The Christmas motet "O Magnum Mysterium" is probably the best known work by Tomás Luis de Victoria. Originally written for four voices, the text expresses wonder and adoration of the Christ child in the manger. It has a characteristic triple time Alleluia section and a wonderful closing Amen.
Victoria's musical style is broadly similar to that of his English and Italian contemporaries, and the simple interweaving lines transfer beautifully onto brass. However, it was suggested that this should be more than just a transcription. I thought at first of the way performers such as Mark Lockheart and Jan Garbarek have layered their improvisations over existing choral pieces. I had an idea in my mind of the kind of music the composer would have heard on the streets, so I have taken the liberty of interpolating some extra folkloric elements to the score at certain cadential points; the out-of-tune playing is intentional! I wanted to see if I could achieve this without jarring and marring the beauty of Victoria's original. - David Powell
