Benedicamus Domino was commissioned by Dr. Magen Solomon for the San Francisco Bach Choir and was premiered on December 2, 2023, in San Francisco, as part of the ensemble’s “A (Mostly) English Candlelight Christmas” concert. Later in 2024, Dr. John Warren commissioned an arrangement of the piece for choir, piano, and string quintet for the Syracuse University Singers (to be taken on their upcoming tour of Brazil). This arrangement was later expanded into the currently available version for choir, string orchestra, piano, and percussion.

The text comes from the medieval Christmas carol “Benedicamus Domino,” as documented in Songs and Carols from a Manuscript in the British Museum of the Fifteenth Century, Thomas Wright, ed. (London: T. Richards, 1856). This is a joyful carol that celebrates the Virgin Mary and the birth of Jesus with enthusiastic words of praise that are repeated in every stanza, such as eya, gloria, laudes, etc.

The work was conceived in the style of a Brazilian marcha rancho. And although this type of music is often associated with carnaval celebrations, some of its basic music features (like rhythmic patterns, form, etc.) are often used for other types of music, including more “traditional” concert music. The word marcha simply means “march” and refers to dancing and processing (“marching”) to the music. The word rancho here refers to the group of people performing and dancing to the music. Initially this type of music was performed at a moderate to slow tempo—certainly slower than most sambas. But here the tempo is allegretto, to better portray the overall festive character of the text. 

If the Brazilian percussion instruments included in the orchestration are not available, they can be effectively substituted by shakers (ganzá) and bass drum or floor tom (surdo). The cabasa part included in the version for choir and piano may be played by a member of the choir.