Lux Aurumque ("Light and Gold", sometimes "Light of Gold") is a choral composition in one movement by Eric Whitacre. It is a Christmas piece based on a Latin poem of the same name, which translates as "Light, warm and heavy as pure gold, and the angels sing softly to the new born babe".[1] In 2000, Whitacre set a short Latin text for mixed choir a cappella. In 2005, he wrote an arrangement for wind ensemble. The choral version became known through Whitacre's project Virtual Choir in 2009. The piece is also available for men's choir. A performance takes about four minutes.
History
The inspiration for the work was a short poem in English, "Light and Gold", which begins with the word "Light" and ends "angels sing softly to the new-born babe".[2]Charles Anthony Silvestri translated this text into Latin for Whitacre, and attempted to render "the original poem into Latin as singably and as sonically beautifully as I could".[3] The poem is attributed to Edward Esch, described by Whitacre as "a recluse, in the truest sense of the word … born sometime in the early '70s, but rarely making a public appearance".[4] Esch is also credited with the words of Whitacre's work Winter.[5] It has been suggested that Esch is a pseudonym of Eric Whitacre, whose son is named Esch Edward Whitacre.[6]
The piece was composed in 2000 on a commission from the Master Chorale of Tampa Bay and dedicated to Jo-Michael Scheibe. It was published by Walton Music in 2001.[7] In 2005, Whitacre adapted it for wind band, a version first performed at the annual conference of the Texas Music Educators Association and dedicated to Gary Green.[8][dead link] He also arranged it for men's choir.[9]
The version for mixed choir is part of Whitacre's project Virtual Choir.[9] The video as a mix of individual recordings by 185 singers from 12 countries caused "a colossal on-line rush in interest" when it was uploaded in 2011.[10] It had been viewed on YouTube more than 6.7 million times as of December 2021.[11]
Music
The work in 48 measures is written in C♯ minor and marked Adagio, Molto legato. It is set for SATB; all parts are divided in two for most of the time, a solo soprano is employed in measures 5 to 7, and the soprano is divided in three parts beginning in measure 34.
The composer writes in the printed score: "... if the tight harmonies are carefully tuned and balanced they will shimmer and glow". Differently from other works of the composer, the piece is suitable for church services, especially for Christmas.[3] Whitacre's music has been described as "softly spoken, deeply harmonic and tuneful, but making use of unusual rhythms and sound balancing to create highly textured music".[12]
Whitacre used the two initial chords of the conclusion of Passio by Estonian composer Arvo Pärt (Qui passus es) for the final word natum (new-born) and thus linking birth and death of Christ to reincarnation.
