This song is the second movement of Todd’s ‘Songs of Peace’, written in memory of the composer’s mother, Iris Todd, who died in 2012. The text (by the composer: ‘A gift so pure, life so precious, gifted to me’) is intentionally ambiguous suggesting both the gift of the Christ child and less specific gift of life. This work could therefore be used as a Christmas carol as well as more generally. The first verse, with voices singing in unison, presents a contemplative and memorable melody over char...