A Child This Day: Choral Instrumental Pak
As performed by Benjamin Harlan
Item: 35-PK00029721
$175.00
Pickup currently not available
Buy Extra Parts (Digital PDF Download)
Parts Added to Cart!
Description
The triumphant opening "Prepare the Way of the Lord" sets the tone for this joyous and celebratory Christmas cantata. A children's choir is featured in two sections, bringing innocence and simplicity to the telling of the story. It displays some of Harlan's best writing and truly a signature work. Songs include: "Prepare the Way of the Lord," "My Soul Magnifies the Lord," "A Child This Day," "Hush My Babe Lie Still and Slumber," "O Sing a Song of Bethlehem," "The Wise May Bring Their Learning," and "O Come All Ye Faithful."
A Child This Day: Choral Instrumental Pak isn't in MakeMusic Cloud just yet...but it could be. Let us know you'd like to see it, and you'll help shape what comes next. In the meantime, start a free trial and dive into thousands of interactive titles your students can play along with today.
Request This Title
Tell us you want it.
Start Your Free Trial
Explore everything that's ready to play right now.
Sample Audio
No sample audio found.
Sample Video
No sample videos found.
Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00029721
More about this title
About the Artist: Benjamin Harlan
Benjamin Harlan serves as Dean of the School of Church Music at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth, Texas, where he shapes the next generation of church musicians. His compositional and arranging work spans choral, keyboard, and handbell literature across multiple major publishers, earning him ASCAP recognition annually since 1990. Beyond his academic leadership, Harlan has held positions as Associate Professor at New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary and as Minister of Music at several Louisiana churches, grounding his work in both scholarly rigor and congregational practice.
Why we love this
Harlan crafts a Christmas cantata that actually trusts children's choirs to carry substantial musical and textual weight without resorting to oversimplification. The arc from preparatory prophecy through the nativity to timeless carol creates natural dramatic momentum across multiple movements, giving singers (and audiences) real narrative stakes. His orchestration balances transparency with festive color, allowing young voices to soar without being swallowed by accompaniment.
What to expect
Joyous and reverent by turns, moving between moments of hushed intimacy and outright celebration. The writing balances traditional carol language with fresh harmonic and structural choices, creating a sense of both security and discovery as the story unfolds.
Who it's for
Directors of children's choirs (mixed or treble) who want substantial Christmas repertoire that doesn't talk down to young singers, and music programs looking for a full cantata that showcases children alongside larger ensemble forces. This works equally well in school concerts and church settings.
How to get the most out of it
- Prepare the children's choir sections first in isolation; their clarity in 'Prepare the Way of the Lord' and 'A Child This Day' anchors the entire work's tonal character.
- Bring out the storytelling arc by varying the dynamic weight across movements. The reflective beauty of 'Hush My Babe Lie Still and Slumber' gains power when preceded by more assertive material.
- Mark the transition into 'O Come All Ye Faithful' as a moment of congregational embrace; the familiar melody deserves space for singers and orchestra to settle into its timeless groove.
How to use it
Slot this as the centerpiece of a December concert, either presented in full or as a framework that allows other holiday pieces to nestle into its structure. Alternatively, teach it across the fall semester as a cohesive body of work that builds ensemble skills progressively from movement to movement.
Skills your students will build
- Sustaining consistent tone quality across longer phrase structures
- Balancing children's choir voice within orchestral texture
- Understanding narrative arc and how musical choices serve storytelling
- Sight-reading multiple movement formats and textural changes
- Maintaining pitch security in mixed harmonic contexts