the

highlight of
the year
came Nov. 9
with Justin
Merritt's
Five
Preludes for
piano
-Peter
Schimpf,
Bloomington
Independent

Nativity
Immensity, cloistered in thy dear womb,
Now leaves his well-beloved imprisonment,
There he hath made himself to his intent
Weak enough, now into our world to come;
But Oh, for thee, for him, hath th' inn no room?
Yet lay him in this stall, and from the Orient,
Stars, and wise men will travel to prevent
Th' effect of Herod's jealous general doom;
See'st thou, my Soul, with thy faith's eyes, how he
Which fills all place, yet none holds him, doth lie?
Was not his pity towards thee wondrous high,
That would have need to be pitied by thee?
Kiss him, and with him into Egypt go,
With his kind mother, who partakes thy woe.
-John Donne

justinmerritt

Several times I wrote "Wow!" next to

a work being played...
-Peter Jacobi, Herald Times

In 2000 composer Justin Merritt (bn. 1975) was the youngest-ever winner of
the ASCAP Foundation/Rudolph Nissim Award for Janus Mask. He is also
the winner of a host of other awards including the
2008-09 Copland Award, the 2008 Minnesota Orchestra
demands
Composer Institute Prize for River of Blood, and the 2006
an audience's
Polyphonos Prize
attention
Merritt's
He received his Bachelors from Trinity Universityand
piece was the
his Masters and Doctorate from Indiana University. He
standout.
studied composition with Samuel Adler, Sven-David
-Rob
Sandstrm, Claude Baker, Timothy Kramer, Don Freund,
Hubbard,
and electronic and computer music with Jeffrey Hass.
Pioneer Press
He is currently Assistant Professor of Composition at St.
Olaf College. He resides in Northfield, Minnesota with
his wife Yuedong and their children Cullen Fang Ouxiang and Molly Fang
Qinghe.

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y n o r t h f i e l d , m n 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m

Nativity
for SATB choir a cappella

John Donne
Rich, profound e = 63

Soprano

ff
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Im - men - si - ty,
ff

Alto

Piano
(for rehearsal only)

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cloi - stered

in thy dear womb.

p
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There he hath made him - self to his in - tent

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/
Quasi chant e = 60

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mp non vib.

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Meno mosso e = 56

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mp non vib., quasi chant

hath

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Copyright (c) 2009 Justin Merritt (ASCAP)
All Rights Reserved
Published by Moon East
www.mooneast.com

#
%
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* %

Weak

e - nough

to

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"

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Weak e - nough now in - to our

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hath
made
him
mp non vib., quasi chant

solo his well -be -lov -ed

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pp

rit.

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in thy dear womb.

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Rich, profound e = 63

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Im - men - si - ty,

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10

in thy dear womb.

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ff

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solo Now leaves his well -be -lov -ed

pp

rit.

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Justin Merritt

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world to

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pp

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ppYet

Tempo primo e = 63

solo

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for him, hath th'inn no room?

Tempo primo e = 63

stall, and from the

)
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for him, hath th'inn no room?

p

lay
+
*
)
%( $ % %( % % % # %% $$ +
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/
come sopra mp

pre -

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mpcome sopra

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mp come sopra

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to

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A tempo

this is a sample only

to purchase the complete score or parts and
for other compositions by justinmerritt please visit:

www.mooneast.com
or send emails to

info@mooneast.com

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y n o r t h f i e l d , m n 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m

!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!
!

choral orchestral

!
!
!
!
!

solo

!
!
!
!
!
!

Standard Deviation!.............................................................................................violin
Bar for Hans Sachs!.................................................................................................flute
Veloce!.......................................................................................................violin & piano
Coupling!................................................................................................................organ
Drum Break!...................................................................................................percussion

chamber

!
!
!
!

Janus Mask!..................................................................................................
!
winds in 2s
River of Blood!.............................................................................................winds in 2s
Dervish!.........................................................................................................winds in 2s
Lachryme!..............................................................................................string orchestra
Monster!........................................................................................................winds in 3s

A Gauze of Misted Silver!..........................................................string quartet & harp

Ravening!..................................................................................................string quartet
Invocation!....................................................................................................8 solo brass
The Day Florestan Murdered Magister Raro!............clarinet, violin, cello, & piano
Trio!.................................................................................................violin, cello, & piano

piano

5 Preludes!..............................................................................................................piano
Chaconne: Mercy Endures!..................................................................................piano
Rococo Suite!..........................................................................................................piano
Sierpinski Gasket!..................................................................................................piano
Windchimes!...........................................................................................................piano
Hive!...................................................................................................4 pianos, 16 hands

vocal

other compositions by justinmerritt

Dissonance!.....................................................................................................song cycle
Steps Into Stillness!........................................................................................song cycle
Dhammapada!................................................................................................song cycle
London Thoroughfare, 2AM!...........................................tenor, horn, violin, & piano
May Evening in Central Park...........................................................
!
baritone & piano

Corde natus!..........................................................................................................SATB
Lamentations!.......................................................................................................SATB
Hay Das!......................................................................................................SMsATBrB
Nativity!.................................................................................................................SATB
Adoro Te Devote!.................................................................................................SATB
Fire Sermon!....................................................................................SSATB & orchestra

8 1 5 t h y e p a r k w a y n o r t h f i e l d , m n 5 0 7 - 6 4 5 - 4 8 2 0 i n f o @ m o o n e a s t . c o m w w w. m o o n e a s t . c o m