POD-Richard Allain's The Magi's Gifts for SATB choir unaccompanied. This work was commissioned by Merton College Oxford as part of the Merton Choirbook a collection of music being assembled to celebrate Merton College's 750th anniversary in 2014. The Magi's Gifts was first performed on 19th January 2014 in Merton College Chapel by the Choir of Merton College conducted by Benjamin Nicholas. This work is a setting of text by Thomas Allain: The StarThat lights our steps our minds;Our scholarly caution we leave behind.To journey to believe. TheChildWho holds our tearful gazeIn helpless divinity human grace We rest our quest achieved. The DreamThat steers a safe returnTo tell - and still in truth ourselves to learn;To journey to believe. How poor the gifts we offered How precious those we received. 'The music is unaccompanied in six parts (two soprano lines and a baritone line enrich the harmony) quite slow and with rich harmony requiring fine tuning from the choir. This is an imaginative addition to the Epiphany repertoire in both words and music'. 'Sunday By Sunday' December 2017
