Today was the first day the choir began work on a brilliant piece of music by Eric Whitacre entitled, "Lux Aurumque." First of all, let me extend a deep, heartfelt thank you to Dr. Copeland for choosing this piece for our competition. I have loved this song the first time I heard it on a CD, when I heard one choir do it at Collegiate Choral Festival, and when I heard Mortimer Jordan perform it superbly at Christmas at the Alys. As we sang this song, I started to form a mental image, as happens with me during most of our songs that we work on. However, none have ever been this vivid that I recall. The piercing high notes, heavy, thick, full chords and the beautiful Latin language all intertwined to present to me a perfect scene: Heaven at Night. I know we all think of Heaven probably as a beautiful sunlit place with shimmering floors and towering ivory ceilings, but what about when it's nighttime? Many people think night is even more beautiful than day here on Earth, so wouldn't you imagine that night in Heaven would be that much better? Can't you see and feel the warm darkness enveloping you in safety and sleep when you listen to that song? This song describes this scene so well to me, that it makes me think, if I could spend one night in heaven, it would be worth a thousand lifetimes. Even myself, who is sometimes afraid of the quiet darkness, when I listen to this song, it makes me feel as though everyone is either sitting reflectively or lying in their beds, and God and his angels are walking around, checking with everyone, just peeking in. It's everyone's alone time of reflection in heaven at this time of night, and the angels are singing their lullabies. Believe it or not, I got this image of this song, and felt and sensed all of these things, before I even read the translation of the words, something to the effect of, "Light, pure and heavy as pure gold, and the angels sing to the newborn baby," that's all I can remember of it. But maybe it could give you something to think about when we work on this piece next time. Until next time, just think, it's nighttime in heaven sometime.
charles
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I just happened to come upon your blog while searching for the words for Lux...My college choir (Presbyterian College) sang this piece two years ago, and from the first time I heard it, all put together, I was just in awe. It leaves you with a sense of peace. Still today, I sing it in my room and am just as impressed by it now as I was two years ago.
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