Fix Your Eyes Upon the Star

Fix Your Eyes Upon the Star was commissioned and premiered by David Sinden and the choir of St. Peter’s Episcopal Church in St. Louis for their annual Epiphany Carol Service in 2023. Set to an evocative text by Tony Silvestri, this work vividly portrays the Magi’s journey toward the star. Shimmering harmonies and brightly sustained lines evoke the star’s luminous beams, as a chant-like melody gently guides the Magi to follow its light. Intensity increases while a rising melodic line excitedly builds to an ecstatic culmination on the phrase “take up your harps and sing,” portraying the wonder that the Magi experience as they behold the star’s beauty. Through dramatic harmonic shifts, the star’s true meaning is revealed as “the birth of Hope,” while the words “let it’s light become your guide” softly fade into the distance.