Three
Christmas Carols
for High Voices & Organ
music by David McCulloch
O.S.B.
(Catalogue L018)
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Notes
We are delighted to introduce David McCulloch as a new composer to our catalogue. These Three Christmas Carols for High Voices & Organ delightful and fall well into our category of music suitable for schools and amateur parish choir.
Detailed performance notes, as written by the composer, are listed below: -
Noel
I hope that others find this piece a suitable setting for this splendid example of Hilaire Belloc's rustic verse, which suggested to me carol-singers and the sound of bells. The piece should be sung with strong tone and in strict time, and I hope that the performers enjoy their opportunity to impersonate distant bells in verse 3! I have edited the last verse slightly to eliminate any hint of anti-Semitism in the text.Millennium Carol
Although the text was written a month or two before the opening of the Great Jubilee, I hope that the sentiments expressed in the last verse are valid for all times, not just for the millennium. After a joyful opening verse, the solo at the beginning of the second verse needs to be sung in a most prayerful way. After the relaxation of tempo for most of verse 2, the original tempo should be resumed at the last line.This Endris Night
The structure of these verses selected from the longer original medieval poem should be regarded as a miniature drama, with the choir acting as commentator singing the refrain and the short introductory sections in some verses, and in the intermediate verses a dialogue between two soloists, perhaps a soprano for Our Lady and an alto for Our Lord. Again, most expressive singing is required with carefully shaped crescendi and diminuendi, and with phrases following the meaning and accentuation of the text.