Publisher: SFM Publishing
About the Piece: This piece was commissioned by the Fountain of the Sun Community Chorus in Mesa, Arizona in 2016. The artistic director approached me about selecting a poem from a collection of poetry by chorus members. This poem by Deanna Andersen, originally written on a napkin while working at a small diner in 1962, immediately stood out.

“When Mary beheld the beauty of her infant child at birth,
It was, I think, a promise of every human’s worth.
Equality is measured by a gift we all possess,
A heart designed for caring, can we really live by less?

May your Christmas be a blessed time,
while gathered round your table.
Humility and pride join hands,
In tribute to a stable.”

Listen:
As performed by the Illinois State University Chamber Singers. December 5, 2019. Holy Trinity Catholic Church.