Now the Green Blade Rises

This piece begins by building up an eerie, mysterious chord cluster, which depicts a shoot struggling to escape the grasp of the earth. The music and the “green blade” suddenly burst forth into four quick variations on the melody, which is passed around from part to part throughout the arrangement. The dynamics and texture of the piece shift frequently to bring the meaning of the text to life. The frequent divisi parts can be omitted. Measures 3-10 may be played by the organ as an optional introduction. Part of the National Lutheran Choir Series/NLC Series.