Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Publisher Desc.
Once again the influence of George Winston and Mannheim Steamroller can
be heard as this prelude begins with a burst of joy and energy that does not
subside, but only grows with each verse. The changing meters make this piece
a challenge to play and requires a strong technique to handle some of the
scale passages.
This arrangement is a far cry from the original music of Mendelssohn, but
the lyrics inspired me to create something full of vibrancy and passion to
match the glorious news that the angels came to deliver! The first verse
establishes the 5/4 meter heard throughout the prelude and is filled with the
pealing of church bells in the right hand as they send forth the melody in
octaves! Meanwhile, the left hand continues the broken chord pattern
established in the opening.
In the next verse, the left hand is now rising and falling, while the right
is still playing the melody in octaves. Only now it is filling the spaces
with eighth notes to match the left hand... essentially combining the two
hands of the previous verse.
For the final verse, the left hand takes on the orchestral role of brass
and percussion with thunderous chords punctuating the rhythm of the melody in
the right hand. There are moments of fireworks as the hands break free of the
5/4 meter for some wonderful, albeit brief, scales which increase the growing
excitement. The piece concludes with a return of the rhythmic material from
the opening as the hands work their way down the piano in arpeggiated fashion
only to race back up the keyboard for a final flourish before a resounding
Amen: Hail the heaven-born Prince of Peace! Glory to the new-born King!
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