Hodie facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts

Quick facts for kids Hodie
Cantata by Ralph Vaughan Williams
The composer in 1920
Occasion	Christmas
Language	Latin English
Composed	1953 (1953)–1954 (1954)
Dedication	Herbert Howells
Performed	8 September 1954 (1954-09-08)
Movements	16
Scoring	tenor baritone boys' choir mixed choir orchestra

Hodie (which means This Day in Latin) is a special kind of musical piece called a cantata. It was written by the famous British composer Ralph Vaughan Williams. He worked on it between 1953 and 1954. This was his last big work for a choir and orchestra.

The first time Hodie was performed was on September 8, 1954. Vaughan Williams himself led the performance at Worcester Cathedral during the Three Choirs Festival. He dedicated this music to his friend, the composer Herbert Howells. The cantata has 16 different parts, or "movements." It uses a large choir, a boys' choir, an organ, and a full orchestra. It also features three solo singers: a tenor, a baritone, and a soprano.

Musical Style of Hodie

Hodie is like a musical journey through Vaughan Williams's whole career. It brings together ideas and sounds from many of his earlier works. For example, he had already mixed Biblical stories with poems in another cantata called Dona nobis pacem.

You might hear parts of Hodie that remind you of his other music. The background music for the "Hymn" movement sounds a lot like his Sinfonia antartica. Also, the "Pastoral" movement shares some musical ideas with his Five Mystical Songs from 1911.

The whole piece is connected by a few main musical ideas, called "motives," that you'll hear again and again. One of these motives first appears with the word "Gloria" in the very first movement. It comes back every time "Gloria" is sung. Another important motive shows up in the first story-telling part and then again at the very end of the piece. The final song even uses the same tune as the first soprano song, but with different instruments playing it.

Instruments Used in Hodie

Hodie needs a very big orchestra! Here are some of the instruments it uses:

Three flutes (one can also play piccolo)
Two oboes and a cor anglais (which is like a bigger oboe)
Two clarinets
Two bassoons and a contrabassoon (a very low bassoon)
Four French horns
Three trumpets
Two trombones and a bass trombone
A tuba
A large percussion section with timpani, bass drum, snare drum, tenor drum, tubular bells, cymbals, glockenspiel, and triangle
Celesta, piano, and organ
Strings (violins, violas, cellos, basses)
A mixed choir (singers of all voice types) and a boys' choir
Solo singers: soprano, tenor, and baritone

Performances of Hodie

Hodie is not as famous as some of Vaughan Williams's other works, so it's not performed as often. However, it is still played sometimes. For example, it was once shown on TV by PBS with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

Here are some recordings that have been made:

The London Symphony Orchestra with conductor Willcocks and soloists Shirley-Quirk, Lewis, and Baker (recorded in 1965).
The London Symphony Orchestra with conductor Hickox and soloists Roberts, Tear, and Gale (recorded in 1990).
The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra with conductor Wetton and soloists Hoare, Gadd, and Watson (recorded in 2007).

The Movements of Hodie

The cantata is divided into 16 parts, each telling a piece of the Christmas story.

I: Prologue

The music starts with exciting fanfares from the brass instruments. Soon, the full choir shouts "Nowell!" (an old word for Christmas). This part uses a Latin text from a Christmas church service. It talks about Christ being born and angels singing.

Latin text:

Nowell! Nowell! Nowell!

Hodie Christus natus est: hodie salvator apparuit:

Hodie in terra canunt angeli, laetantur archangeli:

Hodie exultant justi, dicentes: gloria in excelsis Deo: Alleluia.

English translation:

Christmas! Christmas! Christmas!

Today Christ is born: Today the Saviour appeared:

Today on Earth the Angels sing, Archangels rejoice:

Today the righteous rejoice, saying: Glory to God in the highest: Alleluia.

The music for this part is mostly simple and direct, but the final "Alleluia" is sung in many different ways.

II: Narration

This part is like a story being told. It's one of several "narrations" that connect the different songs and choir parts. Each narration uses the organ and boys' choir. The words come from the Gospels (books in the Bible). This first narration tells about the birth of Jesus, from the books of Matthew and Luke.

The tenor soloist sings the words of the angel who appears to Joseph in a dream. The full choir then joins in for the final part of the story.

III: Song

This is a gentle song sung by the soprano soloist. It uses a part of a poem by John Milton called "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity". The poem describes the peaceful winter night when Jesus was born. The women of the choir join the soloist for some parts of the song.

IV: Narration

This narration continues the Christmas story, taken from the Gospel of Luke. It describes how Caesar Augustus ordered everyone to be counted for taxes, and how Mary and Joseph traveled to Bethlehem. It also tells how Jesus was born and laid in a manger because there was no room for them at the inn.

V: Choral

This "choral" piece is sung by the choir without any instruments. It's a hymn translated by Miles Coverdale from a hymn by Martin Luther. It talks about Jesus being born in a poor crib and coming to Earth to save people. Each verse ends with "Kyrie eleison" (Greek for "Lord, have mercy").

VI: Narration

This narration, adapted from Luke and the Book of Common Prayer, introduces the shepherds. It tells how an angel appeared to them in the fields, bringing good news of Jesus's birth. Then, a multitude of angels appeared, praising God. The tenor sings the angel's words, the soprano and choir sing the angels' praise, and the men of the choir sing the shepherds' words.

VII: Song

This movement features the baritone soloist. It's a quiet and atmospheric song with woodwind instruments. The words are from a poem called "The Oxen" by Thomas Hardy. It's about the old belief that animals kneel at midnight on Christmas Eve.

VIII: Narration

This short narration is from Luke. It says that the shepherds returned, praising God for everything they had heard and seen. It ends with "Glory to God in the highest."

IX: Pastoral

This song is also for the baritone soloist. It's a setting of a poem by George Herbert. The poem is about how the speaker's soul, like a shepherd, feeds thoughts, words, and deeds, and how all should sing praises to God.

X: Narration

This brief narration, from Luke, says: "But Mary kept all these things, and pondered them in her own heart."

XI: Lullaby

This lullaby is sung by the soprano and the women's choir. It's based on an old anonymous poem, also set to music by Benjamin Britten. It describes the Virgin Mary singing a sweet lullaby to baby Jesus.

XII: Hymn

This is the only solo song for the tenor in the whole cantata. It was added later because the original tenor soloist wanted a bigger part! The words are from a poem called "Christmas Day" by William Drummond. The music is bright and uses the full orchestra, starting with a loud brass fanfare.

XIII: Narration

This narration is adapted from the Gospel of Matthew. It tells the story of the wise men (Magi) from the East who followed a star to find Jesus. They asked where the new king was born and were told "In Bethlehem." When they found Jesus, they worshipped him and gave him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. The men of the choir sing the words of the kings.

XIV: The March of the Three Kings

This is the first time in the cantata that all the soloists, the choir, and the orchestra sing together. The choir starts the march. The words for this part were written specially for the composer by his wife, Ursula. Each soloist sings a verse describing one of the three kings and their gift. Then they all join together to finish the march.

XV: Choral

This is the second choral piece sung by the choir without instruments. The words are from an anonymous poem, with the second verse added by the composer's wife. It's a peaceful song about dreams of heaven and the joy that fills the sky with light because of the new prince.

XVI: Epilogue

The final part, the epilogue, begins with the three soloists singing words adapted from the Gospel of John and Matthew. It talks about "the Word" becoming flesh and living among us. The choir joins in for the final words. The rest of the piece is for the full choir and orchestra, with soloists. It uses more words from John Milton's "On the Morning of Christ's Nativity," describing the "crystal spheres" ringing out and heavenly music.