Category: Choral Music
Instrumentation: SATB chorus and piano
Duration: 4–5 minutes
Difficulty: Intermediate
Publisher: Alymar Publications
Text / Source: Words from various public-domain sources

A Virgin Most Pure is a Christmas choral work for SATB chorus and piano, drawing its text from various public-domain sources. The piece is cast in a large ABA form, with both the A and B sections shaped as smaller aba forms, giving the music a clear and balanced structure.

The work moves through contrasting moods, from the sweetness of the opening theme to a jazz-inflected main theme in the B section. The return of the opening material at the end creates a particularly affecting close, bringing warmth, familiarity, and emotional resonance to the piece’s final pages.

Written at an intermediate level, A Virgin Most Pure includes some chromatic writing and may present challenges for school or church choirs with inexperienced singers, even though several sections are sung in unison and supported by the piano. The piece is well suited for Christmas concerts, Lessons and Carols services, and seasonal choral programs seeking a lyrical contemporary work with both traditional warmth and fresh harmonic color.