These two anthems are examples of Lauridsen's style in embryo as it were for both were written while the composer was just twenty-seven years old. Both anthems evince the contrapuntal mastery that would prove an enduring featureof the composer's technique. The pure and austere lines of “I will lift up mine eyes ” an a cappella setting of Psalm 121 evoke ancient organum and the imitative devices of Medieval polyphony. Complex chord structuresand elaborate canonic procedures give “O come let us sing unto the Lord” a sense of inexorable forward momentum. The coruscating organ part further enhances the prevailing mood of joy that pervades thisanthem.--Byron Adams
