The Hollywood Chamber Orchestra, and Tim Davis Studio Choir (Glee), team up under the direction of Maestro Jason Gamer to bring this Christmas delight to life! In the beginning, there was simplicity of chant, then arose the embellishments of the Renaissance, gilding, the age of enlightenment. Christian themes combined with pagan traditions; Christmastime represents hope and possibility. I wrote this piece as a prayer that we may live in that hope and possibility every single day. Arise, Awake o Christmas Day is not about material gifts. Instead, I ask you to consider that which is most valuable: our own humanity. Based upon themes from the Books of Luke and Matthew, the modern lyric embodies our Christian heritage while acknowledging our secular lives. Parallel to history, Arise, Awake o Christmas Day mysteriously and quietly begins with sacred chant. The accompaniment should feel like falling snow, as the harmonic structre leads the listener through its tonal center, evoking feelings of love and warmth. The chorale should be performed lyrically and dancingly, with child-lie wonderment and no vibrato. You should start with very small, yet coheisve sound, and end with full choral glory. Christopher M. Allport is an award-winning musician, composer, performer and artistic director with international acclaim. Growing up in the studios of Los Angeles and on the stages of New York, Allport became ingrained with professionally artistic and stylistic idioms at a very early age. Passionate about storytelling and an avid humanist, Allport’s musical ideas are influenced by emotions and themes relevant to people worldwide. Desire, growth, discovery, wonderment, passion, motion, depth, conflict and resolution are ideas represented in his broad spectrum of work. Painting an image with words, Allport lets the original story influence the lyric, and then the lyric sets the tone. Recognizing that music is rhythm and rhythm is as fundamental as your heartbeat, each of Allport’s compositions and performances evokes an emotional experience from the audience, allowing them to access their own feelings in a safe, artistic environment.