Come from Far, Come from Near

Description

Retelling the birth and life of Jesus through the eyes of those he touched, Come from Far, Come from Near weaves tonal and modal harmonies with rich counterpoint, adding a new dimension to this timeless story.

Text

Come from far, come from near.
Listen to a story dear
about a babe who was born in a stable.
Amidst the blood and the trials of labor,
a father’s heart stood still.
But as the baby’s cries joined the mother’s,
the father’s heart began to beat anew,
filled with joy.

Chorus: Glory be, a child is born who will teach us to love
our neighbors, our friends, our foes.
Glory be, His spirit feeds our heart, mind and soul.
His words light the way home.

Come from far, come from near.
Shepherds heard the story dear
from angels nigh in a blaze of glory.
Drawing near, they heard Mary singing
a gentle lullaby.
When Joseph stood to welcome the shepherds,
each one was moved to kneel beside the child,
filled with hope.

Chorus

Come from far, come from near.
Jesus shared his story dear
as young and old crowded ‘round Him to listen.
One of the women touched His robe which touched His heart.
She was healed through faith.
He preached a gospel ripe with forgiveness.
He preached a gospel generous in love,
radiant love.

Chorus

Program Notes

The inspiration for Come from Far, Come from Near came in August of 2008 while I was in the middle of writing another piece. But as muses sometimes work, mine handed me the first verse of this intimate text which included the phrase, “amidst the blood and the trials of labor, a father’s heart stood still” together with a lovely melody and the chorus. After “catching” the text and melody, I realized this was to be a unique version of the story of the birth of Jesus, one which we could relate to on an emotional level. One choir director, upon introducing the song to his high school choir, told them about the birth of his daughter and the emotions he felt at that time.

Critical Acclaim

“…magical” -M.Vanstrum

“…marvelous!” -J. Strauman

“Thank you for writing such a beautiful piece” – Jennifer Birnbaum

Performances

20s/30s a cappella, Jennifer Anderson, conductor (Roseville, MN) – World Premiere Event
Crossing Chorale, Caryl Tipton, conductor (Titusville, NJ) – World Premiere Event
White Bear Unitarian Universalist Church Choir, Thaxter Cunio, conductor (Mahtomedi, MN) – World Premiere Event
First Unitarian of Ithaca Chamber Choir, Jennifer Birnbaum, director (Ithaca, NY)
Mahtomedi High School Varsity Choir, Robert Pontious, conductor (Mahtomedi, MN)
Chancel Choir of Myers Park Baptist Church, Jonathan Crutchfield, conductor (Charlotte, NC) (Newark, Deleware)
2016 Southwest American Choral Directors Association (SWACDA) High School Reading Session (Kansas City)
2016 Unitarian Universalist Musicians Network (UUMN) National Conference Reading Session (Madison, WI)

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