silent Night likely needs no introduction, but it may surprise some to know that UNESCO declared this ubiquitous Christmas carol an “intangible cultural heritage” of the social practices of Austria in 2011. From their citation: “The song addresses the human desire for all-encompassing peace, conveys a feeling of fellowship, and promotes interpersonal exchange and mutual understanding. It has a transgenerational, unifying effect and brings together people of different age groups, faiths, and ethnicities, all of whom regard this song as part of their own festive culture.”

Matthew Culloton’s arrangement provides just enough embellishment to this classic to make it a choral anthem rather than a communal carol without obscuring its simple beauty.