Lo, How a Rose

To future performers of this piece: This is my favorite Christmas carol. One of the most beautiful melodies ever written, it has a haunting simplicity that has left me on the verge of tears more than once. In 2021, I mustered the courage to write my own arrangement and tried desperately to capture that spirit. What evolved was something unique--something of which I am immensely proud. A delicate piano part and rich string writing combine to allow the choir (or choirs...in the premiere, we performed with a beginner choir on the melody in the opening and an advanced choir in the round on the harmonies) to deliver the story in an honest and straight forward presentation. There are many ways to perform this arrangement. Try it with wind quartet, clarinet choir, flute ensemble, or whatever instruments you can find. Ask me if you need transcriptions. Just please send me a recording. **If you are using a wind quartet, please do not buy vocal scores, purchase the vocal/full score for your voicing from the instrumental parts.** I hope that you fall in love with this ancient German tune and that you find I have done it justice with this arrangement. Yours, Mark Lehnowsky