About the text
The text of this piece is taken from an ancient hymn Gloria in excelsis which includes the familiar angel song found in the Christmas nativity story.
The following is a phonetic pronunciation guide with a translation of the text. The syllables in bold are stressed:
Gloria in excelsis Deo Glory in the highest to God Glaw*–ree–ah een ek–shehl–sees deh–aw
Et in terra pax And on earth peace Et een teh–rah pox
hominibus to all men (people) Aw–mee–nee–boos
bonae voluntatis of good will baw–neh vaw–loon–tah–tees
Laudamus te We laude you Lah–oo–dah–moos teh
Benedicimus te We bless you Beh–neh–dee–chee–moos teh
Adoramus te We adore you Ah–daw–rah–moos teh
Glorificamus te We glorify you Glaw–ree–fee–kah–moos teh
*The vowel “o” should be pronounced like the sound “aw” as in the word bought.
About the music
Like many people, I first learned some of the Gloria text as a child when singing the carol Angels We Have Heard on High. The original carol comes from 18th century France, but the history of the words goes back MUCH further. In fact the first section of the song comes from the bible story about the nativity when the angels sang: Gloria in excelsis Deo, et in terra pax hominibus bonae voluntatis. (Glory to God in the highest, and on earth, peace to people of goodwill.)
These words have been set to music countless times, in many languages, by composers around the world for nearly 2000 years. I love the idea that this scene of a celestial birthday party is paired with the words Peace On Earth - timeless and always relevant.
A full conductor score is available from MusicSpoke, featuring percussion instrumentation for 2-3 players and detailed information about the instruments and their roles in the piece The parts are accessible to choir members with drumming chops if trained percussionists are not available. The use of tambourine, shakers and a cajón are the most authentic to the Caribbean inspired rhythm patterns. If you haven’t got a cajón, a djembe will do. If you haven’t got a djembe, then God bless you.
Enjoy!
Premiere - April 26, 2025 in Tuscaloosa, Alabama
Susan Brumfield, Conductor
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Eugene, Oregon August 2024