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Lux Aurumque (Whitacre)

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description Lux Aurumque (Whitacre) Overview

Lux Aurumque is a short choral work by American composer Eric Whitacre, written in 2000 for unaccompanied mixed choir. It sets a Latin translation by Charles Anthony Silvestri of an English poem by Edward Esch, using sustained chords, close harmonic spacing, and carefully controlled dissonance to evoke light and warmth. The piece is intended for choirs capable of secure tuning, breath control, and balanced performance across divided vocal parts.

help Lux Aurumque (Whitacre) FAQ

What text did Eric Whitacre use for Lux Aurumque?

Whitacre set the choral piece to a Latin translation by Charles Anthony Silvestri. Silvestri translated an original English poem titled Light and Gold, written by Edward Esch.

What year was Lux Aurumque written and what musical style does it represent?

The work was written in the year 2000 for unaccompanied mixed choir. It relies heavily on sustained chords, close harmonic spacing, and carefully controlled dissonance, characteristic of Whitacre's signature style.

How does the Virtual Choir version of Lux Aurumque work?

While the original is a standard choral piece, Whitacre famously used it for his Virtual Choir project in 2009. The project combined hundreds of individual video performances into a single, synchronized online choir.

Is Lux Aurumque difficult for an amateur choir to perform?

Although the work sounds incredibly lush and complex, it is actually quite accessible for high school and college-level choirs. The primary challenge lies in maintaining perfect intonation and blend across the dense, closely-spaced harmonies.

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