2020: New Carols, Premiered Carols, and Premiered Christmas Music

  

New Carols, Premiered Carols, and Premiered Christmas Music 2020

UPDATED Dec. 24, 2021.

This is a working list of new carols and Christmas music that was premiered by a choir or classical music group in 2020. If you have one we don't know about, or special commission that were debuted in 2020, please leave a comment to this post or email us at christmascarolsblog@gmail.com 

New Carols, Premiered Carols, and Premiered Christmas Music

Kim Andre Arnesen: "Nordic Christmas" - premiered by VocalEssence

Patrick Hawes: "Still, Still the Night." Words by his the composer's brother Andrew Hawes, for The Self-Isolation Choir: a UK-based virtual choir. The carol was premiered at the choir's virtual Nine Lessons and Carols on 20 December 2020.

Paul John Rudoi: "The Orbit Carol" - premiered by VocalEssence

Travis Ramsey: "Little Lamb, Who Made Thee" - premiered by VocalEssence

Paul John Rudoi: "Coventry Carol" - Seraphic Fire Premiere

John Rutter: "Joseph's Carol" - premiered by sung by Sir Bryn Terfel and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra

"Joseph's Carol" by John Rutter

Errollyn Wallen: "Peace on Earth" - premiered by the Choir of King's College Cambridge

Alastair Boyd: "A Hymn on the Nativity" - TMC Choral Composition Competition winner 

"The Penbroke Carol." - BBC Singers. Written by the Girl choristers of Pembroke College.

Diana Burrells: "Green groweth the holly" - Choirs of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge in their 2020 album Alpha & O: Music for Advent & Christmas."

Christopher Foxs: New setting of the "O Anitphons" - Choirs of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge in their 2020 album Alpha & O: Music for Advent & Christmas."

Jeremy Thurlows:  Magnificat for upper voices, organ and tape - Choirs of St. Catharine's College, Cambridge in their 2020 album Alpha & O: Music for Advent & Christmas."

Huw Williams': "Away in a manger" - The Choir of Bath Abbey in their 2020 album Gaudete! - premiere recording. written for Her Majesty The Queen's Christmas day broadcast in December 2015

Eoghan Desmond: "Be all Merry" - Choral Scholars of the University College, Dublin in their 2020 album Be Merry.

Ivo Antognini: "Christe Redemptor Omnium" for tenor solo, chorus, violin and violoncello - Choral Scholars of the University College, Dublin in their 2020 album Be Merry. Commissioned by the Swiss Embassy in Dublin, Ireland.

Ben Parry and Garth Bardsley: "The Aldeburgh Carol." In partnership with Britten-Pears Arts, National Youth Chamber Choir.

Francisco Carbonell: "Heart of God," Winner of the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Carol Commission Competition.

Carson Cooman: "Legend of the Little Child." Premiered by the Harvard University Choir at 111th Annual Christmas Carol Service is scheduled for 5 p.m., Dec. 24

David Rain: "Shakespearean Wassail." Premiered on YouTube, Jan. 1, 2021.

Cecilia McDowell: "Lo He slumbers in his manger" (SATB), Posted to YouTube April 8, 2020 and on Oxford Choral Highlights 2020 album.

C. G. Davin Leonardo: His "Magnum Mysterium" was Runner-up of SMP Press Composition Competition 2020 - Contemporary Choral Music Category.

Balulalow by George Bevan. Written for Monkton Senior School Chamber Choir, December 2020

Finalists for the BBC Radio 3 Carol Competition based on Paul Laurence Dunbar's poem, 'Christmas Carol':

Gareth Price: Christmas Carol (arr. Clare Wheeler)

Jonathan Ticher: Christmas Carol (arr. Clare Wheeler)

James Walton: Christmas Carol (arr. Clare Wheeler)(WINNER!)

Chris Westbrook: Christmas Carol (arr. Clare Wheeler)

Deborah Cheetham: "Christmas With You." Also see: "Christmas with You."

First Carol Competition in memory of Mary Otty (Mary Otty Prize 2020): The Bristol Choral Society asked Judith Wier and Stephen Jackson to judge for its carol competition. 

Pamela Slatter ("I saw three ships"): 1st Prize

James Williams ("Christ’s Nativity") : 2nd Prize 

Runners up:

Mark Chaundy ("There is no Rose")

Jamie Brown ("‘Nu tändas tusen Iuleljus’")

Matthew Heyburn ("I saw a faire Maiden").

Looking Back at 2019:

Charles West: Rorate, caeli, desuper! winner of the Jubilate Carols Competition

Matthew Swartz, Arise, Arise, the Morning Bells winner of the New England Carols Contest

Philip Moore: "The Angel Gabriel" commission for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge. Words by Sabine Baring-Gould.

2018

Judith Weir: "O Mercy Divine" commission for the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge. Words by Charles Wesley.

 

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