Glory to That Newborn King (mixed choir)

This setting is inspired by a spiritual which I first heard sung by the legendary Delta Rhythm Boys. My intention was to create something very simple, but without being simplistic and the idea was to set the text in a very calm style, like a lullaby. The idea of repetition is something that is often present in a spiritual, where a message often repeats several times. I have also implemented the idea of call and response, and as in many spirituals, I have set this piece with a call or chant which is followed by a repeated mantra. I tried to evoke melancholy, as a contrast to a lot of other Christmas music. The “glory” is not a cheerful “glory”, it is a subtle and thoughtful “glory” in a minor key, with a soft dynamic. The original version of this piece was written in 2013 for male voices, and was premiered by a group of singers from the youth choir Mixtum in Dalby kyrka, Sweden. An adaptation for mixed voices was created in 2020 and was premiered by Helsingborgs Kammarkör, conducted by Sverker Zadig, on 3 December 2022 in Strövelstorps kyrka, Strövelstorp, Sweden.

Henrik Dahlgren