Come, Behold the Wondrous Mystery

The popularity of this new hymn is very clear as the melody and text are accessible, yet elegant in nature. This accompaniment grabs the activity from the occasional 16th-notes in the piano, and the long, shaped, lines in the instrumental overlay. The lay-out is easily grasped, as a 3-stanza, 3-chorus landscape, and ends with a quick repeat of the chorus. The repeat is written out with a few melodic and harmonic shifts to give variety and particular beauty. The trick here is for the pianist not to begin the tempo too fast, which could be a detriment to the entrance of the instruments and the voices, and thus the hymn’s deep, rich text.