Of the Father's Love Begotten arrangements
  • PolskaPiano
    Posts: 255
    I am looking at the Motyka arrangement from CanticaNova and the
    Lundquist from Concordia. Any opinions?
    Our tenors are shaky. That's my main concern.
    I am open to other arrangements, as well.
  • GambaGamba
    Posts: 539
    Willcocks! https://youtu.be/Pt75zI4kz6g It’s in Carols for Choirs; but a link to buy just this is in the bottom of the video description. Really it’s very simple for all until the last verse, which can be made easier by putting all but one of each part on the “Choir 2” unison line with the hymn tune. This has handily and painlessly filled many a gap in pre-Midnight-Mass carol marathons for us.
    Thanked by 1PolskaPiano
  • SalieriSalieri
    Posts: 3,177
    My two favorites are by Willcocks (100 Carols for Choirs, OUP: E-Major) and Cleobury (Christmas at King's, Novello: E-flat major). One benefit of the Cleobury is that it is entirely in unison, though with some antiphonal divisions between SA and TB in the verses, with a nice big organ part for the last verse (with the pedal on the Cantus Firmus in canon with the tune!). Having two really handy arrangements means I get a bit of variety.

    I love this hymn (I can't sing it, because I get choked up), and program it every year on the Baptism of the Lord: It's still Christmas, but it's hard to find beloved Christmas hymns and carols for that day that aren't of the Baby-Jesus-with-the-Animals-in-the-Cold variety: This hymn is a great summary of salvation, like the prologue to St. John's Gospel read on Christmas Day, and so forms a fitting culmination to Christmastide.
    Thanked by 2PolskaPiano cmb
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,183
    Alice Parker:Corde Natus ex Parentis. From the set Gaudete. In Latin
  • Schönbergian
    Posts: 1,063
    Still my absolute favourite Christmas hymn for the reasons Salieri mentioned and more. Both Davis and Neale's versions are superb, though I maintain somewhat of a preference for Neale's.

    The Willcocks arrangement is one of the best, but I find the "normalized" rhythm of Douglas et al. oddly more compelling for some reason.
    Thanked by 1CHGiffen
  • M. Jackson Osborn
    Posts: 8,368
    By far the grandest arrangement is, as suggested by others above, that by David Willcocks. A finer one does not exist. Whether one's resources are limited or generous, there is no better treatment of this for choir.

    While we are on Divinum Mysterium, for anyone looking for a challenging arrangement of this for organ, look into the 'Fantasy (or something like that) on Divinum Mysterium' by Gerre Hancock. It's actually a theme and variations, ending with a grand toccata-like variation.
  • kevinfkevinf
    Posts: 1,183
    I prefer Alice Parker's arrangement over the Willcock's. It respects the Latin and retains the whole text of the hymn.
  • OrganistRob320OrganistRob320
    Posts: 156
    My favorite is the Bairstow setting.

    Second favorite is by Edwin Childs but its for TTBB.
  • PolskaPiano
    Posts: 255
    Re Willcocks: wow!! Rhythm! This hymn is so beloved to me that the lilting rhythm in this piece took a bit to get used to. I don't know how I feel about it yet! That recording is beautiful.
  • sergeantedward
    Posts: 186
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GYZhlXVsUwU

    Paul Wohlgemuth setting. Very simple to rehearse, and very effective.
    Thanked by 3CharlesW petrus_simplex 32ContraBombarde
  • Caleferink
    Posts: 429
    I'm doing David Clark Isele's SAB setting of it this year (ECS Publishing/Morningstar).
  • petrus_simplex
    Posts: 72
    Paul Wohlgemuth setting. Very simple to rehearse, and very effective.


    I second that. My only complaint, if any, is that I wish it had more than three verses. It does not bother me that it is relatively simple; many Christmas tunes are lovely without the need to be overly complex.
  • Joseph Michael
    Posts: 254
    It may be out of print. The setting by Donald Busarow. (Concordia, I think.)
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