About the Work 

Love Came Down at Christmas was commissioned by Choral Arts Northwest with Robert Bode as Artistic Director. It has since been performed by various groups, including the South Bend Chamber Singers, and the Choir of the Cathedral of the Madeleine in Salt Lake City, Utah. It is published by ECS Publishing Group, and was nominated as a finalist for the American Prize in 2020. 

​

Program Notes

When Robert Bode, Artistic Director of Choral Arts Northwest, asked me to compose a piece for their annual Christmas concert in 2016, he suggested several texts, including the beautiful poem by Christina Rossetti entitled “Love Came Down at Christmas.” I was excited about using this text because, to me, it focuses on the beauty of love and peace that can be found in the wondrous mystery of Christ’s birth. I evoke this sense of mystery and beauty through my synesthesia—the association of colors with notes, timbres, and words—by focusing on two elements. The first element—the bright light from the star and angels shining down on the manger—is represented by the upper voices descending into clustered chords of light on the words “love came down.” The second element is a melody, initially sung by the tenors, that has a gentle, rocking motion—similar to that of a lullaby—representing Jesus’ mother Mary holding and rocking her child to sleep. These two themes weave together throughout the piece and finally coalesce to express the brightness of the sign that is signaled by the star and angels, as the upper voices sing the words “love divine,” painting colors of gold and white light illuminating the peaceful manger scene.