Sincere thanks to Pierre Massie and the Stairwell Carollers for this recording. For song description and sheet music, see below.

Description: My arrangement of “Es ist ein Ros entsprungen” combines both modern and medieval touches. This Christmas carol starts and ends with a meditation on “Ein Ros,” with both longing and awe, at the magic of a rose blooming in the middle of winter. The first verse begins in unison, then breaks into simple harmonies – open 5th cadences, fauxbourdon effects – hearkening back to the 15th century, when this anonymous melody was likely created. The coda features an unresolved final note in the sopranos, reflecting both the simplicity and complexity inherent in a rose, and in the Nativity story itself. Dedicated to my high school friend, Robert Linsley (1952-2017).

Sheet music (SATB div.): https://musicspoke.com/downloads/es-ist-ein-ros-entsprungen/.