Hodie: SATB Choral Octavo

Waggoner crafts a Christmas piece that avoids the predictable: the Renaissance fanfare framing gives it architectural elegance, while the compound meter with scattered duple eighths and shifting tonality keeps the choir engaged and listening to one another. The tempi changes and key moves prevent this from feeling like holiday repertoire autopilot, making it genuinely rewarding to rehearse and perform.

The piece opens with bright ceremonial energy before drawing inward with richer harmonic and rhythmic complexity. Its blend of Renaissance-inspired architecture with contemporary harmonic movement creates a work that feels both timeless and fresh, joyful without being sentimental.

This octavo works for advanced high school choirs, collegiate ensembles, and community choirs with solid music reading skills and comfortable blend. Directors seeking Christmas repertoire beyond standard arrangements will find a piece that respects their singers' musicianship while remaining achievable within a typical rehearsal timeline.

• Establish the fanfare character in the opening by treating it as a distinct proclamation; let the ensemble breathe at phrase boundaries to honor the structure rather than push through it.
• Shape the rhythmic interest created by duple figures against the compound meter by isolating these patterns in sectionals before bringing them together, ensuring precision without sacrificing the joyful affect.
• Mark the key and mode shifts clearly in your score during rehearsal so singers understand they're intentional color changes, not errors; this helps them commit to the tonal movement with confidence.
• Vary your approach to the closing fanfare by comparing it with the opening; decide whether it mirrors the intro exactly or introduces subtle differences that reflect the journey through the piece.

Position this as the anchor of a Christmas concert or as a strong opener that establishes an elevated musical standard for your program. Its length and character allow it to hold significant weight without dominating a holiday service, and it pairs well with both traditional and contemporary Christmas repertoire.

• Reading compound meter with duple rhythmic figures
• Navigating key changes and modal shifts
• Responding to tempo adjustments mid-piece
• Balancing independent rhythmic lines within four-part harmony
• Shaping sectional phrases with architectural intent