When I first wrote this poem in 2005, two different composers set it to music, and each has given me permission to share the settings with you. Another composer completed a choral setting for his children’s choir for the 2015 season of Advent. For permission to use that setting, please contact Peter Amidon at Amidon Music.
Amanda Husberg has been Director of Music at St. John the Evangelist Lutheran Church in Brooklyn, New York for 50 years. She is a prolific composer of tunes, with over 190 published in hymnals and collections. You can learn more about her here:
About Amanda Husberg At St. John the Evangelist
You can download her setting, Open Door, in two versions, one with the full accompaniment and one with the melody only, here:
Open Door Open Door – Melody Only
Paul Dedell is a composer, teacher, and good friend who lives in Williamsville Vermont. He is Codirector with his wife, Susan Dedell, of Winged Productions in Brattleboro, Vermont. Paul and I collaborated on a number of pieces when I was a member of St. Michael’s Episcopal Church in Brattleboro, where we were both members of the choir. You can learn more about Paul and his other works here: About Paul Dedell
Paul’s setting contains the melody line and chords. Although the song is definitely best sung in Fm, Paul suggests that if using a guitar, placing a capo on the first fret to play the song as if in Em makes it much easier. You will also note that Paul adds a reprise of the beginning line. I changed the phrase slightly to suggest that having sung the song, we now join Mary and Joseph on their sojourn.
You can download his setting, So Far From Home, here: So Far From Home-
Peter Amidon is another friend from Brattleboro. He and his wife Mary Alice Amidon are pillars of the traditional music and dance community in New England, and Peter is a codirector of the Guilford Community Church’s 9 o’clock Choir. You can learn more about Peter and his many other compositions here: Amidon Music
Peter has written a setting with a children’s choir in mind, and his arrangements can be found here: So Far From Home-Amidon So Far From Home vocal- Amidon