Light of Peace by Karen Marrolli, MSM-70-500

MSM-70-500

Light of Peace: Celtic Carols for Christmas - Karen Marrolli Soprano and Baritone Soli, SATB, Flute, Violin, Drum, and Piano

Light of Peace

Celtic Carols for Christmas

Composer’s Note

These anthems come from what originally was a full Celtic service of Lessons and Carols, entitled Light of Peace. The idea was to weave together familiar hymn and carol tunes from the Irish and Scottish traditions with popular Celtic folk tunes, reels, and airs. I also wanted to create new texts that suggested that our proper response to the Christmas story might be to live out a life of love in action. For example, in response to the humble birthplace of Christ, and the shepherds—not the loftiest of characters—being the first to hear the song of the angels, the choir sings this prayer to the tune of Salley Gardens: “Forgive us, Lord, forgive us when we look to the rich and strong instead of the lowly stable for the power to right Earth’s wrongs. O use us, the poor and lowly, inspired by the song from above, to seek the lost and broken, to heal the world with love.”

While each of these carols can be done separately, a director could choose to flesh them out into a Lessons and Carols service of their own. The original service used the traditional King’s College prayers and readings as its liturgy, and also used traditional carols for congregational participation, in the following order: O Come All Ye Faithful (processional hymn); It Came Upon the Midnight Clear; Lo, How a Rose; What Child is This; Away in a Manger; Angels We Have Heard On High; Silent Night; Joy to the World; and Hark the Herald Angels Sing (recessional hymn). Alternatively, one might choose a selection of Celtic Christmas prayers or poems as the readings. If the director takes this route, they might create their own order of these anthems with carols of their choosing (either from the suggested list above or from other sources) as they best respond to the readings that precede them.

In this collection, “Peace on Earth” and “Gloria” have been knitted together to create a full choir anthem that can be done separately; however, they were initially separate responses. If one were to choose to do these as part of a full service of Lessons and Carols, it would be possible to do them separately, with “Peace on Earth” being followed by “It Came Upon a Midnight Clear” (in the original version this pairing followed the reading of portions of Isaiah 11:1-9) and “Gloria” following “Angels We Have Heard on High” and the story of the angels greeting the shepherds.

—Karen Marrolli

Dr. S A

wasnotborningildedhallsbe



wasnotborningildedhallsbe

fittingofhisreign,but

T B

 ratherinalowlystallto 

ratherinalowlystallto

fittingofhisreign,but

feelourhumanpain.All

feelourhumanpain.All

S A T B

hearthebells,o’erhillanddell,that 

Noel,noel!No

 hearthebells,o’erhillanddell,that 

Noel,noel!No

Lordhascometoshowushowin   

Lordhascometoshowushowin  

Fl.

Vln. Dr. S A T B

 

fearofearthlycareO

  

fearofearthlycareO

teachuswell,Emmanuel,to

teachuswell,Emmanuel,to

graspeachfaranddistanthandandto

knockdownev’rywall’till



knockdownev’rywall,’till



peaceandlightreigno’ertheland,and



peaceandlightreigno’ertheland,and

loveembracesall.All

glorybetoGodonhigh!We

loveembracesall.All

glorybetoGodonhigh!We

heedtheangels’call,and

joyfullyreturntheircry:Sing

heedtheangels’call,and

joyfullyreturntheircry:Sing

peacetooneand

all!Singpeaceto

oneandall!Singpeaceto

all!Singpeacetooneandall!

Singpeacetoall,to

peace,peaceto

peacetooneandall!Singpeaceto

oneandall!Peaceto

2.CreationSings

SATB,Flute,Violin,Drum*,andPiano

Flute

Violin

Tenor

Bass Piano

*Handdrum(suchasabodhrán)ispreferred.

Reproducible parts for Flute, Violin and Drum, are available separately Order No. MSM-70-500A

Text:KarenMarrolli,newlyauthored,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

Tune: CANDLER,traditionalScottishmelody(PD);“TheButterfly,”traditionalIrishslipjig(PD).

Music:KarenMarrolli(ASCAP),newlycomposed,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

MSM-70-500

Copyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications(ASCAP), adivisionofMorningStarMusicPublishers,Inc. www.MorningStarMusic.comAllrightsreserved

Words and Music by KarenMarrolli

Sonof

God,so

mild.The

allCre  allCre



ation

ation

 singsthe  singsthe

 

birthof

Christ,the

birthof

Christ,the

Christ,the

Holy   

Holy



Child,the   

Child,the  



Sonof     

Sonof  

God,so

God,so

  oxen  

oxen

 bowand   and  bowand

sweetbirds   sweetbirds  sweetbirds

croon,and

croon,and



ofthe    

ofthe

unis.  unis.   

earth!And   

earth!And        

allCre  allCre  

 ation 

Christ,the





 Re   Re             

(q. = q )

unis.  unis.        joice,re  joice,re 

       

   joice!This  joice!This 



  

Holy

Child,the

Sonof

Child,the

Sonof





darkness 

darkness

    nowmight    nowmight





cease!Sing  cease!Sing

 

welcome  welcome

 tothat   tothat

Lightof

Lightof

Peace!Now  

Peace!Now

allCre

ation

allCre

molto rit.



   

Savior    

Savior          



molto rit.

molto rit.

molto rit.

    ofthe     ofthe           

earth!

Slower (q =96) Slower (q =96)

Violin

“AiridhnamBadan”

q = 69 q = 69

Piano 

3.PeaceonEarth

SATB,Flute,Violin,Drum*,andPiano

Peaceonearth,

 a tempo a tempo  a tempo a tempo   

peaceonearth,  

Peaceonearth, 

*Handdrum(suchasabodhrán)ispreferred.

Reproducible parts for Flute, Violin and Drum, are available separately Order No. MSM-70-500A

Text:KarenMarrolli,newlyauthored,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

Tune:“AiridhnamBadan,”traditionalScottishjig,(PD);“Cooley’sReel,”traditionalIrishreel(PD).

Music:KarenMarrolli(ASCAP),newlycomposed,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

MSM-70-500

Copyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications(ASCAP), adivisionofMorningStarMusicPublishers,Inc. www.MorningStarMusic.comAllrightsreserved

Words and Music by KarenMarrolli

rit. rit. 

    

        

peaceonearth,  

           weshallknow      

 peace,  

peaceonearth,

weshallknow 

peace, 

us,

reignwithin

us,

when

Peaceonearth,

Peace, Peace,

comesto

reignwithin

bornin

bornin  

a tempo a tempo a tempo a tempo

us.   us.    

Peaceonearth,

Vln. 41     q =96 “Cooley’sReel”    3    

 

Vln.

Dr. 45               

  

Vln. Dr. 50



Onrim 



  

ainexcelsis  

ainexcelsis



 



   

voluntatis!

    

  

voluntatis!

 

   voluntatis!

     voluntatis!Etin 

       



         

terrapaxho

 



terrapaxho

voluntatis!

voluntatis!

Piano

Fl.

Vln. 4

SATB,Flute,Violin,andPiano



Reproducible parts for Flute, Violin and Drum, are available separately Order No. MSM-70-500A

Text:KarenMarrolli,newlyauthored,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

Tune: SALLEY GARDENS,Irishfolkmelody(PD);“FornethHouse,”byRobertPetrie,firstpublishedin1790(PD). Music:KarenMarrolli(ASCAP),newlycomposed,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

MSM-70-500

Copyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications(ASCAP), adivisionofMorningStarMusicPublishers,Inc. www.MorningStarMusic.comAllrightsreserved

Words and Music by KarenMarrolli



Vln. S A T B

unis. 

  Ring

sing!

  outasongof



 welcometo

King!For

presentinthat

presentinthat

birthisa

birthisa

welcometoall 

welcometoall

people,andthe 

feelthecallof



feelthecallof    

  

Christmasinthe   

Christmasinthe    

theywerebutcommon 



Theywere 



peopletheywere 

chosentogreetthe

cho 

Theywere 

chosentogreetthe

willweembodythe 

willweembodythe

promisewhenthe

promisewhenthe



  

giveus,Lord,for  

giveus,Lord,for

  a tempo a tempo a tempo a tempo

    giveuswhenwe    giveuswhenwe         



looktotherichand



looktotherichand

 strongin  strongin





useus,thepoorand    useus,thepoorand 

    lowly,in    lowly,in 

boveto

bove,to

broken,to 

seekthelostand

A little slower (q

A little slower (q =82)

5.Alleluia!

SopranoandBassSoli,SATB,Flute,Violin,Drum*,andPiano

q = 120

Drum Bass Solo  

Words and Music by KarenMarrolli

Alle Solo



luia!  

  

-luia!Peace---

Alle     

ontheearth!Good

*Handdrum(suchasabodhrán)ispreferred.

Reproducible parts for Flute, Violin and Drum, are available separately Order No. MSM-70-500A

Text:KarenMarrolli,newlyauthored,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

Tune:“MoGhileMear,”traditionalIrishsong(PD);“TheBlarneyPilgrim,”traditionalIrishjig(PD). Music:KarenMarrolli(ASCAP),newlycomposed,andcopyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications.

MSM-70-500

Copyright©2024BirnamwoodPublications(ASCAP), adivisionofMorningStarMusicPublishers,Inc. www.MorningStarMusic.comAllrightsreserved

Dr. S A T B

(Solo)

TuttiBass

luia!

Alle

    

luia!Peace      

Fl. Dr. S A

T B



tidingstoall!Alle      

tidingstoall!Alle      

luia!Alle

The

luia!Peace

luia!Peace

Fl. Vln. Dr. S A T B

luia!Alle

luia!Alle

A T B

 

 



  

Alle  

   Alle        

                luia!  

   



luia!Peace    

   

luia!Peace

 



    

tidingstoall!Alle

   

    

tidingstoall!Alle



  

  

     

luia!Alle  

ia!Alle

ia!Alle

luia!Alle

            

    lu 



 

lu

  luia!



  

ringsandechoes

  

ringsandechoes



         



o’ertheplain,andcre

o’ertheplain,andcre 

  

songagain:Alle

songagain:Alle

Fl. Vln. Dr. S A T B

Alle      

Alle

Alle

Fl. Vln. Dr. S A T B

luia!Good

tidingstoall!Alle

ontheearth!Good

ontheearth!Good

  

   

 

luia!Alle

 

   

luia!Alle

        

Dr. S A T B

doubtandfearsincethe

PrinceofPeacehas

enteredhere,andwe

doubtandfearsincethe

PrinceofPeacehas

enteredhere,andwe

greetthemorning

withgreatcheer!Alle

greetthemorning

withgreatcheer!Alle

Alleluia!

Alleluia!





 

tidingstoall!Alle

       

tidingstoall!Alle           

luia!Alle     

luia!Alle  

              

Alle

Fl. Vln. Dr. S A T B

             





 

  

Alle    

Alle  

Alle  

Alle                

           

Fl. Vln. Dr. S A T B

     



 

luia!Alle   



luia!Peace       luia!Peace 



luia!Peace       

tidingstoall!Alle

tidingstoall!Alle

 



luia!Alle



   

luia!Alle         

   



  

luia!Alle  

luia!Alle