Local Choir Premieres Cantata Composed by Bowdoin Employee

"It's a cantata based on the seventh-century plainchant Advent hymn Conditor alme siderum, which means "Creator of the Stars of Night," explained Small, who is an administrator at Bowdoin's music department as well as being a talented musician, writer, and theater producer.

Using that text and inspired by the original plainsong melody, he composed a seven- movement narrative choral piece, known as a cantata. The half-hour work was premiered recently at First Parish Church in Brunswick, located just off the northwest corner of Bowdoin's campus. The piece was performed by a twenty-one-singer choir and soloists, along with instrumental accompaniment.

Small says he has a longstanding "occasional" musical relationship with the church, having been their interim organist in the mid-1980s and also having performed a couple of organ concert works as part of their summer concert series. "It has become a tradition at the church to put on a cantata or similar musical work on the third Sunday of Advent. Every two or three years, I've played continuo organ in the small orchestra for these works."