Bay Area Chorus The Yearning- Craig Courtney

Описание: Recorded live on December 7, 2025 in Houston, TX.

Craig Courtney, originally from Indiana, is an internationally acclaimed composer. He
studied piano from a young age, earning degrees from the University of Cincinnati, and
later taught at the Mozarteum in Salzburg. There, he began composing sacred choral
music due to limited English-language options. Since 1985, he has published over 400
choral works and received numerous awards, including first prize in the 2003 John Ness
Beck Foundation competition for Peace I Give to You.

The Yearning is a composition notable for its compelling musical structure. The piece opens
with a distinctive melody that highlights themes of longing and reflection, referencing
“hearts weighed down by ancient grief and centuries of sorrow.” Both the music and lyrics
progress toward a climactic resolution, centering on the concept of fulfillment found in
Emmanuel, as the faithful anticipate “the day of His appearing.”
There is a yearning in hearts weighed down by ancient grief and centuries of sorrow.
There is a yearning in hearts that in the darkness hide
and in the shades of death abide, a yearning for tomorrow.
There is a yearning, a yearning for the promised One, the Firstborn of creation.
There is a yearning for the Lord who visited His own,
and by His death for sin atoned, to bring to us salvation.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.
There is a yearning that fills the hearts of those who wait the day of His appearing.
There is a yearning when all our sorrows are erased
and we shall see the One who placed within our hearts the yearning.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel, within our hearts, the yearning.