Monday Music: A Marian Hymn

My former classmate. Samford alum, and Samford music professor, Timothy Banks has set a Marian hymn to the Sacred Harp tune, "Fairfield." The result is a beautiful arrangement that I think sounds more Eastern Orthodox than Roman Catholic. Here is what he said about it:

A challenge: Can a tune from the SACRED HARP be successfully set as a Marian Hymn? My answer is sung here by the fabulous Schola of the Eternal Word Television Network, my arrangement of FAIRFIELD to an anonymous Marian Hymn, celebrating the Nativity of the Virgin Mary today in the Daily Mass.
(The third stanza, with an altered version of the original Sacred Harp harmonization, is my favorite. I learned my "Alice Parker arrangement style" long ago!)

 

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