This used to be two separate songs with the verses and pre-chorus being one and the chorus being the other. They were both missing something. As I was rewriting the lyrics on the first one, I decided a new chorus segment was needed. I pulled a short piece out of the archives, dusted it off, and realized that it fit like a glove! I didn’t even have to change the tempo or key! I excitedly got to work on the lyrics for the new chorus. Every year I learn more about the science of the solstice (declination of the Sun) and explore new and old ways of celebrating it. I’ve discovered that the sources warmth and light in your life can be more apparent during the colder darker days. This song expresses that. The last line of the chorus is reminiscent of a line from Deck the Halls: “Sing we joyous all together … Heedless of the wind and weather.” Solstice Night vocals are performed by Dan Osborn of Canada.

This song is in the format of a hymn. The title means “sweeter after difficulties.” The lyrics were inspired by hikes in the snow that included hauling dry firewood to a quiet campground by a river. This is a fun way to celebrate Winter Solstice and the title can apply to both the holiday and the outing. The difficult hike makes the campfire lunch sweeter while the cold dark days of winter can make the holiday celebrations sweeter as well. The title is not a universal truth but fits these scenarios well. Felicia Hallen of Sweden provided lead vocals (soprano) and also sang the alto part with the choir, Arsound from Indonesia. Arsound provided alto, tenor, and bass parts and I added tenor and bass to the mix.

Musically, the vocal segments were inspired by the chants of Jacques Berthier of France and then expanded on with the instrumental sections. After writing Dulcius Ex Asperis and using that Latin phrase, I took on the challenge of writing complete verses in Latin. Frequently, I would translate a line and end up with the wrong number of syllables, but with some trial and error I crafted lines that fit with the music. In the process I learned about differences between Ecclesiastical Latin and Classical Latin. Lux in Tenebris means light in darkness and having a dark setting makes the light seem more meaningful to me. Vocals were provided by Travatori, a duo in the UK made up of Darren and Caroline Clarke. I felt more confident about the Latin once they looked at it and gave their approval. They are experienced with singing in Latin as you can tell by their performance. Peter Voronov of Turkey provided violin and I was pleased how it worked with the guitar and bansuri sound through some modal shifts in the instrumental section. A translation of the lyrics is provided on the lyrics page.