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Lína Avatárá 
(He Chose Birth Among Us)

Indic Christmas Carol
Arranged by Gil Robbins
Two-part Chorus (any voicing) and Finger Cymbals, with Optional Keyboard 
392-02508


In setting this simple carol I have tried to maintain a sense of blending of the ancient Hindu culture with the newer Christian religion. In regard to this blending, there is a tradition that holds that the first evangelization in India occurred during the same time of the apostles, nearly two millennia ago. 

—Gil Robbins

Lína Avatárá blends the text and music of a traditional Indic Christmas with English paraphrases of Isaiah’s prophecy.

The composition opens and closes with an extended keyboard section in which an imitative chant line is played freely above a sustained drone. The choral stanzas stand in sharp contrast, with short snatches of Indic and English texts sung rapidly in alternation. The two equal voices engage in musical chase, where one vocal line sings simple melodic lines while the other sustains the drone. The arrangement is free of vertical harmonies, an effort (as stated by Robbins in his introduction) to portray the meditative music of the Hindu culture. The amount of non-English is not extensive, making the composition well suited to a youth or an adult ensemble. A translation and pronunciation guide for the Indic text is included. 

—ACDA Choral Journal



Audio Sample:  Hear an excerpt from Lína Avatárá 
(He Chose Birth Among Us)
Requires free RealPlayer.Recording copyright Robert De Cormier Singers. Used by permission.
Audio file may take a minute or more to download.


 
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