Metaphysical Songs consists of two settings of Christmas poems by the Welsh metaphysical poet Henry Vaughan.

Awake, Glad Heart! is a setting of the first half of ‘Christ’s Nativity’. It was originally conceived as a part of my oratorio Nativity, before I realised it works better as an independent piece. The opening section is characterised by the repeated and increasingly loud exclamations: ‘Awake!’. This is followed by a more light-hearted middle section before a rapturous return to the opening material.

The Shepherds is a setting of Henry Vaughan’s poem of the same name. The poem reflects on the shepherds’ adoration of Jesus in the humble surroundings of Bethlehem. The music is all based on a single drone which lasts for the whole duration of the piece, albeit with occasional changes of register. A repetitive melody is presented on top of the drone, and increasingly elaborate ornamentation is added over the course of the piece.

The first, ‘Awake, glad heart!’ surprises by the treatment of the first stanza (‘Awake, glad heart! Get up and sing, / It is the birthday of thy King.’) One might expect such sentiments to call forth a musical outburst but Nesbit, ever subtle, sets this stanza to music that is slow, hushed and awestruck. (John Quinn, MusicWeb International, November 2024)

There’s a real timeless quality to this music. (BBC Music Magazine, November 2024)

Recording with The Chapel Choir of King’s College London conducted by Joseph Fort available on Delphian Records.