Choral Choir (Mixed) - Level 1 - Digital Download SKU: A0.827768 Composed by Sylvia Chapa. Children,Halloween,Instructional. Octavo. 2 pages. Sylvia Chapa #3820443. Published by Sylvia Chapa (A0.827768). PERMISSION TO COPY AS NEEDED IS GRANTED FOR EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES WITH PURCHASE OF 1 COPY.  When Halloween is on children's minds, Spooky Goblin helps keep them on task to continue learning to read music while having Halloween fun! This Halloween novelty song is designed for easy and quick use by general music teachers and directors of Children's Choirs in church or school. This may be quickly learned for a Halloween party, a handbell choir recruiting activity, or for regular classroom instruction using singing, bells, chimes, or Orff instruments.  2 pages are included: the Spooky Goblin song with letter names, counts, words, and notated pitches plus a page with teaching instructions.  Be sure to listen to the mp3 of real kids ringing and singing Spooky Goblin.       (A fill in the blank worksheet for an extended lesson plan is available at Item ID SO.434647 ).

Choral Choir,Choral,SATB Chorus - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1490482 Composed by Hebridean folk melody. Arranged by Todd Marchand. Christian,Christmas,Folk,Sacred,Traditional. 5 pages. Con Spirito Music #1067324. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1490482). “The Christ Child's Lullaby” is an English translation of the Scots Gaelic “Tàladh Chrìosda,” a Christmas carol adapted and popularized in the 20th century from a longer work written in 1855 by Catholic priest Ranald Rankin for his parishioners at Fort William in the Scottish Highlands.Rankin’s hymn, representing a lullaby for the Christ Child by the Virgin mother Mary, was intended for performance at Midnight Mass (the first mass of Christmas) and is still sung then at churches in the Outer Hebrides of Scotland today. Titled “Tàladh ar Slànaigheir” (“The Lullaby of our Savior”) and containing 29 verses, it is altogether a lullaby, a retelling of elements of the Nativity story, and an explication of the nature and work of Christ. The English text of “The Christ Child’s Lullaby” (containing three verses and alleluias) is one of many translations, adaptations, and variants of the original Scots Gaelic text. The tune, too, is one of many variants of a traditional Hebridean folk melody. It has been further adapted and newly harmonized in this medium-easy arrangement for SATB choir and organ, featuring solo soprano on verse 1, sopranos-altos in open harmonies on verse 2, and full SATB in rich harmonies on verse 3 and the concluding “Alleluias.”Voices realized by Cantamus (https://cantamus.app/); organ realized by NotePerformer (https://www.noteperformer.com)©Copyright 2024 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, folk, patriotic, and popular music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir,Choral (SATB) - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1349231 Composed by Todd Marchand. Christian,Sacred,Traditional. 16 pages. Con Spirito Music #933976. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1349231). Three Evening Canticles were written as part of a setting of choral evensong for Church of the Holy Apostles - Anglican, Fort Worth, Texas. Metrical, mostly homophonic, and conservative in technical challenges and ranges, these canticles are accessible for small choirs and those of moderate ability, yet musically satisfying for large and accomplished groups. Phos Hilaron (“O Gladsome Light�) is one of the earliest known Christian hymns (ca. 3rd-4th century) recorded outside of the Bible. Intended to be sung at the kindling of lights in the evening, it is sometimes known as the “lamp-lighting hymn� and has been adopted by some Anglican bodies as an optional invitatory canticle immediately preceding the psalm(s) appointed for the day.Magnificat (The Song of Mary) is a scriptural canticle based on an account in the Gospel of Luke (1:46-55). Mary, the expectant mother of Jesus, visits her cousin  Elizabeth, the expectant mother of John the Baptist, who will prophetically proclaim the coming of the Messiah. Elizabeth praises Mary for her faith and subjection to God’s will, and Mary responds, “My soul doth magnify the Lord ... for he that is mighty hath magnified me ... and his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.� The Magnificat is said or sung immediately after the first lesson (scripture reading) in the service of evening prayer. Nunc Dimittis (The Song of Simeon) is also a scriptural canticle taken from Luke (2:29-32).  Simeon, a devout Jew, had been promised by the Holy Spirit that he would not die until he had seen the Messiah. When Mary and Joseph bring the infant Jesus to the Temple in Jerusalem for the ceremony of redemption of the firstborn son, Simeon takes the child into his arms and says “Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace ... for mine eyes have seen thy salvation.� The Nunc Dimittis is said or sung after the second lesson in evening prayer.Texts for these settings are from The Book of Common Prayer (2019), Traditional Language Edition, according to the use of the Anglican Church in North America, and they are largely the texts of the 1662 Book of Common Prayer of the Church of England.©Copyright 2023 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, patriotic, folk, and holiday music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir (Mixed) - Digital Download SKU: A0.1023308 Composed by Super Mazembe. Arranged by Evans Obanda Mbinji. A Cappella,African,Jazz,Pop. Octavo. 7 pages. Evans Obanda Mbinji #5718561. Published by Evans Obanda Mbinji (A0.1023308).       Bwana Nipe Pesa About this piece . . . .    Kenyan Zilizopendwa - Song - Arranged by Evans O. Mbinji  Zilizopendwa (literally, those which were loved') is a term used in Kenya to refer to early Kenyan popular music, synonymous with the term golden oldies as used in the United States. Kiswahili is the national language of Kenyan.All vowel sounds are pure as in Latin. Bwana Nipe Pesa is a Zilizopendwa song that should be performed with enthusiasm, Dance movement, However expressive accents should be given at appropriate points in the musical and textual phrases.     Literal Transalation Bwana nipe pesa –Father give me money Watoto wana njaa – The children are hungry Lakini mke wako- But your wife anapenda kutangatanga – Is a loose lady, who moves with everyone Majirani wanachoka kumuona –Neighbours are tired of seeing her Fungueni milango anakuja – Close all the doors she is coming. Watu wote wa Nairobi,Mombasa – People from Nairobi & Mombasa Wakuona kila siku – They keep seeing you every day. Tafadhali bwana rudi – please father come back.    Percussion Notes    -Improvisation is encouraged. Percussion must never dominate the texture, but rather remain supportive -The piece my be performed a cappella However the effect of the piece will be greatly enhanced by using a variety of improvised percussion instruments like (conga,shakers,claves and rattles) The accompanying ensemble should take care to allow the the choir to be heard. About the Arranger     Evans Obanda Mbinji is a composer,clinician,adjudicator, conductor,music educator and the founding Artistic Director of Jobel Chorale ,Zetech University. He has directed many choirs both in Kenya  and international. And is a long-standing member of Kenyan Choral Directors Trust and ACDA. I hope you Enjoy! - Evans O.Mbinji        .

Choral Choir,Choral (SATB) - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1365141 Composed by Todd Marchand. Christian,Lent,Sacred. 7 pages. Con Spirito Music #949447. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1365141). Scottish-born James Montgomery (1771-1854) was a poet, writer, and editor, raised and theologically trained in the Moravian Church. As a writer of hymns, his work has been compared favorably to that of Samuel Wesley, Isaac Watts, Philip Doddridge, John Newton, and William Cowper (Cooper). Among his most well-known lyrics are Angels From the Realms of Glory, Go to Dark Gethsemane, and Hail to the Lord's Anointed.In the Hour of Trial consists of four stanzas of eight lines in 6.5.6.5 meter, written in the first-person voice. Stanzas 1 and 2, presented by unison women's voices, then men's, are pleas for Jesus' presence in times of temptation; stanza 3, in full harmony and unaccompanied, expresses the author's reliance on Christ in times of affliction; stanza 4, with full choir and organ accompaniment, expresses the author's reliance, at time of death, on Jesus' truth and promise of eternal life. This anthem is especially appropriate in Lent and for memorial services, and is fitting for general worship as well.©Copyright 2024 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music. All rights reserved. For more sacred, patriotic, folk, and holiday music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir (SATB) - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1283376 Composed by Todd Marchand. Advent,Christian,Sacred. Octavo. 6 pages. Con Spirito Music #874560. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1283376). Charles Wesley’s (1707-1788) Advent hymn, “Come, Thou Long-Expected Jesus,� from Hymns for the Nativity of our Lord (1744), reflects the dual nature of Advent for Christians, in that it recalls the first coming and incarnation of the Messiah while also anticipating His return.Each stanza presents a different idea: Stanza 1, the longing for freedom from sin and fear; Stanza 2, attributes of or names for Christ; Stanza 3, the Messiah's birth, kingdom, and purpose; and Stanza 4, a prayer for Christ's rule in believers' hearts. Among the Scriptures referenced in the hymn are 2 Corinthians 4:14, Revelation 3:21, Isaiah 61:1-2, Luke 4:18-19, and Romans 6:22. In this setting of Wesley’s text to an original tune, a short introduction is followed by verse 1, presented by women’s voices (soprano, alto) and verse 2, presented by men’s voices (tenor, bass). Verse 3 is presented by SATB voices, unaccompanied; and following a short organ interlude and modulation from D minor to E minor, the concluding verse 4 is introduced by all voices in unison with organ, then expands both dynamically and in texture to SATB and ends on a glorious E major chord.©Copyright 2023 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, patriotic, folk, and holiday music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir (Mixed) - Level 4 - Digital Download SKU: A0.576366 Composed by David Warin Solomons. 20th Century,Christmas,Classical,Contemporary,World. Octavo. 27 pages. David Warin Solomons #18013. Published by David Warin Solomons (A0.576366). A vivid and at times raucous celebration of Saturnalia, in Latin, for an ensemble of voices and instruments (including various percussion, woodwind and brass instruments). The sound sample is a sung performance by the composer with an electronic preview of the instruments. Further explanations: Song for Saturnalia - a raucous and fun romp - in whole tones (since there is scant evidence of the types of scales used in those days - whole tones just seem to work in this context). The Latin words make references to relatively modern times but the spirit of Saturnalia is timeless, after all. The pileum (also written pilleum) is the little cap that slave wore during Saturnalia to show they were free men and women on that day - they would point to their cap and say libertus sum (I am a free person) and omnes aequales sumus (we are all equal). The words (and translation - both by me) are as follows: Saturnalia Song Io Saturnalia! Hodie igitur dominus noster non es. [Hooray, it’s Saturnalia, so today you’re not our boss] Hodie omnes aequales sumus. Io! [Today we are all equal, hooray!] [spoof of USA Anthem] Salve O Frutici [Hi there, Bush] Ecce meum pileum: [Look, see my little cap of freedom] libertus sum [I’m a free man] [spoof of UK Anthem] Salve O Campestri [Hi there, Blair] Ecce meum pileum: [Look, see my little cap of freedom] libertus sum [I’m a free man] [spoof of German Anthem] Salve O Candelari [Hi there Brandt] Ecce meum pileum: [Look, see my little cap of freedom] libertus sum [I’m a free man] Io Saturnalia, Io! [Hooray, it’s Saturnalia, hooray!] [Note on the invented names (used in the vocative in the song of course): Fruticius is based on the word frutex a bush - it’s also used to mean blockhead in Roman comedies, but I can’t help that!. Campestrius is based on campester - a plain or place of clear ground (Blair is the Celtic equivalent word - a forest clearing!) Candelarius is based on candela - a taper or candle - ie something burning hence Brandt (yes, I know he’s earlier than the other two politicians, but, hey, it’s all a bit of anachronistic fun!)].

Choral Choir (SATB) - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.726149 Composed by B.F. White. Arranged by Todd Marchand. 19th Century,Christian,Folk,Sacred. Octavo. 5 pages. Con Spirito Music #6733809. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.726149). “God is Love: Let Heav’n Adore Him� pairs a text by the Welsh Anglican bishop Timothy Rees (1874-1939) with the 19th-century American hymn tune BEACH SPRING, attributed to Benjamin Franklin White (1800-1979), compiler and editor of the influential Sacred Harp hymnal.Quick to rehearse, yet satisfying to perform and moving in its effect on listeners, this lovely anthem expresses assurance in God’s boundless love, from His creation of the world (v. 1) to His love for “ev’ry child of ev’ry race� (v. 2) to His ultimate triumph over sin and death. Verses 1 and 2 are assigned to unison women’s and unison men’s voices, respectively. Then, following a modulation upward, the concluding verse 3 is sung by all voices in unison, with 4-part harmony at the peak of the verse before drawing to a peaceful, unison close. ©Copyright 2023 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, patriotic, folk, and holiday music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir (SATB) - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.730393 Composed by James Nathaniel Holland. Contemporary,Sacred,Wedding. Octavo. 92 pages. James Nathaniel Holland #3075871. Published by James Nathaniel Holland (A0.730393). New and original music by 21st century, American Costa Rican composer James Nathaniel Holland. This extremely versatile publication of a score and set of parts is a great addition to any orchestral or choral music library:  either school, church, or community orchestra. Excellent for young musicians or intermediate-level volunteers, for the beginning conductor, but full of meaning for the professional orchestra as well.YouTube video presentation:https://youtu.be/WonTmPLYP1gThese three beautiful Adagios are adapted from JN Holland's ballet, The Wind in the Willows   Perform together for concert or as stand alone pieces. They are perfect for weddings, funerals, graduations, or any solemn occasions. Texts are non-religious, but express universal sentiments of one's helping others, healing, and impermanence. Complete, intended orchestration for: fl, ob, cl Bb, bsn, hrn, hrp, SATB choir, strings Use as optional accompaniment for solos, or SATB choir. (Vocal parts included.) Adagio No. 1 My Salvation (or if If I've done one bit of good, that is my salvation) text by JN HollandAdagio No. 2 The Healing Power (aka Forget) Text by Kenneth GrahameAdagio No. 3 All Are PassersbyMix, omit and match combinations of available instruments of your group. Such as:Strings, woodwind quintet, harp (or piano), soloists and/or chorus. (omissions and combinations thereof, except the essential string section) String orchestra onlyTripled Strings players with woodwind quintetStrings, woodwind quintetIncluded are substitution parts in key of C for the parts of Clarinet in Bb and Horn in F (if those instruments are not available).Add one trumpet, or trombone, etc. etc.(Complete duration: 20 minutes)Composer website: http://lacoronadelossantos.net/jamesnathanielholland.html

Choral Choir,Choral,SATB Chorus - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1492434 Composed by Orlando Gibbons. Arranged by Todd Marchand. Christian,Christmas,Renaissance,Sacred. 5 pages. Con Spirito Music #1069110. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1492434). As On The Night is a song text for Christmas Day by English poet, satirist, pamphleteer, and hymn-writer George Wither (1588-1667), whose life spanned the tumultuous period in English history that included the reigns of Elizabeth I, James I, and Charles I and the continuous tension between Catholic and Protestant faith and practice. Desiring to counter the practice of exclusively using psalms as texts for congregational singing in worship, Wither published in 1623 The Hymnes and Songs of the Church, with The First Part comprehend[ing] Hymns, and such parcels of Holy Scripture, as may properly be sung, with some other ancient Songs and Creeds, and The Second Part consist[ing] of Spiritual Songs, appropriated to the several Times and Occasions observable in the Church of England. As On The Night appears in part two as a song to commemorate Christmas Day. Its first stanza is a retelling of elements of the Nativity story as found in Luke 2:7-20; its second stanza is a consideration of the Incarnation and work of Christ (Our flesh he wore, our sin to wear away; Our curse he bore, that we escape it may; And wept for us that we might sing for aye.).The music accompanying As On the Night is Song 46, one of many tunes written for Wither's collection by English composer and keyboardist Orlando Gibbons (1583-1625). As Gibbons notated only the melody and bass lines of his tunes, the harmonization in this arrangement for SATB choir and organ is largely that of The English Hymnal (1906).  ©Copyright 2024 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, folk, patriotic, and popular music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.comVoices realized by Cantamus (https://cantamus.app/); organ realized by NotePerformer (https://www.noteperformer.com).

Choral Choir,Choral,SATB Chorus - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1439047 Composed by Todd Marchand. Christian,Sacred. 5 pages. Con Spirito Music #1019076. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1439047). “Let All the World in Ev’ry Corner Sing” is a short poem from the collection, The Temple, by Anglican priest, poet, and orator George Herbert (1593-1633). A contemporary of William Shakespeare and John Milton, God-child to poet John Donne, Herbert is associated with the 17th-century Metaphysical poets and “is remembered as a pivotal figure: enormously popular, deeply and broadly influential, and arguably the most skillful and important British devotional lyricist of his or any other time.” Shortly before his death in 1633 at age 39, Herbert directed that a manuscript of his religious poems be sent to his fellow clergyman and friend, Nicholas Ferrar, reportedly saying, “Tell him ... if he can think it may turn to the advantage of any dejected poor Soul, let it be made publick: if not, let him burn it: for I and it, are less than the least of God’s mercies.” First published in 1633, The Temple was an enormously popular work, totaling more than 20,000 copies printed in 13 editions between 1633 and 1679.“Let All the World in Ev'ry Corner Sing” is the refrain of Herbert’s poem, “Antiphon (I),” which appeared in the “Christian Life” section of The Temple. An antiphon may be defined as a short sentence or refrain sung or recited before or after a psalm or canticle; and in Herbert's short poem of two stanzas, he may also have intended that the verses be recited antiphonally (alternately) by two groups. The third stanza in this setting for SATB voices and organ, a doxology by an unknown author, was added in the 19th century. ©Copyright 2024 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). For more sacred, patriotic, folk, and popular music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir,Choral (SATB) - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1367409 Composed by English ballad. Arranged by Todd Marchand. Christian,Easter,Lent,Sacred. 5 pages. Con Spirito Music #951781. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1367409). Perhaps the most often-sung processional hymn on Palm Sunday, “Ride On, Ride On in Majesty� was written in 1820 by Anglican cleric, poet, and scholar Henry Hart Milman (1791-1868) and first  published in Reginald Heber’s Hymns Written and Adapted to the Weekly Church Service of the Year (1827). The hymn references Jesus’ entry into Jerusalem prior to his Passion, as recorded in Matthew 21:1-11.Writing for the Hymnology Archive of The Hymn Society in the US and Canada, editor Chris Fenner notes in his analysis of the text that:“This hymn ... is much less a narrative or paraphrase of the triumphal entry (Matt. 21, Mk. 11, Lk. 19, Jn. 12) than it is a forward-looking hymn pointing from the palms to the cross to [Jesus’] ascended position on the throne. The triumphal entry itself is a fulfillment of Zechariah 9:9 (‘Behold, your king is coming to you . . . humble and mounted on a donkey’). The recurring opening line is possibly an allusion to Psalm 45:4 (‘in thy majesty ride prosperously’). “Some hymnological commentators connect this hymn with the idea of the great reversal in Philippians 2:5-12, where we find the Christ who humbled himself in a crucified death, later to be exalted, name above all names, to which every knee will bow. As Canadian hymn scholar Stanley Osborne observed, this hymn’s poetic strength is in its exploration of that duality:'Objective, robust, confident, and stirring, it possesses that peculiar combination of tragedy and victory which draws the singer into the very centre of the drama. It is this which gives the hymn its power and its challenge.'In this arrangement for SATB voices and organ, Milman’s text is set to the 15th-century English ballad, “Deo Gratias� (aka The Agincourt Carol), with the refrain Ride on in majesty!� following each verse.©Copyright 2024 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, patriotic, folk, and holiday music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir,Choral (SATB) - Level 2 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1318475 Composed by Todd Marchand. Christian,Christmas,Sacred. 10 pages. Con Spirito Music #907143. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1318475). “Softly the Night is Sleeping� is a Nativity poem by the Rev. Edward Abiel Washburn (1819-1881), a noted American Episcopal clergyman who studied at both Harvard and Yale, and who served parishes in Newburyport, Massachusetts; Hartford, Connecticut; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania; and New York City. A noted preacher, he also translated Latin hymns as well as authoring a number of his own poems.In three verses, Washburn’s poem recalls the Bethlehem hillside where shepherds watched their flocks by night, the virgin mother Mary, the infant Jesus in the manger, the heavenly host singing “Gloria,� the bright star shining above, the arrival of the Magi, and more. Each unison verse, which may be assigned as written or at the director’s discretion, is followed by a chorus with full SATB voices singing “Glory to God! Peace on the earth, good will to men.� Includes parts for solo C instrument (oboe, flute, violin) or solo Bb clarinet.©Copyright 2023 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, patriotic, folk, and holiday music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir,Choral (SATB) - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1359972 Composed by Todd Marchand. Christian,Lent,Sacred. 4 pages. Con Spirito Music #944462. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1359972). “Lord Jesus, Think on Me� is a translation and free paraphrase of a 5th-century poem by Synesius of Cyrene (ca. 375-414), Bishop of Ptolemais in north Africa and contemporary of Augustine, Bishop of Hippo (354-430). Synesius was a public servant and statesman, a neo-Platonic philosopher and poet. In 410, he was popularly chosen as Bishop of Ptolemais, a position he reluctantly accepted, as his views on certain beliefs of the church, including the soul's creation, a literal resurrection, and the end of the world (eschatos) were unorthodox. In the last of 10 odes Synesius authored, he describes himself bowing humbly in the presence of Christ. In the 1930s, a literal prose translation of the ode was made by the Anglican cleric Harold Costley-White:Be mindful, Christ Son of Godwho rules on high, of thy servant,sinful of heart, who wrote these words.And grant to me release from passions breeding death,which are inborn in my unclean soul.But give me to behold, Saviour Jesus,thy divine brightness, wherein appearingI shall sing a song,to the healer of souls,to the healer of limbs,with the great Fatherand the Holy Spirit.Amen. The text of this setting for SATB voices and organ selects verses from a free paraphrase of that ode, crafted by the Anglican priest and scholar, Allen William Chatfield (1808-1896) and published in his Songs and Hymns of Earliest Greek Christian Poets (1876):Lord Jesus, think on me and purge away my sin; from earthborn passions set me free, and make me pure within. Lord Jesus, think on me, nor let me go astray; through dark-ness and perplexity point Thou the heav'nly way.Lord Jesus, think on me amid the battle's strife; in all my pain and misery be Thou my Health and Life.Lord Jesus, think on me with many a care oppressed; let me Thy loving servant be and taste Thy promised rest.Lord Jesus, think on me that I may sing above to Fa-ther, Spirit, and to Thee the strains of praise and love.The incipit of each verse, “Lord Jesus, think on [remember] me, recalls the words of the penitent thief to Jesus at their crucifixion, and the petitions for guidance, forgiveness, and succor make this a fitting anthem for the penitential season of Lent. ©Copyright 2024 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, folk, holiday, and patriotic music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com

Choral Choir,Choral,SATB Chorus - Level 3 - Digital Download SKU: A0.1495196 Composed by Todd Marchand. A Cappella,Christian,Christmas,Folk,Sacred. 4 pages. Con Spirito Music #1071742. Published by Con Spirito Music (A0.1495196). Jesus Christ the Apple Tree is the commonly used title for a poem published under the heading Christ compared to an Apple-tree in the August 1761 issue of The Spiritual Magazine, a London periodical for Calvinist Baptists.Above the poem in the publication are words of its author:Gentlemen,Having spent some of my vacant time in the composition of short pieces of Divine Poetry, have sent you the following, by way of specimen; which, if thought worthy of a place in your magazine, shall communicate the others regularly. I am your well-wisher and constant reader, R.H.R.H. is today believed to most likely be the Rev. Richard Hutchins, a Calvinist Baptist clergyman then serving in Long Buckby, Northamptonshire. The poem's first known appearance in a hymnal, and in America, was in 1784 in Divine Hymns, or Spiritual Songs: for the use of Religious Assemblies and Private Christians compiled by Joshua Smith, a lay Baptist minister from New Hampshire. Because of its popularity in New England churches thereafter, it has often been wrongly attributed to an anonymous early American poet or to Smith.The poem may be an allusion to the apple tree in Song of Solomon 2:3 (As the apple tree among the trees of the wood, so is my beloved among the sons. I sat down under his shadow with great delight, and his fruit was sweet to my taste), which has been interpreted as a metaphor for Jesus. It also alludes to other descriptions of the tree of life in both the Old and New Testaments. Primitive yet profound, Jesus Christ the Apple Tree has been set to music by many composers, including a very popular setting by Elizabeth Poston (1905-1987). This new setting for unaccompanied SATB voices captures the rustic quality of the text with a rising-and-falling folksong-like melody, attractively harmonized. Voices realized by Cantamus (https://cantamus.app/)©Copyright 2024 Todd Marchand / Con Spirito Music (ASCAP). All rights reserved. For more sacred, folk, patritic, and popular music for instruments and voices, visit www.conspiritomusic.com