Mack Wilberg: Christ the Lord is risen today (SATB)

This arrangement of the well-loved hymn stays true to the jubilation and reverence of Easter. Wesley’s words and the eighteenth-century melody shine through in a sensitive reharmonization, and a recurring instrumental passage smoothly connects the verses. Reflecting common hymn-singing practice, the first verse is in unison, the second in four-part harmony, and the third returns to unison with a soprano descant, before closing with a suitably exultant ‘Alleluia’ and ‘Amen’.

Christ the Lord is risen today appears on the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square’s latest CD, He is Risen, which reached No. 1 in both the ‘Classical Albums’ and ‘Traditional Classical Albums’ US charts within two weeks of its release in April 2014.