In the Beginning

In the Beginning

Kyle Pederson (2015)

Voicing: SATB with divisi
Accompaniment:  a cappella, optional clarinet

Text:

In the beginning.  
In the beginning, God. 
In the beginning, God moved.

And then God spoke.  
God spoke creation into being. 
And of the new creation, God declared it good. 

Good were the earth and the waters.
Good were the evening and the day.
Good were the living things that first drew breath.
Good were the creatures made in God's image.

And in the beginning was the Word.  
The Word would become flesh and dwell among us.

In Him was light.  In Him was life.  
The light was given for us; it overcame the darkness. 

In Him was grace and truth. 
And we have seen his glory. 

Emmanuel. 
In the beginning.  
In the beginning, God.

Notes:

Lyrically, this piece seeks to bridge the Old and New Testament stories of creation.  

Musically, the piece establishes a deliberate cadence and pacing--symbolizing the centrality of God in the beginning--and then gradually adds elements of the creation story with increasing movement and complexity.  Intentional pauses at the end of most measures throughout the piece add weight to the text and help establish a rhythm of the creative process.  The free-flowing clarinet accompaniment (optional) symbolizes the creative movement and spirit that blows through all of creation.