Searching for |Christmas - 102 results.
Anthem for Epiphany, for unaccompanied SATB by James Webb. Setting of the mediaeval Epiphaniam Domino.
Huic Magi has been recorded by Charterhouse Special Choir and is available on Spotify.
The Annunciation Carol by Christopher Larley is for unaccompanied SATB with soprano solo. It combines short plainsong-like fragments and tutti choral singing. There is an (optional!) ad lib. section near the end. The Annunciation Carol was written for the Chantry Quire and first performed by them.
The Hope of All The World is a very short (1'30") carol for Christmas, for SATB with soprano solo. It was first performed at Christmas 2001 by the Ytenerent singers of Lymington, soloist Ruth Buddell.
Word Made Flesh is a setting of the mystical opening
of the gospel of St John: In the beginning was the word.... It was
commissioned by the Lymington Choral Society and first performed
by them under Peter Davies in December 2000. It is scored for SATB with chamber
ensemble using the same instrumentation (flute doubling piccolo, oboe, cello, harp,
chamber organ and timpani) as the small version of Rutter's Requiem, an ideal
companion piece, which was performed in the same program.
There are three
entries for Word Made Flesh in the catalogue, so please
make sure you know what you're ordering. This page shows the full score. In
addition, there are vocal scores and instrumental parts available.
An effective and quite charming arrangement of the famous French nativity carol. This arrangement has proved to be very popular with choirs and audiences alike.
Arranged for unaccompanied SATB by Victoria Larley.
A charming setting for three equal voices (men's or women's, or children's) and piano of a carol by Leslie Norris.
Dum Medium Silentium While All Things Were in Quiet Silence is an anthem with a Christmas text from the book of Wisdom, set in three imitative sections. The piece has had several performances, one being by the choir of St Wilfrid's Church in Bognor Regis at the dedication service of the newly-restored organ.
Maria Zart or Gentle Mary was a late fifteenth-century Austrian hymn immortalised in Obrecht's mass setting named after it. This motet is straightforwardly based on the hymn. The soprano introduces each phrase of the tune, which is then elaborated by the lower voices, with frequent short episodes of imitative counterpoint. The modality and vocal idioms are directly borrowed from the music of Obrecht and his contemporaries, and include such characteristic devices as extremely extended sequences and greatly lengthened scalic runs. Ideally, it should be performed by solo singers.
This motet is suitable for many occasions: with its references to salvation being brought forth by Mary, it is obviously fitted to Christmas and Marian services. However, it also deals with death and the inadequacy of good works for achieving salvation, and so could be used for a funeral or even a Passiontide service.
A lively Christmas carol for mixed voices and organ. (Piano will suffice if no organ is available.)
This is a setting of There Is No Rose and What Cheer?, two famous texts given contrasting treatment here by the composer.
They were commissioned by the Bangor University Choir, with funds from the Arts Council of Wales in 1994, and first performed in the Prichard-Jones Hall, Bangor, North Wales, by the University Choir, conducted by David Evans in December that year.
An unaccompanied setting of a beautiful Middle English text, As I Lay Upon a Night is a meditation on the
annunciation and provides a suitable alternative to the well known Annunciation Carol.
Written with the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in mind, pseudo-plainsong solos and simple choral verses create
an atmosphere of calm and stillness in which the listener can reflect on the very opening chapter of the story of
Christ's birth.
Also a suitable introit for use on the Feast of the Annunciation on 25th of March.
As I Lay Upon A Night has been sung by, among others, the BBC Singers, and broadcast on BBC Radio 3.
In this gentle, polymodal setting of a 17th century English poem, I have tried to combine two musical traditions that I particularly love: British and French. Thus, throughout the piece I have used the Dorian and Aeolian modes prevalent in much British folk music and traditional carols, together with the octatonic scale (alternating tones and semitones) favoured by many French composers in the 20th and 21st centuries - notably Messiaen, for whom it was the second of his modes of limited transposition. There is also a nod to Schönberg - I have hidden a twelve-note row in the harmony of the refrain.
The Advent Candle is a stirring versical anthem in the English tradition, whose text (by the composer's brother Christopher) makes it suitable for Advent or for weddings. There are verses for S&A and T&B, a tenor soloist and for the whole choir. The piece was first performed in St Paul's Cathedral in December 2006.
The piece lasts 5 minutes, but its strophic structure makes it easy to learn, and with its thought-provoking text and stirring musical treatment, the piece is sure to go down well with choirs of average ability.
Originally written for the choir at Queen Mary's College, this piece takes the familiar words of Christina Rossetti and translates them into a semi dramatico setting, exploring the atmosphere and images projected from the text. The main intent was to explore the relationship between the music and the words. In ABA form, the piece moves from one minor key to another before returning to its original state.
Essentially in arch form, this piece is predominantly homophonic
in nature, and explores the relationship between triple and
quintuple time alongside the tonal relationship between a key
and its relative minor. The piece was commissioned by Bristol
Chamber Choir who gave its premiere performance in December
2007. The text is the familiar Latin setting:
O magnum mysterium et admirabile sacramentum, ut animalia
viderent Dominum natum, jacentem in praesepio! Beata Virgo,
cujus viscera meruerunt portare Dominum Christum. Alleluia.
O great mystery and wonderful sacrament, that animals should see
the new-born Lord, lying in a manger! Blessed is the Virgin whose
womb was worthy to bear Christ the Lord. Alleluia!
A Babe Is Born is a short, vibrant and vigorous setting of this well-known
text, and makes an excellent introit.
It's been performed at St Mark's, Surbiton, and at the Actors' Church, Covent
Garden.
Dormi Jesu was composed for Chantry Quire's performance in Chichester Cathedral on 5th December 2010. The words were attractive, with Mary singing to Jesus about the need for sleep, for her sake as well as his - a human sentiment surely shared by every mother in the 2,000 years since. It appealed as a carol because of the simplistic nature of the text.
Ring Out, Ye Crystal Spheres was commissioned by Kingston Arts for the 2011 Kingston Festival of the Voice.
The challenging brief was to combine the classical theme of the festival with the liturgical theme of Christ the King.
John Milton was to provide the answer in his epic poem The Hymn to Christ's Nativity. The most overt Greek
references in these stanzas are to the crystal spheres. As they moved round they sang a divine nine-fold harmony
called 'the music of the spheres'. Beings on earth - corrupt creation - couldn't hear this heavenly music. The
nine-fold chorus forms a central part of this work followed by 'Truth and Justice' descending to earth.
The premiere performance of this work was on 20th November 2011 by the Choir of Hampton Court Chapel, conducted by
Carl Jackson.
This simple version of Personent Hodie was written for the Senior Choir of Hull Collegiate School, to be performed at their carol service in Holy Trinity Church, Hull on December 17th 2012. In contrast to the well-known mediaeval tune, mine is in a major key and places the stresses on slightly different syllables. It is suggested to keep the tempo at a speed which enables all the words to be clearly sung.
As soon as I was asked to write some music for the St Asaph Choral Society for Christmas, the text O Magnum Mysterium
came to mind. The text immediately made me think of interesting colours that the organ could produce, with vocal lines
"floating" in and out. The whole work would be a gradual build up to the final triumphant 'Alleluia'.
The piece opens with very mysterious and colourful sounds from the organ in the key of Eb minor, which hopefully
illustrate the first line of the text "O Great mystery", aided by the Vox Humana stop â a curious sound intended to
imitate the human voice. A dialogue between the soprano and alto voices of the choir leads to a terrific build up from
the organ, which lands on a blazing F major chord at which point the voices sing 'and wonderful sacrament'.
Plainsong has always inspired my liturgical improvisations at the organ; unfortunately the use of plainsong has much
declined in the UK, but there is such a wealth of material here that I was keen to use this within my composition. And
so at the words "Dominum natum" (newborn Lord) we hear the "Hodie Christus natus est" plainsong treated in canon
between the organist's right hand and the pedals. A few bars later, snippets of the "Ave maris stella" plainsong
appear, introducing the words "Beato Virgo" (Blessed is the Virgin).
The final alleluias are intended to start as a quiet, humble expression of joy depicting the lowliness of the birth in
the stable. The beginning motif starts to build and build with all parts rising in pitch, gaining in volume until the
organ takes over with a short fanfare-like passage. This leads to the key of D major (a complete contrast to the
opening), at which point the choir joins the full organ in singing big, triumphant alleluias â almost as if the effect
of the lowly birth in the stable has finally been realised.
Sweet was the song was written for Romsey Choral Society and first performed by them in Romsey Abbey in December 2011. Mostly in four parts, this gentle and appealing carol is within the reach of all choirs.
I was keen to write a carol which would appeal to a wider audience. A text in Latin
with colourful word-painting can be a help to many, but also appear alien to others.
Sitting at my computer one evening, a melody came to mind — but the eternal dilemma
is producing music before finding a suitable text. Playing the melody over and over,
I began to think of words that would fit and produced the first verse. Forgetting
about the music, the other verses were then written and I decided to shape this carol
as a journey through the Christmas story, right up to the visit of the Wise Men at
Epiphany.
The first verse is sung by a solo soprano without accompaniment, hopefully depicting
the lowliness of Jesus' birth. There were no luxuries or massive celebrations, just a
humble couple in a strange place who were probably quite frightened at the prospect
of having to give birth in such conditions.
Verse two speaks of the angelic host appearing to the shepherds, with high "ahhs"
from the sopranos depicting the chorus of angels who sang "Glory to God in the
highest". The Wise Men's third verse has a noble but restrained accompaniment from
the organ and is sung by the tenors and basses.
The dreadful wrath of Herod is depicted by a minor key, with the altos and sopranos
providing a dissonance at "rage and scorn", helped by the 32' reed stop on the organ.
A more triumphant organ interlude leads to the final verse, concluding with the
sopranos singing a soaring descant at "With all the hosts of heaven.... Alleluia!"
This setting of There is no rose is for unaccompanied choir with soloists or semi-chorus. The separate choral groups initially overlap but combine near the end for a climatic concluding statement.
Jesus' Lullaby sprang from several sources of inspiration, and its composition owes many debts. Singing some years ago on a
recording of John Rutter's beautiful setting of Lullay, mine Liking, I had a vision of a style that married its joy and
simplicity with more challenging lyrics. Starting with the same text, I turned Mary's lullaby into a conversation by adding words for
Jesus; but this is Jesus at the time of his ministry, old enough to be Mary's father. The joyful new mother and dedicated missionary
sing lullaby to each other across the years.
As a boy chorister at St John's College Cambridge, one out of the myriad chants to which we sang psalms stuck in my memory as the most
beautiful (with the possible exception of Tonus peregrinus!), by Alan Hemmings, sometime organ scholar. Andrew Nethsinga, the current
Director of Music, kindly sent me a copy of this lovely chant, which gives Mary her melody, and both her and her child their harmony. I
am most grateful to Alan for allowing me to use his chant. Mary's harmony is gradually muddied on each repeat of her refrain with a sort
of written-out reverb effect. Jesus adapts the harmony to his Mahlerian tune (from Das Lied von der Erde), and the piece begins
and ends in "His" key. I wrote my own chant for the chorus, whose passages should have a feel of Anglican psalmody.
I am most grateful to Iain Simcock, Jamie Hall and Neil Sands for their invaluable comments on the score from their various
perspectives, and to Charles Bennett, who kindly criticised my text.
The piece's first performance was by the Ensemble Vocale of the Académie Vocale de Paris directed by Iain Simcock, who also played the
piano, with Reuben
Thomas as Jesus and Morgane Collomb as Mary, at the church of St-Germain-des-prés in Paris on 19th December 2013. My heartfelt thanks go
to Iain and the singers of the Académie Vocale de Paris for being such wonderful musical companions over our years of making music
together, giving me my first taste both of teaching the church music tradition in which I grew up, and of directing a choir. It is in
humble recognition of an immense gift, and not in any hope of being able to repay it, that I offer them this piece.
Although conceived originally for just three solo voices, There is no rose can also be performed by an ensemble of
female or boys' voices. Care might be needed over intonation and the triplet rhythms, but the dynamics can be adjusted to
suit the forces available.
Please note this is an SSA setting. For a setting by the same composer for SATB and semichorus, please click here.
Following the commissioning of a new introit, Bring us, O Lord for the
Conwy Classical Music Festival, the Director of Music at St Mary's Church, Conwy asked if I could write his church choir a
work for Christmas.
My immediate thought was to write a new setting of a familiar text and as I began scouring websites for potential texts,
In the bleak midwinter kept coming back to me.
This particular setting has a very simplistic feel to it, although contains some challenges for the average choir in the
unaccompanied sections. However, the vocal writing has been kept as straightforward as possible and will feel very natural
to the singers.
These famous words have been set by many composers, and I have long loved three very different settings: by Lennox Berkeley, Patrick
Hadley and Benjamin Britten. In my own setting I have favoured the luscious tenderness exhibited by Hadley over the overt joyfulness of
Britten and the austere purity of Berkeley, but in contrast to Hadley's upper voices and piano texture, I have set the words for mixed
voices a cappella. In the rich sonority of the harmonies, I aimed to reflect both, within, the intensely intimate nature of the inner
verses and, without, the warmth of our own adoration of the Blessed Virgin and her Son.
The carol is dedicated to my wife, Hatty.
A version of this carol with no divisi is available at https://chichestermusicpress.co.uk/isingofamaidendfnodivisi.
Setting of a text for Christmas by G.K. Chesterton
Sorrows Sleep Tonight (Mary's lullaby) by Wyn Pearson and Luke Martens is a gently, powerfully reflective choral
piece. Thematically and lyrically the piece centres around the image of the baby Jesus in the arms of his loving mother
gently singing him to sleep.
A very familiar Christmas concept. However, it is inauthentic to focus entirely on the joy of the new birth when we, like
Mary, know from the prophetic words of Simeon in Luke 2:35 that with the joy of her new baby, bringing salvation, there
would also be for them both great suffering.
The powerful juxtaposition of the beautiful baby Jesus, light of the world, born in the shadow of the cross, gives us a
stark reminder of his sacrifice and future glory. Mary's urging for the child to sleep and enjoy the peace of his infancy
before he begins the work of suffering for the sins of mankind lends a melancholic beauty and hopeful sadness to the ebb and
flow of this melodic arrangement.
This bitter sweet, omniscient lullaby brings together the inseparable themes of Christmas and Easter, urging us in a world
fraught with suffering to grasp a simple moment of childlike peace.
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day is a highly approachable and entirely new setting of the traditional Christmas text written for soprano/treble voices and organ (or piano). Upper and lower voices are used in the refrain and a descant is added to the third verse, which reaches an exciting conclusion in the final bars.
Sing, Oh! My love is a pair of two traditional carol texts treated to contemporary musical settings.
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day was written for, and is dedicated to, a friend's mother - a lady with severe dementia - who was
seriously ill at the time, and who, in her own words 'loves to dance'.
This setting removes the expected anacrusis word setting of the opening line and instead makes the word stress with an octave leap. This
combined with fairly rapid text setting and regular use of straight crotchets against the dotted crotchet beat helps conjure breathless
excitement, youthful vigour, the somewhat jaunty verses giving way to the more sweeping chorus which juxtaposes compound 6/8 with 3/4
which, along with ever decreasing phrase lengths captures a sense of barely contained joy.
The more contemplative setting of Jesus Christ the Apple Tree is marked misterioso, and it is a sense of mystery that should prevail in
any performance. The 7/8 time signature is there not to add rhythmic interest but to create ambiguity - the piece should always move
forwards therefore but without any feeling of pulse or of being driven. The harmony too is ambiguous, though it never leaves the realms
of tonality, and it should be sung in as semplice a manner as possible to avoid overcooking the passing dissonances.
Above all the dynamic scheme should be preserved without ever the need for oversinging. The opening lines of the first and last verse
may be sung as a solo if desired, as may the closing line of the piece.
It wouldn't be Christmas without a ding dong or two and this new setting of Henry Wadsworth Longfellow's Christmas Bells buys
wholeheartedly into that tradition, its pealing piano figures crossing bar lines and giving a contemporary seasoning to a carol which is
nevertheless singable and memorable.
Composed with children in mind it has two vocal lines which may be thought of as either two equal voices or low and high voices, though
the ranges are restricted to enable just about any choir to sing it. Suggestions of SATB distributions are included but flexibility is
there to redistribute depending on the forces available.
The piece is neither overtly religious nor exclusively Christian, its overriding theme being one of peace and goodwill to all men, and
so it is particularly useful to choirs who wish to celebrate Christmas without too much emphasis on sacred music.
In this setting of the Advent Responsory I sought to evoke some of the expectant, atmospheric mystery of the words. I also set out, deliberately, to partially reverse the alternation of full chorus/unison verses found in the well-known setting by Palestrina.
This setting of famous verse by Christina Rossetti is based on a single simple theme which then goes through a series of variations,
making it ideally suited to choirs who want a contemporary flavour in their Christmas repertoire but don't have endless learning time.
The two equal parts, which may be sung by either children or ladies, are underpinned by an atmospheric piano accompaniment which
invokes the winter wind, the flurrying snow, the icy cold.
Whilst this is an entirely new treatment of the poem, the composer couldn't resist a small nod to the famous and beloved setting by
Harold Darke... see if you can spot it.
This carol came about because of a lifetime friendship with Susan Russell (wife of Tonal Director at Nicholson organs, with whom I had worked with at J.W. Walkers). Out of the blue came these wonderful words, which she said could I set to music. I had already this tune in my locker, and to my amazement everything fitted perfectly — it was meant to be.
The setting of Away in a manger was written for Dave Ballard and the Choir of St Nicholas North Walsham. A mixture of unison and harmony, very much set in the early 20th century style, reminiscent of Warlock's Bethlehem Down. The melody was written so that, if so desired, it can be sung congregationally.
This setting for upper voices captures the mystery and simplicity of the text. The pedal hummed D should start
imperceptibly, and the melody be performed with flexibility and freedom.
The solo line can be split between a number of voices and possibly spatially separated.
It is important that the music breathes and flows effortlessly.
This would make an atmospheric opening for an Advent carol service or service of Nine Lessons and Carols.
Written for my school choir to perform in the school carol service, this setting captures the vitality and
freshness of youthful voices. The hemiolas and 5/8 metres should all be performed with a sense of lightness and
playfulness and aim for a sense of relentless drive and momentum right through to the very end.
Organ registrations should be light and add sparkle!
Written for my school choir to perform in the school carol service, this setting captures the vitality and
freshness of youthful voices. The hemiolas and 5/8 metres should all be performed with a sense of lightness and
playfulness and aim for a sense of relentless drive and momentum right through to the very end.
Organ registrations should be light and add sparkle!
This simple but subtle carol perfectly expresses the bittersweet wonder of Christmas: the promise of joy to a world in pain.
This carol can be employed by any choir but was worked particularly for those with limited resources in terms of part singers. The voicings
given are merely suggestions.
The organ part creates a slightly modernistic feel, with a purposeful avoidance of the usual dominant harmony for this beautiful melody. In
the second verse, the organ dramatically represents the wicked anger of Herod the king, in his slaughter of the young boys in Bethlehem, in
order to try to slay Jesus.
I hope that some of the wonder and truth of the real Christmas message is relayed through this selection of carols.
Some settings are trickier to bring off than others, such as Welcome all wonders, where word-painting rules much of the composition, and
A Christmas Carol, where sensitive vocal tone and balance are required. Infant Holy is a gentle prayer-like lullaby which builds up to a
climax on the words 'Christ the Babe is Lord of all', and I keep coming back to the beautiful words of the Wedderburn brothers with this
setting of Balulalow.
I do hope that you enjoy singing these and that your listeners will be caught up in the essence of Christmas.
Inspired by Richard Rodney Bennett's setting of The Holly and the Ivy - impressed that a new melody for such a well-established
carol could become so firmly bound with the text in his head after one hearing - Jamie W. Hall's first composition sets another text
which is very difficult to sever from its established melody.
Nevertheless, with only a small nod to Gruber's beloved melody, Silent Night is an original setting full of space and light.
Though marked only Lento (who wants to write 'Grave' at the top of a Christmas carol?), the tempo should be slow enough to ensure the
5/8 measures remain smoothly legato with no hint of the jauntiness a faster tempo might create.
Many will be familiar with the sadly untrue story of how the organ in St Nicholas Church in Oberndorf was rendered unplayable for Christmas
1818. Joseph Mohr, the priest, asked Franz Gruber to compose a melody for words which he had written a couple of years earlier. The resulting
little masterpiece was Silent Night. It had its first performance that Christmas, with Mohr on the guitar.
The harp is the nearest orchestral equivalent to a guitar, hence its use here with the choir and soloist(s).
This piece was conceived and written in one evening and was a response to only a few versions of the text being available. Dominated by a very memorable tune, which all parts have the opportunity to sing, there is also an unaccompanied harmonised version in which all four parts have decent lines. The last verse gives a descant which enhances but doesn't detract from the melody.
St Joseph of Nazareth can be a somewhat overlooked figure. There are certainly minimal musical settings in which he assumes the prominent role. This motet evokes Joseph's dream in which he is visited by an angel who tells him not to worry, as the child conceived within Mary is of the Holy Ghost. The motet evokes a dream-like lullaby, with the soloist or semichorus often soaring effortlessly above the hypnotic ostinato.
Ecce Concipies, Behold thou shalt conceive, depicts the seminal moment of the Annunciation to Mary. The opening evokes the agitation and surprise that might have overcome the Blessed Virgin on being greeted by an angel. The message is announced with a fanfare figure, whist the list of what and who the holy child will become builds in momentum, with the texture becoming busy and almost too much to absorb. The ending comes to a standstill, setting John 1:14 as Mary accepts God's will, and the word becomes flesh.
Just as the Word became flesh, so the numbers become music in this setting of the Prologue to the Gospel of John. The incremental increase in successive intervals found at the start of the opening phrase (minor second, major second, minor third, etc.), followed by the phrase's inversion and subsequent canonic expressions, are as mathematical as music gets, but the flowering of the phrase and its inverted answer into rich chords on the word 'flesh' has no discernible rationale — a journey from mathematics to mystery. But both are incomprehensible in their own way.
Written in response to requests for a different arrangement of S. Baring-Gould's well-known Christmas carol. This setting is written for unaccompanied SATB, accessible to a variety of choirs — school, chapel, community choir, choral society, parish church or cathedral etc. It reflects the meaning of the words through a simple melody supported by straightforward harmonies with the occasional addition of a few colour nuances. Although originally conceived as a cappella, it could be gently accompanied by piano, keyboard or organ, should the choir need a little support to add confidence and their overall enjoyment.
This lively setting in B flat major employs echoes of melodic material between upper and lower voice parts â an effect which is enjoyed by groups who struggle with part singing. Whilst the work can be sung entirely in unison, it breaks into four parts on the third line of verses and the fourth verse can be sung entirely in parts with its total contrast of melodic material. The piano part demands a reasonably competent player. The group which performed this last Christmas thoroughly enjoyed its lively nature.
This carol setting was specifically composed for a group of singers who struggle to sing in parts, hence the possibility of performing it in unison. It moves with a gentle lilt and the melodic and harmonic language in D flat major has subtle minor inflexions but it is relatively straightforward to sing in parts, particularly for more competent choirs. Choirs have warmed to the piece's expressive nature. English and Polish words.
Telling God's Story is a setting of a text that explores the Christmas story from the perspectives of poverty, power, and parenthood, while encouraging enrichment, empowerment, and empathy. It does this across time and place, its internationalism signified at the end of the carol by words in German, Italian, and Greek. A carol for our times…
These settings were originally intended for use in Advent, hence the allusion to Palestrina's Matin Responsory by way of the quotation
of its opening figure in the settings' chant-like sections. Antiquity is also referenced through the use of organum-like writing and its
gradual transformation into a richer harmonic language that touches on the dissonances of modernity, most clearly in the final Amens.
The settings are focused on the movement from darkness to light that characterises Advent, but they also explore Mary and Simeon's words
as utterances reaching towards light, rather than as a statement about something already fully attained, and in this sense the settings
have relevance to most other seasons too.
The well known words of Lully, Lullay (otherwise known as the 'Coventry Carol') date from the 16th century. They refer to the Massacre of the Innocents, in which King Herod ordered the slaughter of all infant males under the age of two in Bethlehem. This unaccompanied setting takes the form of a lullaby sung by the mothers of the unfortunate children. While settings of Lully, Lullay are often sung during Christmas carol services, the motet can be sung in the post Christmas-period of Epiphany. The popular text will also ensure it is equally at home as a concert piece at other times of the year too. Its origins can be traced back to the Coventry mystery play which was originally performed in the summer during the 1500s.
Using four verses of one of the many translations of Conditor alme siderum, as well as the original plainchant melody, this accompanied version is for SAMen. With verses intended to be split between the voices to add interest, this includes two unison verses, an SA verse and unison plus descant for the final verse before the climactic amen. However, if forces are even more limited, it can be sung in unison throughout.
I had wanted to write an Advent Responsory for some time, and inspiration hit whilst planning the Advent carol service for Holy Trinity, Southport and working out how to involve as many of our choir as possible in small groups stationed at various points in the church.
The piece was conceived for a large space; the solo soprano should soar effortlessly in the manner of a recitative from the most distant point in the building possible, with the tenor and bass chorus responding in strict time. Performances should be as dramatic as possible, whilst never losing sight of musicality.
Maiden Bliss is an enchanting setting of a relatively unknown verse of Christina Rossetti's In the bleak midwinter, a verse absent from some hymnals and collections. It paints a simple picture of Mary kissing her son, the newborn Jesus, a privilege denied even the throng of angels gathered in witness.
A live recording of Ely Cathedral Girls singing Maiden Bliss during evensong on 13 December, 2023 under Sarah MacDonald is here.
It's for SA choir, so is suited to churches with no tenor or bass singers, and can be successfully performed by only a few singers.
Based on the last Advent (Magnificat) Antiphon, O Emmanuel, this SATB divisi piece centres on an insistently-building chorus of "Veni" as fits the calendar moment, contrasted with solid chordal writing for the 'King and lawgiver' line, and framed by imitative reflections on the opening phrase of the plainsong. There are several changes of tempo and
mood to handle in a short time-frame.
It would suit a late-Advent service, form a pivot-point between prophecies and a Gospel reading, or sit in the classic pre-Evensong slot, being a cappella. Tonal, but with some 7th harmonies to add bite.
This setting of O magnum mysterium was composed for Michael Graham and the University of Exeter Chapel choir. It was first performed at a Christmas Concert given by the choir in December 2015. The chapel choir has sung it on a number of occasions since during chapel evensong and also in Exeter Cathedral. It was included in their tour of Malta June 2016 when it was sung at St Paul's Anglican Cathedral, Valletta during a special concert and evensong for Her Majesty The Queen's 90th birthday.
The US premiere took place in the Church of the Holy Trinity, Lincoln, Nebraska when it was sung by Dulces Voces in December 2018.
The motet has also been sung elsewhere during Midnight Mass for which this peaceful and haunting setting is well suited, aided by a few bars of quasi plainsong. The piece concludes with a joyous alleluia.
Click for rehearsal tracks from Kinnison Choral Co.
The text of this poem immediately catches the listener's attention with its vivid imagery and intense devotion. Published posthumously, this short work gives us a sense of the writer's mastery of the 'arresting phrase', a common thread throughout his writing.
A Jesuit priest, Hopkins died in 1889 at the early age of 44 yet became an important influence to later Victorian writers such as Robert Bridges, who published Hopkins' poems in 1918.
Written for Romsey Abbey Choir in 2013, this setting features a gentle triple metre with colourful harmonies, soaring melodies for solo soprano/treble, and a triumphant ending!
Moonless darkness stands between.
Past, the Past, no more be seen!
But the Bethlehem-star may lead me
To the sight of Him Who freed me
From the self that I have been.
Make me pure, Lord: Thou art holy;
Make me meek, Lord: Thou wert lowly;
Now beginning, and alway:
Now begin, on Christmas day.
The text of this carol is taken from The Nativity of Our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, written by Christopher (Kit) Smart in 1765. It refers to the Ilminster Thorn Tree of local folklore, giving it a Judaic origin in the use of the term Mosaic (of Moses).
The tale goes that a pilgrim brought a thorn to the villagers from Glastonbury which he planted for them. He told them it was a thorn from The Crown of Thorns and prayed beside it constantly. The villagers thought little of it until the thorn began to grow at an uncanny rate until by Christmas Day it had become a small tree.
The pilgrim promised that the tree would bloom on Christmas Day but the day passed and nothing occurred. During the night however, the whole village was wakened by the sound of beasts and cattle making their way to the site of the thorn tree.
There they joined the pilgrim and stood silently staring at the tree, which had bloomed white and shone in the clear moonlight. At the stroke of midnight the largest bull lowed loudly and knelt on the frosty ground followed by the other animals, sheep and cattle. The villagers had followed and were in awe of the spectacle and knew then that this tree was of holy origin.
Christopher Smart (1722-1771) studied at Pembroke College Cambridge and ended up in an asylum, where he wrote some of his most moving works. He eventually died in a debtorâs prison in London. He is most remembered as the author of the text which Benjamin Britten drew from for his large-scale anthem Rejoice in the Lamb. Smartâs favourite cat Jeffery, which he was inseparable from in the asylum, features in this work, as does his jailor!
Boreas is the Greek god of the cold North Wind and is associated with storms, winter and flooding. When Athens was threatened by Xerxes, the people prayed to Boreas, who was said to have then caused winds to sink 400 Persian ships. 'Spinks and ouzles' are types of bird, and 'box and laurels', plants.
This deeply spiritual text was written in the late 1980s by Canon Jeremy Davies, then Precentor of Salisbury Cathedral. It was created to celebrate the feast of Candlemas and uses dialogue from both Simeon's Nunc dimittis and Mary, the mother of Jesus. The music for this text was written for the choir of Romsey Abbey in 2006 and uses a melody that stands alone and is twice harmonised in a way that reflect the text. It requires sensitive handling and a prayerful interpretation. For those familiar with the cantoring style of Jeremy Davies, particularly at evensong, that is where this carol takes its inspiration.
On writing hymn texts, Jeremy Davies comments; "I started writing hymns when I came to Salisbury because (in my first year as Precentor - 1985) the cathedral was left a small sum of money on condition that some music of Sir Arthur Sullivan was performed at a service in the cathedral. The Dean (Sydney Evans), simply turned to me and said, 'Over to you Precentor'. I first went to the hymn book (in those days A&M before I changed to the English Hymnal!), and found a tune by Sullivan (Golden Sheaves I think!), for Harvest. We didn't need another harvest hymn but St Osmund's day was fast approaching and we didn't have a suitable hymn for him. And so I wrote one - my first. As a bit of a joke, I tried to write something that evoked a G&S patter song with long lines and curious rhymes. It also tried to tell the story of Osmund's life and ministry. We sang it in procession on the two feasts of St Osmund throughout my time as Precentor (26 years!). That was the beginning of a bit of a hymn writing roll."
Jeremy has subsequently had his hymn texts set to music by Richard Shephard, Barry Ferguson and Malcolm Archer.
Mary Elizabeth Coleridge (1861-1907) was the great great niece of Samuel Taylor Coleridge and often suffered from the influence of the Coleridge name in a negative male-dominated literary heritage, yet produced many positive, original and unconventional works. This short poem pinpoints the nature of the Incarnation using very few words.
Written in 2002 for use in Romsey Abbey when the choir paused in procession to reverence the crib, this simple carol begins and ends with a solo treble or soprano voice, and reflects the awe and mystery of the incarnate Christ-child.
© Chichester Music Press
Written for the choir of Romsey Abbey in 2005, this carol uses a simple French traditional melody from the Auvergne region. The English translation is by the celebrated hymn writer Fred Pratt Green. The charming melody is adorned by a colourful organ part that reflects the joy and wonder of those assembled to witness the incarnate child-God and the festive ending explodes in a paean of praise!
The text of this carol is the third sonnet of a larger work by John Donne (1572-1631), La Corona (1610), a meditation on the life and ministry of Christ. The depth in Donne's metaphysical writing can be hidden when reading for the first time. Singing these words to music can provide both singers and listeners with an opportunity to become familiar with this text, and opens a way in to processing Donne's carefully-crafted message about the human and the divine aspects of the incarnation.
In this arrangement, a familiar carol melody is presented with unfamiliar rhythms, accompanied by ostinato quavers and with the short Gloria refrain extended contrapuntally at the end of each verse. Sopranos set the scene in verse one, tenors take on the role of the angel in verse two, and altos provide Mary's awe-struck response in verse three, with reflective and almost static harmonies. The concluding narration is shared by the whole choir in verse four, culminating in an exuberant cascade.
This is an arrangement of the traditional Irish tune, Londonderry Air. Suitable for Christmas carol services and concerts, the lyrics tell of the night of Jesus' birth, the visit of the shepherds, and, in the final verse, of the three wise men. The final verse makes the piece also suitable for Epiphany.
The Cherry Tree Carol is a merry and colourful setting of Child Ballad 54, with plenty of opportunity for expressive singing and story-telling through song. The carol and its deeply symbolic words follows the story of Mary announcing her pregnancy to Joseph, his ensuing surprise and upset, and subsequent harmonious resolution via the intervention of the Holy Spirit. With a simply but evolving melody, clicks, hand claps and stamps and a colourful, responsive piano part, this setting is a great choice for children's choirs during the season of Advent and Christmas for a service or concert.
My Matin Responsory is scored for SATB and organ, with solo soprano and tenor. I wanted to experiment with quasi Middle Eastern harmonies, having sung, and thoroughly enjoyed James Whitbournâs Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis (for which he also adds a beautiful solo viola part).
It begins with a solo soprano, but could easily be sung by the whole section if wished. This is accompanied by pianissimo sustained chords on the swell strings. The full soprano line then joins before full SATB enter on âTell usâ. âHigh and low, rich and poorâ is sung by a solo tenor â although again, the entire section could take this if wished â and the sustained chords used at the beginning are now also allocated to SSA.
On âGo ye out to meet him and sayâ, the unison lines are very Middle Eastern. Soprano and alto now take over, accompanied again with sustained organ chords before tenor and bass join, taking the text to âStir up thy strengthâ, another unison passage to begin with emphasising the meaning of the words. The Gloria has Middle Eastern colours, culminating on a climax at âHoly Spiritâ, before returning to the opening phrase, finishing strongly on âIsraelâ.
This is a relatively easy piece to access but choirs may enjoy the demands of a slightly different harmonic and melodic colour, providing, perhaps, a musical contrast to the seasonâs festivities.
In the bleak midwinter was originally commissioned by Chris Roberts for the Choir of St Mary's Church, Conwy, which they broadcast on Radio Wales on Christmas Day in 2016. This arrangement for unison voice or solo soprano and organ was written for Olivia Hunt in 2020 for an online Christmas concert that we did during lockdown. We also recorded it with remote orchestra and released it as a Christmas single in 2020.
The words of this carol were written by the Reverend George Ratcliffe Woodward (1848-1934). He was an Anglican priest and prolific lyricist, penning many carols such as Ding-dong Merrily on High, Past 3 Oâclock and This Joyful Eastertide.
The composer found these words in the The Cambridge Carol-Book, Being Fifty-Two Songs For Christmas, Easter And Other Seasons (1924). Our Lady Sat Within Her Bowâr tells a familiar story: the text hearkening back to the medieval picture of the Madonna, with the Rev. Woodward using many words from the 15th century: bowâr, bairn, gan, and the very well known Lalay Lula.
The music is also reflective of the period, with an easy flow of melodic lines found across every part of the choir. The rise and fall of the main motif rocks alike the cradle envisioned by the author. The whole carol will benefit from the choir allowing space around the ends of phrases.
This Christmas carol lends itself to choirs of all abilities. With words by Anna Driscol dating back to late 19th century, it is probably one of the least-known texts associated with Christmas, but one whose words exemplify the story of Jesus' birth, and the immediate events that feature in the Christmas story.
An original short setting of the famous medieval text that conveys a charming, gentle and reflective mood. Two different melodies alternate, giving the piece a wide tonal variety: the first melody, for verses 1, 3 and 5 has a strong modal feeling and is sung by the whole SATB choir; the second, for verses 2 and 4, alternates female and male voices. The independent organ accompaniment is intended to support the voices while adding a great palette of colours which spices up this new carol.
This Christmas carol lends itself to choirs of all abilities. With words by Anna Driscol dating back to late 19th century, it is probably one of the least-known texts associated with Christmas, but one whose words exemplify the story of Jesus' birth, and the immediate events that feature in the Christmas story.
This arrangement of In dulci jubilo was made during the November lockdown of 2020 for performance by the choral scholars of Portsmouth Cathedral. The approach throughout was to let the melody speak for itself,
and derive the other lines from it, in verse two in a two-part contrapuntal style, and subsequently as a mixture of homophonic accompaniment and three-part writing based on the late-medieval English descant
style.
The first solo verse and final solo phrase ground the arrangement in the haunting simplicity of the melody.
This setting of the traditional text of the Coventry Carol was written during the November lockdown of 2020. The carol refers to the Massacre of the Innocents, starting with a lilting gentle lullaby, proceeding to a more violent section, before returning to the haunting tranquillity of the lullaby to the doomed children. The exploration of harmony and colour plays an important role in this piece and the creation of different atmospheres. Whilst the approach to the setting of this text has a distinctly 21st-century flavour, musical references to the traditional English carol can also be heard.
This Norman tune for Away in a manger - less known and performed than the famous Kirkpatrick setting - can surely compete in beauty and charm with the more familiar versions of the same text, with its rocking feeling that fits wonderfully the moving tenderness of the well-known anonymous lullaby, formerly ascribed to Martin Luther.
This an extended choral arrangement of the melody: the first verse is a simple 2-part canon (with different possible voicings), the second is set for double choir (or solo and choir) with one semichorus singing the melody in unison while another hums the harmonies, and the third and last verse linearly but richly harmonises the melody in 4 parts. The choir sings unaccompanied throughout, with the organ acting as link before, between and after the three verses.
A setting for SATB and organ for Epiphany of words by Cecil Frances Alexander.
The organ accompaniment at the start consists of sustained chords on the manuals with either a soprano or treble solo or the whole section on the first verse, with similar treatment for the tenor for verse 2. Then follows, each time, a section for the full choir and a passage for sopranos and altos with the men gently accompanying.
The last verse returns to the opening melody again, but this time it is shared between S/A the T/B parts before the altos carry on the melody with a soprano or treble descant above, the harmonies being maintained by the men. The piece ends firmly and triumphantly with a dramatic chord on the word "God".
I hope your choir will enjoy this piece. Not difficult, very accessible but with some harmonic interest and an easily remembered melody for your congregation to leave humming!
This piece for SATB and organ takes the traditional words of the Sussex Carol, setting them in a joyful and light-hearted style. The main melody, although simple, provides rhythmic interest and forms the basis for all the verses. Variation within these verses comes from the exploration of harmony, rhythm and countermelodies in the other vocal parts and organ accompaniment. Indeed, the organ often provides interest in this piece and is an important driving force throughout with its syncopated lines. The vocal parts are deliberately designed to be accessible to choirs of all standards, with much unison writing, no divisi and a consideration for vocal range. Most importantly though, I hope that singers will have fun with this piece; I certainly did while composing it!
This gentle carol for upper voices pairs a text I wrote in 1990 with a lilting, Celtic-flavoured melody that I had originally composed when I was 14.
In verse 1 an opening solo is answered by all voices in unison. The first half of verse 2 is straightforward 3-part harmony, after which the first and third voices break free from the tune with joyful shouts of âCome!â. The final verse reprises the second half of the tune which is surrounded by roulades of accompanying alleluias; then the soloist returns
prior to a contemplative coda that briefly explores remote keys before finally resolving, pianissimo, in the home key.
The piano part mostly employs uncomplicated broken chord figuration, with one or two more appassionato moments.
The carol is suitable for the entire Christmas season, and would be especially appropriate for a crib service. A lovely performance by the Girl Choristers of Southwell Minster (with "guest" boy soloist), directed by Paul Provost and with pianist Simon Hogan, can be heard by clicking the YouTube panel on the right.
Children At The Manger
The shadows of eventide echo the twilight,
Upon Davidâs town gentle starlight is shed,
Through the byways of Bethlehem children are creeping
By dim lantern light to a soft manger bed.
For there lies a babe bearing grace from above,
They have come to adore Him with goodness and love,
And they watch by His cradle in faith and devotion,
And smile at the blessings that light on His head.
We pray with the shepherds, we sing with the angels,
We kneel at the crib like the children of old,
Each child of today is a gift for tomorrow,
The gift of a lamb for the heavenly fold.
So come and rejoice that a saviour is born,
A babe with the bloom of a midsummer dawn;
Let us offer our gifts to the Son of Salvation,
The healer of sorrows, so gladly foretold.
O come and rejoice at the news of His birth,
Our gifts let us share for the good of our Earth:
Our gifts of compassion and childlike devotion:
Not incense, nor myrrh, yet as precious as gold.
(Text © Simon Mold)
I was going to write a piece for Christmas in the traditional way but, with so much conflict in the world, I found this poem by Longfellow. Although he is referring to the American Civil War, its sentiment still holds true
today, with Ukraine amongst so many other countries.
Longfellow wrote this on Christmas Day 1863. He had been widowed with six children to bring up, the oldest of which had been seriously wounded as the country fought against itself. The words capture the dynamic and dissonance in Longfellowâs heart and the world he observed around him.
The construction of the poem The Christmas Bells is interesting - each verse has five lines and rhymes in an AABBC scheme. Line A has eight syllables, with B and C each being half of that. Each verse ends with the same line of text, despite the varying nature of the verses.
In verse one the speaker hears the bells on Christmas day, creating music that sings of peace and goodwill. Verse two refers to the long-lasting aspect of worship on Christmas Day. Verse three reflects on the way the world changes. Verses four and five suddenly drag the listener into the horrors of war, the battlefield drowning out the sound of the carols - yet still ending with "peace on earth, goodwill to men". With verse six the speaker is in despair, the âhateâ mocking the words "Of peace on earth, goodwill to men". Verse seven renews faith in the world. "God is not dead, nor doth he sleep. Wrong shall fail, the Right prevail", ending with a confident "With Peace on Earth, Good will to men".
Throughout the piece I have kept a persistent tolling in the organ part, sometimes bright, sometimes harsh, changes of tonality and on one occasion, a simple funereal tolling, always reflecting the meaning of the words and the nature of the verse. After the triumphant ending I imitate the bell tower at the end of a peal.
Of all the seasons in the church year, the period of Advent, with its powerful combination of hope, anticipation and yearning, carries for me, as a cathedral musician, an indefinable yet indelible spectrum of memory ranging from early childhood to the present day. Who cannot but be moved and even spiritually shaken by the impact of Palestrina's glorious Advent Responsory, or the strength of those hymns?
But at its apex come the magnificent texts and plainsong chant of The Great O's — those antiphons which bring to a climax in the few days before Christmas Eve all that this penitential season encapsulates. O Oriens, that wonderful text set for December 21st, offers up, from the depths of darkness and despair, a plea for some bright gleam of hope.
In this setting, the two choirs can be set as far apart as is practicable for the building, so that the antiphonal properties of the choral forces sound against each other, beginning with an almost wistful and misty introduction which, gathering strength from the text, increases in vigour and power to the fortissimo tutti of "Splendor lucis aeterna". The choral volume then gradually fades away to almost nothing in a quiet repeat of the opening, and draws to a gentle conclusion in the bare, open 5th of two upper voices, in a re-statement of the slow, plaintive O Oriens.
This simple little setting was composed for the small rural parish church choir at Kempsford, in Gloucestershire â just down the road from Down Ampney of RVW fame. The church has a small but very nice Nicholson 2-manual tracker organ and a small keen choir devotedly led by Diana Lee-Browne.
The piece is a lullaby with quiet accompaniment, and should swing gently along without any great contrasts of dynamic or tempo, taking great care not to wake the baby!
Annunciation for two voices, optional flute, oboe or clarinet and piano based on a painting by American artist, John Collier (www.Hillstream.com). Written for a school's Nine Lessons and Carols service, Annunciation was first performed in 2009 when it was heard by over a thousand people at two events in 24 hours. The piece has been regularly performed since by both adults and children and was also used for a choral workshop at Stowe School. As well as being used in carol services, Annunciation has been performed as part of a concert programme and used as piece of 'music drama'. One of the most memorable performances took place in 2010 when it was sung in the United States next to John's painting at St Gabriel's, McKinney, Texas.
Annunciation is dedicated to the memory of my mother-in-law, Valerie Bullows for whom Christmas was always a special time.
This, until recently the last of the Great O sequence of Advent Antiphons in Church of England liturgy, reflects the awe and wonder that such a momentous event could happen to someone who otherwise might have been seen as just another ordinary Jewish girl.
Following the traditional plainsong introduction, the two choirs gently exchange these expressions of wonder and incredulity but, as the motet moves to its climax, that quiet wonder is transformed into a jubilant expression of joy which then returns to a quiet almost introspective contemplation, underpinned by a gentle "Ave Maria".
The traditional text expresses an intense entreaty, seeking a sure sign of the Lord's coming to the succour of an oppressed people. In this short Advent motet, the quiet opening gradually rises in a crescendo of three brief but increasingly powerful fanfares of anticipation, each exclamation punctuated by a moment of silence. This dramatic urgency then gives way to a child-like plea - a prayer for a long-awaited liberation.
As I Lay Upon A Night
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
Sleep, my Jesu
O little town of Bethlehem
Jesu Sweet
Silent Night
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
This is a straightforward contrapuntal arrangement of the familiar traditional melody. Every part gets a chance to sing parts of the tune at various points, often in canon, which works well with this particular melody. It was first performed in a service by the choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge, for whom it was written. The dedicatee, the Revd Dr Arabella Milbank Robinson, was in her first term as Dean of Chapel at Selwyn, and it is one of her favourite carols. The arrangement should be sung cheerfully and simply, with a nostalgic festive smile.
Earth Grown Old is an Advent piece based on words by Christina Rossetti, and is set for unaccompanied SATB with a short section for double choir (or optional semi-chorus). It focuses on the thoughtful and penitential, although there are powerful emotional outbursts in the middle, with rich chromaticism and fighting dissonances (frequently clashing and resolving) being the focal point of an otherwise diatonic piece with softer, more charming clashes. The piece gives us a chance to stop and evaluate our own lives as we wait for Christmas to arrive, all whilst being aware that the Earth (grown old) has been waiting for much longer than we have, with "millions more lie[ing] hid between inner swathings of her fold".
Earth Grown Old has four different sections, the first characterising our busy lives, the hustle and bustle of everyday life, with a simple, almost monotonous, repeated harmonic sequence, with simple harmony and parts bouncing off each other.
The second section starts to introduce a mood of being frantic, emulating that we are "quickly told" by many people that so many others have been in the same situation we are in. Here we see much more chromatic, almost chord-cluster like lines, before firing into a vivace section where "we who live are quickly told" is repeated over and over again, creating the frantic mood.
The third section is the focal point of this piece, perhaps symbolising that we cannot wait anymore or we cannot continue with the monotony of everyday life and need a change in our lives. This passionate section splits into double choir (or SATB with semi-chorus) and not only plays with fighting dissonances (eg. a prolonged E major chord frequently trying to be pulled up by several F major chords in the first choir) but at its climax, starting with a unison line "burst[ing] through her mould" with the sopranos on a top A# accompanied with brief (but simultaneous) D minor and D# minor chords underneath before resolving to a wonderful 9-8 suspension in B minor.
The final section, the recapitulation, reminds us that throughout everything the Earth is there under us, with its "keen cold", still waiting.
Earth grown old, yet still so green,
Deep beneath her crust of cold
Nurses fire unfelt, unseen:
Earth grown old.
We who live are quickly told:
Millions more lie hid between
Inner swathings of her fold.
When will fire break up her screen?
When will life burst through her mould?
Earth, earth, earth, thy cold is keen,
Earth grown old.
These famous words have been set by many composers, and I have long loved three very different settings: by Lennox Berkeley, Patrick Hadley and Benjamin Britten. In my own setting I have favoured the luscious tenderness exhibited by Hadley over the overt joyfulness of Britten and the austere purity of Berkeley, but in contrast to Hadley's upper voices and piano texture, I have set the words for mixed voices a cappella. In the rich sonority of the harmonies, I aimed to reflect both; within, the intensely intimate nature of the inner verses, and without, the warmth of our own adoration of the Blessed Virgin and her Son.
The carol is dedicated to my wife, Hatty.
A version with divisions is available at https://chichestermusicpress.co.uk/isingofamaiden.
I wrote this carol as a teenager in 1973, and it was first performed in Bakewell Methodist Church at a Christmas carol service that year. I was encouraged to add the instrumental obbligato part to provide an opportunity for one of the young exponents of the descant recorder that my music teacher father was well-known locally for encouraging; it works equally well for most other melody instruments, or indeed can be omitted if need be.
The three verses of the carol each employ the same tune, with variation achieved by setting the first verse for SATB and organ, the second for optional solo and then unison tenor and bass, with the final verse beginning quietly with choir alone. A short cadenza for the solo instrumentalist heralds a restful conclusion. The piece originally had different words, but copyright issues persuaded me to provide a new text in the lead-up to its being kindly recorded by Southwell Minster in 2017 for the CD Hush Little Child on the Heritage label.
This setting of words by Rev. Sabine Baring-Gould (1834-1924) is for unaccompanied SATB choir without divisi. Its four verses reflect on four phases of Christ's life — as an infant in the manger watched over by the angels, in grief and sorrow, at his crucifixion and in his Easter triumph over death. The lullaby refrain is a bittersweet reflection on all that is to come for the Infant King.
The work is suitable for concert performance, as well as for liturgical use during Christmastide.
On Christmas night, with original words by Liz Cook, is aimed at small choirs which sing in unison, or school choirs of virtually any age, from upper primary level though to senior secondary choirs.
The music can be adapted, according to my suggestions in the score, to be sung entirely in unison throughout to SATB, with the interchange of male and female voices, all accompanied in the piano or organ left hand by the gentle pastoral rocking of the cradle or the steady trudging of the donkey. Set against this perpetual but tenderly-played rhythm - con tenerezza - are diatonic chords, occasionally coloured with added 7ths and 9ths, but all quite simple and accessible.
The piece would sit equally happily within a large church, cathedral or choral society setting as a simple contrast within a more demanding concert or service.
Easily learnt, easily performed and effective at all levels of musical expertise.
Composed in November 2020 for David Terry and the choir of St Mary's Brookfield, London, and recorded by Matthew Searles and the choir of Buckfast Abbey in November 2023.
This Advent setting for upper voices based on a fifteenth century text by an unknown author portrays episodes from Genesis Chapter 3, contemplating the fall of mankind.
Christina Rossetti's poem has been set numerous times, her words describing the incarnation in Bethlehem, and Christ's first and second coming.
This version has be composed for choirs of all abilities. Its slow, lilting feel gives a feeling of contemplation of what lies ahead.
This charming carol is an arrangement of the melody (of the verse only) of the German Joseph lieber, Joseph mein, found in a manuscript of about 1500, at Leipzig University. It sets the first three verses of the translation by Neville S Talbot (1879-1943), Bishop of Pretoria and subsequently Rector of St Mary's, Nottingham and Assistant Bishop of Southwell.
The setting is for unaccompanied SATB choir without divisi. The first verse is sung by sopranos and the second by tenors, with other parts harmonising in counterpoint without words. All parts sing the last verse together.
Adventus Christi is an Advent carol - "The Coming of Christ" - for eight unaccompanied voices.
The music is an arrangement of the beautiful aria O Lord, whose mercies numberless in Handel's oratorio Saul (1739), which David sings in an attempt to calm Saul's rage. Handel's violin parts are here translated into a throbbing vocal accompaniment sung to the Latin words Ecce veniet Emmanuel (Behold, Emmanuel shall come), whilst the English text is passed around amongst the other voices. The words mirror the rise and fall of the melody, and lush, spacious harmonies in the final bars draw the carol to a quiet close.
For this piece I chose a short, thoughtful Christmas poem from the extensive collection of old English ballads collected by John Ker, 3rd Duke of Roxburghe, and married it to the melody of a French chanson, Vray dieu d'amours, confortez-moy, that in its various forms and versions was popular during the renaissance. The result was a carol for unaccompanied voices - largely SATB but with some divisi passages towards the end.
In the first of two verses the melody is sung by the tenors and first basses, the other voices weaving their tracery around it. Then the sopranos take up the tune in the second verse, which gradually increases in intensity to herald a burst of joy when the voices suddenly expand into seven parts as the music reaches a climax. A quiet coda, recalling the reflective alleluias of the carol's opening bars, brings about a pianissimo conclusion.
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See how the Lord of heav'n and earth |
I was immediately attracted by the bold incarnational words of Rowan Williams' poem Advent Calendar. Even the title enfolds you into one of the accepted icons of the season!
For a composer, there is a rhythm and shape to the way the poem unfolds. Graphic imagery grips the reader and tosses them from one intense scenario to the next. There are moments of calm, of reflection, where one is able to pause and think through this narrative journey. These are challenging words to set to music, which reveal the utter power of the incarnation in Christ who, in entering our limiting calendar, has come âlike last leafâs fallâ, âlike frostâ, âlike darkâ, âlike crying in the nightâ, 'like bloodâ, âlike breakingâ, but above all, âlike childâ. In just four verses, Rowan Williams wastes not one word in pronouncing this transforming event.
This much-loved poem by the Elizabethan Jesuit priest and poet Robert Southwell lends itself remarkably well to musical settings. With its symbolism and imagery, and effective use of metaphor, it transports us vividly to the Nativity. In this setting I have tried to capture something of the gentle rocking motion of the crib, whilst attempting to allow a portrayal of the awe, wonderment, mystique, and importantly the humility of this regal birth to emerge along the way.
The setting is idiomatically set for upper voices, with some gently rewarding harmony for singers to enjoy along the way. The piano part needs rhythmic accuracy and careful pedalling, and plays an important role in colouring the scene.
The first performance was given by the Promenade Youth Choir at Christ Church, Esher, under the direction of Christopher Goldsack, with the composer at the piano, on Sunday 7th December 2025.
Baloo, lammy is a Scottish carol with 17th century words. Its melody contains a flattened 7th, which gives the idea that at some time, it could have been performed with a small ensemble which included a quiet bagpipe.
Baloo, lammy translates to "Lullaby, little lamb."
This version, set for choir and organ, has a lilting feel to it. Set for SATB & organ, it describes the birth of Jesus in a simple, but moving way.
This version of What sweeter music? is set for 4-part women's choir and piano. It's a slow, lilting carol with plenty of expressive moments.