Angelina Figus (b. 1957)
Composer; Conductor; Teacher; instrumentalist
Works published by MoV
Hodie Christus natus est (SSA)
Hodie Christus natus est (SSA)
This joyful setting of the well-known text for Christmas Day was commissioned by the women’s choir of Centro tudi Musicali in Carbonia, Italy, which performed it for the first time at Christmas in 2017. It was originally composed for performance in its intended liturgical context and has since been performed several times both in Italy and further afield. (Angelina Figus, trans. Miriam Endersby)
Whilst largely homophonic, some effective textural variety includes using imitation to draw attention to ‘laetantur Archangeli; Alleluia’ (the Archangels rejoice; Alleluia), and ‘dicentes’ (saying). Having one voice immediately following another in this way also draws to attention the rhythmic detail of starting each of these phrases with a quaver up-beat. This is in contrast to the firm dotted rhythm given to ‘hodie’ (today). Rather than the expected major key for the Christmas day text, the tonality shifts between E minor and the Aeolian mode on E, which gives the piece its timeless quality.
Translation: Today Christ is born;
today the Saviour has appeared;
today the Angels sing,
the Archangels rejoice;
today the righteous rejoice, saying:
Glory to God in the highest. Alleluia
Hodie Christus natus est (SSA)
This work is published in our anthology Volume 2 and as a licenced digital pdf
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Perusal score coming soon
(August 2025)
Angelina Figus (b. 1957)
Angelina Figus is an Italian musician and lives in Sardinia. She initially studied classical guitar, composition and conducting, and in 1990 went on to study lute and basso continuo under the tuition of Maestro Jorge Fresno at the Neuchâtel Conservatoire (Switzerland).
She has taught extensively in primary schools, promoting the establishment of several school choirs for which she has composed and published a wide repertoire of pieces.
She supports numerous initiatives for the promotion of the Sardinian language in music and is much in demand with poets and theatre companies in Sardinia. Her substantial musical output consists mostly of pieces for amateur choirs, which she greatly admires for both their educational and social value. She has personally founded a number of choirs within various voluntary organisations.
She currently conducts four choirs, all regularly heard in concert. (Angelina Figus, trans. Miriam Endersby)
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