James MacMillan - Kiss on Wood

Wayzata Community Church
Thursday April 14, 2022

Will Richardson - Cello
​Stephen Self - Piano

Composer's Notes:

​Kiss on Wood is a short, static and serene meditation for violin and piano. Lasting about eight minutes it is an ornamental and highly elongated paraphrase on the Good Friday versicle, Ecce lignum crucis in quo salus mundi pependit: Venite adoremus (Behold the wood of the cross on which the saviour of the world was hung: come let us adore him). This is sung as the crucifix is slowly unveiled and before the people are invited forward to kiss the wood of the cross. The music and title are devotional an intent but can equally represent a gesture of love on the wooden instruments making this music.