On This Starry Night: Choral Works (inc. Oratorios)

Contemplative and luminous. The modal vocabulary creates an almost timeless quality, while the mostly homophonic texture with one brief moment of independence keeps the sound warm and unified. This is introspective Christmas music, not celebratory.

Choirs with solid blend and basic voice independence looking for a Christmas piece that moves beyond standard four-part harmony. High school and community choirs with modest rehearsal time will find this accessible without feeling simplistic.

• Balance the brief contrapuntal section by having each voice part feel its own line's weight; avoid letting any part disappear into accompaniment duty.
• Let the flowing lines breathe naturally without excessive vibrato, which can muddy the modal sonorities and passing dissonances.
• Shape phrases through the text rather than artificial breathpoints; Harris's word-setting rewards singers who listen to how the music unfolds.

Program this alongside more rhythmically energetic carols to create contrast in a holiday concert. Its gentle character pairs well with other intimate a cappella works or as a moment of stillness between larger ensemble pieces.

• singing with accurate intonation in modal contexts
• balancing independent voice lines in brief polyphonic passages
• managing passing dissonances and chromatic voice leading
• sustaining legit tone across longer phrases without excessive vibrato