Friday, Dec 19, 2014
David Grossman's works performed at the 2014 Christmas Candlelight Service.
Two works by Westminster freshman David Grossman were recently premiered at the 2014 Christmas Candlelight Service at The Citadel, the Military College of South Carolina in Charleston.
Grossman traveled to Charleston to hear the Citadel Chorale sing his Christ was Born on Christmas Day and See the Child in three performances in the historic Summerall Chapel.
“We were honored to perform two of David Grossman’s songs,” said Cadet James McManus, chorale member and public affairs officer NCO for the S.C. Corps of Cadets. “We feel like our three candlelight services this year were the best yet and having David there in person to hear his songs made the services even more memorable.”
Before entering Westminster Choir College this fall, Grossman was home schooled and studied piano and composition at Westminster Conservatory and the Conservatory’s Honors Music Program. He’s composed more than 200 pieces ranging from choral and solo voice works to instrumentals and is currently working on a requiem and a symphony.
Christ Was Born On Christmas Day is an unaccompanied piece that sets a text from an English broadside as the first verse, with the rest of the lyrics written by Grossman in the same broadside text style. “The music was inspired by the sound of most of the Christmas choral music I sang with the Princeton Area Homeschool Choir for the past two years,” he says.
See the Child is a piece for full choir and piano written in the style of English choral composer John Rutter's music, emulating the sound and harmonic movement of many of his compositions, according to Grossman.
Nancy Lefter, the Chorale’s director, asked to perform two of his works after meeting Grossman and reviewing some of his scores when he visited The Citadel earlier this year. “I was thrilled when she asked if she could have her choir sing some of my music at the Candlelight Service, an event that is so highly attended and a big holiday tradition in the Charleston area, and honored that I would become a part of a more than 75 year old tradition,” he says.The Citadel’s Christmas Candlelight Services are one of Charleston's longest holiday traditions. Cadets, who are part of the Protestant, Catholic and Gospel Choirs, joined their talents with The Citadel Chorale and members of The Citadel Regimental Band, to create an unforgettable Christmas celebration held three nights in December every year.