March of the Wise Men

Today, January 6th is the Feast of the Epiphany. It is the day when the Church celebrates the revelation of Jesus as God Incarnate.

Elmer Samuel Hosmer (21 March 1862 — 25 April 1945) was an American composer. A native of Massachusetts, he studied with E. G. Whiting, J. C. D. Parker and Percy Goetschius, and wrote a good deal of church music. He also composed a number of cantatas, including one about Christopher Columbus (Columbus: A Short Cantata for Men's Voices) and one after "The Man Without a Country". He set a poem by Clara Hapgood Nash, "Mother", to music as a song.

He was an organist in Boston, as well as several other states, and taught music at the Rhode Island College of Education in Providence, for some years starting in 1924.

"March of the Wise Men" was published by Theodore Presser in 1920. It is dedicated: "To Clifford Fowler Green". Green(e) was Dean of the Worcester Chapter of the American Guild of Organists from 1952-1955.

The march is in A-B-A with Coda format, and it's actually a very good march, although I didn't detect anything that it made special for Wise Men marching, but, I suppose they could!

The outer sections show bold harmonies and good melodic phrases, and the central Trio is attractive, especially with the unexpected mini-fanfare in the middle of it.

Although this piece was written in 1920, it seems like Hosmer might have had this in mind with the "Christmas Offertory" that he published in 1925. There are strong melodic and harmonic associations between the two works, and I feel quite certain that the pairing is intended.

You can hear "Christmas Offertory" here:

https://www.contrebombarde.com/concerthall/music/43515

The score is attached below, as well as a photo of E. S. Hosmer, and a tapestry of the Epiphany by Edward Burne-Jones, which dates from 1906.