Dr. Dan Forrest has been described as having “an undoubted gift for writing beautiful music” (NY Concert Review). Forrest’s work has become well established in the choral repertoire in the United States and around the world. The Work of Christmas is a simple yet elegant piece with text by Howard Thurman. This piece calls us not to merely take in the sights and sounds of Christmas, but to respond by doing our part to bring the world closer to the “peace on earth” that we so often sing about. 

When the songs of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins:

To find the lost,
To heal the broken,
To feed the hungry, 
To release the prisoner,
To Rebuild the nations; 
To bring peace among brothers,
To make music, from the heart.

When the song of the angels is stilled,
When the star in the sky is gone,
When the kings and princes are home,
When the shepherds are back with their flock,
The work of Christmas begins.

Program notes by Matt Niess, Matt Oltman, Vince Peterson, Dina Spyropoulos, Noah Wagar and Drew Young.