Page 58 - CJSept24

Repertoire & Resources - Music in Worship

A Posy for the Christ Child consists of six choral songs: structure of the verse itself:

1) Behold the Days Come Clause 1: “Therefore, the Lord himself shall give
you a sign:”
2) High Word of God
(1)This narrative states “the Lord himself ” as the
3) Hark, Shepherds, how the Angels Sing subject, (2) imparts information, and (3) leads to
“sign” as the direct object of the clause.
4) How Vain the Cruel Herod’s Fear
Clause 2: “Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and
5) Moonless Darkness bear a son,”

6) Now Blessed be Thou, Christ Jesu (1)The phrase begins with a directive, “behold,”
(2) imparts information, and (3) introduces the
The total duration of the cycle is 13’27,” scoring for remaining actors, namely a “virgin” and “a son,”
SATB choir with occasional divisi and some brief solos
for soprano, and harp. The title reveals something of Clause 3: “and shall call his name Immanuel.”
the character and intention of the cycle. The archaic
English term is best known as a small floral assortment, (1)This phrase consists of the directive “and shall
a nosegay—something festive yet small in composition. call his name” (i.e., “the Lord” shall call him by
The brevity of each song, the light scoring for mixed that name, implying all should), and (2) the di-
voices and harp all can be related to this idea. The rect object “Immanuel.”
word’s etymology also suggests that “posey,” an alter-
4
nate spelling, is related to the term “poesy.” In terms Healey develops this three-clause phrase strategical-
of “poesy,” Healey’s cycle reflects the varied assort- ly, using simple declamatory textures rooted in unison
ment and sources of the poets, which include two He- chant style for the narrative, informational passages (in-
brew prophets, medieval carols, English folk sources, a cluding the word “Lord,” curiously enough), then high-
nineteenth-century poet and a German carol adapted
by an English cleric of the early Protestant era—a di-
verse “posey” indeed. Table 1. A Posy for the Christ Child, Movement 1

Part 1 Part 2
1) Behold the Days Come
The first carol setting is the only one to set two Bible
verses rather than poetry. As such, it may be regard- mm. 1-26 (26 measures) mm. 27-46 (20 measures)
ed in a different light than the movements that follow.
From that basis, it is not surprising that the first move- Text: Jeremiah 5:25 Text: Isaiah 7:14
ment is more complex in terms of structure, harmonic
usage, and texture. The form of the first piece is in two
parts, based on the two prophetic verses (Table 1). Whole tone ascent and Harmonic plan derived from
With texts drawn from Jeremiah 23 and Isaiah 7, the descent, corresponding to three clauses of the text,
first movement sets the scene for the cycle with prophet- two clauses, with significant with minimal repetition in
ic visions about the coming of the Messiah. The second repetitions in the musical the musical setting.
part of the carol sets Isaiah 7:14 in a most imaginative setting.
way that deserves special consideration. Consider the

56 CHORAL JOURNAL September 2024 Volume 65 Number 2