Sincere thanks to the Rocky Mountain Chamber Choir for this recording. For song description and sheet music, see below.

Description: Here is my totally new version of “Good King Wenceslas.” Using the 19th century poem by John Mason Neale, I wanted to create a different “feel” to the Wenceslas story, to take it back to its origins in the Middle Ages – hence the medieval feel to much of the piece. I felt that a setting in 3/4 time would create a better sense of journey, the motive energy behind the story. And the 3/4 time also helped resolve the “Good King Wences last looked out” problem found in the original 4/4 version. As did the insertion of an extra word, “he”, as in “Good King Wenceslas, he looked out.” Dedicated to my uncle Duncan Shaw, whose “retirement project” – developing his own theory of gravity – has been a huge inspiration in my own “late in life” compositional journey.

Sheet music (SATB div.):  https://cypresschoral.com/composers/david-rain/good-king-wenceslas/.