"The Dream Isaiah Saw" is a contemporary classical choral Christmas song, commissioned by the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh and composed in 2001 by Glenn L. Rudolph to the lyrics of Thomas H. Troeger's 1994

hymn A hymn is a type of song, and partially synonymous with devotional song, specifically written for the purpose of adoration or prayer, and typically addressed to a deity or deities, or to a prominent figure or personification. The word ''hy ...

"Lions and Oxen Will Feed in the Hay." It has become a holiday favorite. The hymn has become a signature piece of the Washington Chorus and has been performed at John F. Kennedy Center for the Performance Arts. The song has been independently released by many symphonic and college choirs. It is regularly performed by symphonic, college, church, and school choirs during Advent.

History

In preparation for their 2001

Christmas Christmas is an annual festival commemorating the birth of Jesus Christ, observed primarily on December 25 as a religious and cultural celebration among billions of people around the world. A feast central to the Christian liturgical year ...

concert ''In Dulci Jubilo'', the Bach Choir of Pittsburgh (led by Brady R. Allred) commissioned five new holiday compositions. Glenn L. Rudolph, an active performer, conductor and composer in the Pittsburgh area since 1978, composed "The Dream Isaiah Saw." Rudolph was working on the piece when the attacks of

September 11, 2001 The September 11 attacks, commonly known as 9/11, were four coordinated suicide terrorist attacks carried out by al-Qaeda against the United States on Tuesday, September 11, 2001. That morning, nineteen terrorists hijacked four commerc ...

took place. ''The Dream Isaiah Saw'' was finished nineteen days after 9/11 attacks and became a dedication to those who lost their lives in that tragedy. Rudolph said that the events of 9/11 had an impact on the music he wrote for the hymn. The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh and The Pittsburgh Symphony Brass first performed the song at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Upper St.Clair, Pennsylvania on Sunday, December 16, 2001.

Lyrics

The lyrics of a hymn Lions and Oxen Will Feed in the Hay first appeared in the book by Thomas H. Troeger ''Borrowed Light: Hymn Texts, Prayers, and Poems'' published by Oxford University Press in 1994. Thomas Troeger drew inspiration from the Book of Isaiah 11:6-9, an Old Testament book in the

Bible The Bible (from Koine Greek , , 'the books') is a collection of religious texts or scriptures that are held to be sacred in Christianity, Judaism, Samaritanism, and many other religions. The Bible is an anthologya compilation of texts ...

by a Latter Prophet

Isaiah Isaiah ( or ; he, , ''Yəšaʿyāhū'', "God is Salvation"), also known as Isaias, was the 8th-century BC Israelite prophet after whom the Book of Isaiah is named. Within the text of the Book of Isaiah, Isaiah himself is referred to as "the ...

Critical reception

"The Dream Isaiah Saw" has become a popular song in many choir performances at Christmas in the United States and Australia. Christopher Bell, the artistic director and conductor of the Washington Chorus, reported that the experience of Washington Chorus Candlelight Christmas "blew imaway," mentioning "the candles, the procession, and 'The Dream Isaiah Saw.'" It is praised as a modern song that stacks up well against the classics. Critics have described it as intense, gripping, thrilling, haunting, catharticly climactic, packed with the biggest emotional punch, able to "bring audiences spontaneously to their feet," "bringing tears to the eyes." The following choirs have recorded the song: * The Bach Choir of Pittsburgh and The Pittsburgh Symphony Brass (original performers). (2010). Cantate Hodie: Sing Forth This Day! * The Georgia Boy Choir. (2014) Georgia Boy Choir YouTube Channel. *Hickory Choral Society. (2013). Christmas Concert 2013. Celebrating 35 Years of Music. * The Indianapolis Symphonic Choir. (2014). Festival of Carols. *Messiah College Concert Choir. (2012). In Remembrance. *Millikin University Choir. (2015). Vespers 201: Sweet Music in the Night. *Oklahoma City University. (2017). Christmas Vespers. * The Washington Chorus. (2009). Christmas with the Washington Chorus. In 2018 the Aspen Choral Society included "The Dream Isaiah Saw" in their 41st holiday performance of Handel's ''

Messiah In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; , ; , ; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of '' mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach ...

''.

Bibliography

*Rudolph, Glenn L. (2004) ''The Dream Isaiah Saw.'' Vocal Score. Oxford: Oxford University Press.

References

{{Cite news , url=https://www.post-gazette.com/uncategorized/2005/12/10/Concert-Review-Brass-Band-Bach-Choir-deliver-robust-concert/stories/200512100115 , title=Concert Review: Brass Band, Bach Choir deliver robust concert , author=Eric Haynes , date=December 10, 2005, work=Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, access-date=January 9, 2019

External links

Porterfield, Eric.
The Dream Isaiah Saw.
' Audio Sermon. December 4, 2016. Fifth Baptist Church, Huntington, West Virginia. Retrieved December 14, 2018.

Songs A song is a musical composition intended to be performed by the human voice. This is often done at distinct and fixed pitches (melodies) using patterns of sound and silence. Songs contain various forms, such as those including the repetition ...