I was wondering if this piece might be of interest to any choirs with access to orchestras, who are looking for something a little different for a Christmas concert this year.
Festive Overture: ‘The Joy of Christmas’ received its first US performance in December. It formed part of a ‘Christmas through the Ages’ concert given by Portland Ensign Orchestra and Choir, and was very well received. Musical Director, David M Thomas said, “This work got rave reviews from the audience, and the orchestra loved playing it.”
Programme Notes: ‘The Joy of Christmas’ aims to capture the joyful anticipation and excitement of the coming festive season, whilst also highlighting its real significance. As well as using familiar carols and Christmas tunes, I have incorporated some slightly lesser known songs, such as the American version of ‘O little town of Bethlehem’ (played by solo violin), the French carol ‘Il est né le Divin Enfant’, the old English ‘Wassail Song’ and, towards the end, a 17th Century German carol ‘All my heart this night rejoices’. To add to the feeling of anticipation, snatches of the children’s song ‘Christmas is coming, the goose is getting fat’ are heard from time to time, and observant listeners will spot the inclusion of a number of other well-known Christmas songs throughout the piece.
If you are looking for something new for next Christmas, click on the link below to hear an extract, which includes the rousing choral ending. The piece can be hired from Faber Music, in both a full orchestration and with reduced orchestration for smaller groups. The choral ending is optional.
https://soundcloud.com/gtbham/portland-ensign-joy-of
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.