Gareth Treseder

On yesternight I saw a sight

Composer's note: 'On yesternight I saw a sight was set as a means of thanking Jo Tomlinson for promoting and recording my music with the excellent choristers of Farnham Youth Choir. Knowing that the group's ethos is to memorise the music, I intentionally set the text in a strophic fashion in which the odd-numbered verses act as a unison chorus that later forms a round. The text is inherently rhythmical and joyous. To my mind, it could only be a 12/8 jig reminiscent of a traditional folk dance. For the work's final exclamation, I originally added 'Noel' to the text. However, singing the final letter of this word while singing a top A is unnecessarily difficult. Thus I instead set the medieval Latin term, 'Noe'. By happy coincidence, this rhymes with the last two words of the sixth verse. The final chorus - harmonised for the first time and accompanied by a descant - hurriedly asks for God's grace in these ever uncertain times so that he may 'be born in us today'.'- Gareth Treseder -