The Empty Church – Submission to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event

This is my first submission (of two) to the YCF 2025 Christmas Event.

We are all awaiting (or at least the children do wait for) Christmas Eve.

Since there are still a few days to go, the time should be peaceful and quiet – despite the stress and noise as it is in reality. Thus, the idea behind this piece is to imagine the night before Christmas, the church where crowds of people will gather tomorrow to celebrate Christmas Eve.

The church is empty, or seems to be empty, but there are three musicians playing a piece that is reminiscent of either night music or a final rehearsal before the upcoming concert.

What a great piece, and very soothing. A perfect way to calm one's nerves during the stress of this holiday!

Ohhh, one of my favorite pieces from this Christmas Event! The combination of the three keyboard instruments is very original yet effective at the same time. The presentation and the score are beautiful.

Hi @Wieland Handke!

I love how the three instruments blend together and honestly this is the first time I heard of the instrument Theorbo and it said it's somewhat like a lower register lute. Like Mike said this piece is really calm, especially with the lower volume organ and the Theorbo. Thx for sharing!

Henry

@Wieland Handke

I truly love the baroque instruments you have chosen for this trio. The counterpoint between them creates rich harmonies and melodies! I can see how this would be played with in a church. 

Hey @Wieland Handke!

I love the quiet atmosphere!  Might this be a piece of music intended to be played during the Church's vespers or evening prayers?  Very interesting instrumental combination.  I do interpret it as music intended to set the mood for the occasion or be background for a vesper service.  Because of your quote of Bach's "Where Sheep May Safely Graze" (or was it "Sleeper's Wake!"?  I always get those two mixed up...) I was almost led to include my own Bach quote in my Christmas Scherzo in the Trio section of the Scherzo, but I am happy that I decided against it, as the Trio I came up with is better suited to the piece imo.  Thanks for sharing and Happy New Year!

On 12/27/2025 at 5:25 AM, Henry Ng Tsz Kiu said:

... and honestly this is the first time I heard of the instrument Theorbo and it said it's somewhat like a lower register lute.

Yes, the Theorbo is a “larger lute” which (at least here in Germany) is increasingly being used in baroque orchestras alongside the harpsichord and a small organ as a Basso Continuo instrument. I think I first discovered it about five years ago and am always delighted when it is used, for example in Handel's Messiah. It lends such warmth or even a “Mediterranean feeling” to the accompaniment that it surpasses the somewhat “boring” harpsichord and organ, which are unable to play dynamics, while they are needed for rhythmic and percussive accents (the harpsichord) and harmonic filling and foundation (the organ).

That in mind, I decided - after nearly completing the instrumentation of my Prelude IX in E major as submission for the 2025 Christmas event - to create a Basso Continuo part, too, to emphasize the Baroque orchestra character. I must admit that it was a larger effort than initially expected (and my figured bass „numbers“ might be error-prone), however I really enjoyed the result so that I came around to present it as an „own piece“ here since I think it is worthwhile to hear it without the other instruments, which otherwise so strongly dominate the Basso Continuo that it's usually only perceived subconsciously.

Thank you, @chopin, @Luis Hernández, @Henry Ng Tsz Kiu, @Kvothe and @PeterthePapercomPoser for confirming my belief that the atmosphere of this trio is calming and it could be indeed played on its own in a church, for example during evening prayers.

On 1/1/2026 at 9:22 AM, PeterthePapercomPoser said:

... Because of your quote of Bach's "Where Sheep May Safely Graze" (or was it "Sleeper's Wake!"?  I always get those two mixed up...) ...

Oh, I must say that I neither had "Where Sheep May Safely Graze" nor „Sleepers Awake“ in mind (while being wonderful) when composing the prelude, my inspiration was the „Sinfonia“ from the Christmas Oratorio. But, yes, if there are feelings of quotations from Bach, that is intentional (and fortunately, Bach won't be making any copyright claims...).