Carol Composers #1: The Carols of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

  

The Carols of Sir Peter Maxwell Davies

by Ray Rojas

Updated: November 5, 2022.

In our post "Working List Choral Collections Focusing on Composer Christmas Works," we had laid out a wish list for a collections of Christmas carols, Christmas music, and winter-themed works by several composers. One of them was Sir Peter Maxwell Davies. We will start of series of composers who have been commissioned by the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King's College, Cambridge for a new carol.

So here it is: Carol Composers #1: Sir Peter Maxwell Davies.

On this post, there are some carols scattered about. We did not give into temptation to include other sacred music (maybe a little). There is plenty of it from Davies. Davies has a piece on Corpus Christi as well as other Marian-themed carols and compositions. We tried to stay on Christmas, winter, Annunciation, and Epiphany themes.

From his O Magnum Mysterium":

"Carol 1"

From same piece, "Carol 2":

From same piece, "Carol 3":

From same piece, "Carol 4":

From same piece, "Carol 5":

From same piece, "Carol 6":

Davies had another carol cycle just called Five Carols. Here are the carols performed by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge. 

Here is "Carol 1":

Same piece, "Carol 2":

Same piece, "Carol 3":

Same piece, "Carol 4":

Same piece, "Carol 5":

Davies also wrote a carol on the text of "Out of Your Sleep Arise," performed here by the Choir of Westminster Abbey:

Davies' "Carol: An Heavenly Song":

"Jesus autem hodie"

"Carol: Lullay, My Child, and Weep No More":

"Carol: Kings and Shepherds," performed here by the Choir of Worchester College, Oxford under Stephen Farr:

"Fleecy Care Carol" is from the text of an English folk poem from Napton, Warwickshire. It was premiered by the Chapel Royal. He wrote it as Master of the Queen's Music. Here is the Chapel Royal and an arrangement by Andrew Gant:

"Carol: Child in a Manger," performed here by the Kantos Chamber Choir led by Eslpeth Slorach:

"Calendar of Kings" was commissioned by the Anonymous 4 for their album Wolcum Yule: Celtic and British Songs and Carols (Harmonia mundi 2005):

"One Star, At Last," was the second carol commission by the Choir of King's College, Cambridge for their Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols in 1984. Here's the BBC Singers:

"Advent Calendar" was a special commission by Queen Elizabeth. Here it is performed by the BBC Singers in their album Choir-Book for the Queen (Priory 2013):

Other pieces that are not necessarily carols or Christmas carols, but would make good on any carol collection album:

"The Lord's Prayer":

"Alma Redemptoris Mater" from "Four Christmas Carols". Here is the London Choral Sinfonia:

Further, Davies has some winter-themed pieces and cycles:

"House of Winter":

"Winter; An Island Boy" (From Dream of Snow):

Here the entire cycle: Dream of Snow:

Davies' Solstice of Light is a little too big to post here, so I have included a link to the Choir of King's College, Cambridge performing it:

Solstice of Light

Davies' "Seven Skies of Winter" is not a choral piece, but we though we'd include it:

I recently brought a 1960s remaster of "Sir Cristemas: Carols Newly Composed and Arranged" by the Elizabethan Singers under Louis Halsey. It has the carols "Welcome Yule!" by Davies. In other LPs, it listed as being from John Joubert. I'm unable to find a video of the song and not sure if it is from Davies.

Another I could not find a video for was "In a Wintered Byre" for SATB choir and optional organ.

There are other carols and sacred pieces by Davies I could not find videos for:

Carol for St. Stephen

Carol: Wonder Tidings

Carol: Yule-tide Bell

Jubilate Deo

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis  "The Edinburgh Service"

Magnificat and Nunc Dimittis "The Wells Service"

Carol: A Winter Lamb

See the second entry in this series which was on Judith Weir.

 

DISCLAIMER: Owner of photo or photos above is unknown. Infringement is not intentional and photo is used for educational purposes only with in the Fair Use clause of Section 107 of the Copyright Act. We will will be obliged ant take down request under the DMCA .