MacMillan – Veni Veni Emmanuel (1992)

The composer began writing this piece on Advent Sunday and finished it the following Easter Sunday, which is apt given that the structure of the piece follows five sections from Advent to Easter:

Introit – Advent

Part 1: Heartbeats (which represent the human presence of Christ)

Part 2: Dance – Hocket

Transition: Sequence I

Part 3: Gaude, Gaude

Transition: Sequence II

Part 4: Dance – Chorale

Part 5: Coda – Easter

The ‘Veni, veni Emmanuel’ plainsong is a 15th century French hymn, which we know as ‘O come O come Emmanuel’ – the plainchant only appears fully at the end of the work.

It is a one-movement concerto for percussion and orchestra, premiered at the Proms in August 1992 by Evelyn Glennie and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra directed by Jukka-Pekka Saraste.

Percussion instruments used include tubular bells, tam-tams, two snare drums, congas, timbales, gongs, woodblocks and marimba which the composer intended to make the soloist equal with the orchestra.