Composition by Chapel Music Director Wins National Award
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The Duke Chapel Schola Cantorum sings "A Christmas Carol."
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The Duke Chapel Schola Cantorum sings "A Christmas Carol."
The Duke Chapel Schola Cantorum Choir sings "A Christmas Carol."
The American Harp Society selected the choral anthem "A Christmas Carol," composed by Duke Chapel Music Director Dr. Zebulon Highben, for its 2023 Weiger Lepke-Sims Family Sacred Music Award. The award recognizes “beautiful melody and tonal harmonic structure” and is intended to promote the expansion of harp repertoire in traditional church or synagogue settings.
In "A Christmas Carol," Dr. Highben sets to music the poem of the same name by the British writer and philosopher G. K. Chesterton (1874–1936). In the text, Chesterton colorfully depicts a weary world’s need for the peace and light of the Christ child. Highben’s score weaves together original music composed for this text, with solo harp interludes adapted from the traditional English carol “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.”
The piece debuted at the Chapel’s 2021 Christmas Eve Lessons and Carols service with Anita Burroughs-Price playing harp and the Duke Chapel Schola Cantorum singing. Watch the performance.
The score for "A Christmas Carol" is now available through MorningStar Music as part of the Music from Duke Chapel series of sacred compositions.
A conductor, composer, and scholar of sacred music, Highben oversees the Chapel’s music program. He is also associate professor of the practice of church music at Duke Divinity School. He conducts the Duke Chapel Choir and Schola Cantorum, teaches courses in music and worship, and edits the Music from Duke Chapel series.