By Hannah Lilienthal

The 65th annual Christmas with Wartburg will unveil the talents of Connor Koppin, a senior who has written an original composition for the program.

Koppin, a music education major from Mason City, began composing original music two years ago, inspired by a commissioned work for Christmas with Wartburg by Stanford Scriven of St. Olaf College.

Wartburg Choir Director Dr. Lee Nelson, associate professor of music and artistic director of Christmas with Wartburg, said he is always looking to commission new works. He saw the potential in Koppin, so he gave him a text to work with.

The result was  “There is No Rose of Such Virtue,” which is among seven other world premiere pieces in the production of Christmas with Wartburg entitled, “The Winter Rose Blooms, Rejoice!” 

Performances will be Friday, Nov. 30, at 7:30 at the Lutheran Church of Hope, West Des Moines, and at Wartburg, Saturday, Dec. 1, at 3 and 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 2, at 3 p.m.  (sold out). Tickets are available at www.wartburg.edu/christmas, or from noon to 4 p.m. weekdays at the ticket office in Saemann Student Center or by calling 319 352-8691.

“It was a gradual process, learning how to write for choir,” Koppin said, “but after writing eight to 10 contrasting pieces of music, I finally found my niche.”

Koppin searched for a new text to fit “The Winter Rose Blooms, Rejoice!” theme.

He found it in a 15^th century carol, which Nelson said brings references to the many symbols of the rose in biblical text, including the Virgin Mary, as well as alluding to St. Elizabeth, who is known for the “Miracle of the Roses” at the Wartburg Castle in Germany.

“I looked into all sorts of texts revolving around the Christmas rose,” Koppin said.  “When I read, ‘There is No Rose of Such Virtue’ I discovered that it contained an element other texts did not, simplicity.”

The composition is included in the portion of the program in which the angel Gabriel comes to Mary and tells her that she will bear a child.

“There is an inherent serene  unearthly quality in this piece,” Koppin said, “The piece also seemed to have potential for personal interpretation. It was like I could relate it to various aspects of my life and I knew this is something the choir would appreciate.”

Nelson guided Koppin in creating a new setting of “There is No Rose of Such Virtue” with the goal of specifically tailoring it to fit the Wartburg Choir.

Koppin said the easiest part was composing the melody.

“It was as if when I first looked at the text I could hear the music in my head. That is when you know you’ve found a good text. The music almost writes itself,” Koppin said.

The hardest part, he said, was tailoring the piece to fit the choir.

“Since I was able to hear the piece develop in the singers’ voices on a daily basis, I could determine which parts worked and which didn’t. I was continually making very small changes to better the overall sound of the piece. Sometimes it became a little arbitrary.”

Koppin called Nelson’s help “invaluable.”

 “He gave me advice from a conductor’s standpoint. I was able to sort of get inside the mind of a great conductor, see how he approaches a new piece of music, and  discover what traits he finds desirable in a piece,” Koppin said.

With only weeks until Christmas with Wartburg, Nelson said the piece has surpassed his expectations.

“We’re still working on the little things, but that’s what’s so fun about commissioning a new piece. You get to breathe life into a whole new work,” Nelson said.

Koppin dedicated “There is No Rose of Such Virtue” to Nelson and the Wartburg Choir.

“The choir has been such an important and influential part of my life. Writing a piece of music for them is my way of paying homage,” Koppin said. “Dr. Nelson has always been a role model of mine. I can’t put into words how grateful I am for his presence at this school.”

While Koppin has no immediate plans to make composing a full-time job, he said it could be possible after he becomes a music educator.

“I could not be more proud of Connor’s work on this piece,” Nelson said. “As an educator, there is no greater gift than to watch your students succeed. I’m proud of not only Connor, but the entire choir for its support and enthusiasm in this project. It is a beautiful project.”