Errollyn Wallen's carol makes headlines

 

Errollyn Wallen's carol makes headlines

Errollyn Wallen was featured in The Sunday Times for her commission for the Salisbury Cathedral called the "Salisbury Carol."

Read the article: 

Life of Queen Elizabeth is celebrated in a new carol

The State of the Christmas Carol: 2020

Choristers of St Paul’s Cathedral sing Christmas carols during a photo call inside the Cathedral in central London December 22, 2014. (Luke MacGregor/Reuters). 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 . 

The State of the Christmas Carol: 2020

by Ray Rojas

Note: We had some issues with the text on the blog going from white to black and tried every effort to fix it to no avail. Our apologies.

We moved into the new decade of the 2020s with already some sadness in the Christmas carol world. 

In the last decade we lost three former former directors of the Choir of King College, Cambridge. We also saw several retirements of people who have provided a host of carol recordings and performances in the last forty years. 

In 2014, Edward Higgenbottam retired after 35 years as director of music position at New College, Oxford. We also had Rene Clausen who led many a Christmas festival at Concordia College leading his last concert before his retirement. In 2018, Stephen Cleobury, director of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, directed his last Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. He later passed away in 2019. So it was a bit a gloomy, but none knew how gloomy 2020 would be.

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Twenty twenty came, and within a few months, the worldwide pandemic had taken over headlines worldwide. Then, when 87% of the attendees of a Seattle choir practice contracted COVID-19, fear ran across the choir world. Although there was social distancing, sixty-one members got symptoms and two died.

With governments locking things down across the globe, and people self isolating, the classical music world practically shut down. Concerts were cancelled and others moved outdoors. Performers were forced to distance at performances often wearing masks. There was a hope the worse of the pandemic would pass before the 2020 holiday season when Christmas concerts would take place.

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The global pandemic deeply affected professional musicians because this is their livelihood. One BBC radio essay focused on the effect of the pandemic on composers. The majority of new commissions are for the holiday season. If Christmas concerts, services, and masses were not going to happen, no petitions for commissions were going to occur either. No commissions, no honorariums for composers.

In the United States, church and state clashed regarding religious gatherings even as some religious gatherings led to surges in positive COVID-19 cases. Other religious groups voluntarily cancelled large gatherings, often moving online. Open defiance of mask wearing and building capacity restrictions made many to allege a “War or Christmas.”

In the United Kingdom, carol singing was somewhat banned to avoid people gathering. By the end of November, the state of many Christmas concerts and religious performances were in limbo. An effort led by John Rutter, Aled Jones, Tamin Little, Julian Lloyd Webber among others, sent an open letter to the British government advocating to let Christmas carols concerts and caroling proceed. The letter stated that Christmas carols were a “fundamental part of the UK’s culture.”

The government lessened restrictions, limiting indoor performances to performers only. For caroling, it asked carolers stay two meters apart and away from the threshold of houses.

World’s Favorite Christmas Broadcast

It was the Superbowl of Carol Services that would be in question. The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, performed at King’s College, Cambridge by the Choir of King’s College has been the high mark of the Christmas season for carol advocates.

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The British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) broadcasts the Christmas Eve service across the globe. In late November, the college announced that there would be no congregation in the chapel this year. Although slightly depressing because who does not love when the congregation joins the choir singing “Once in Royal David’s City,” “Hark the Herald Angels,” or “O Come all ye faithful” — we took it in good stride.

Within a week before Christmas, two choral scholars of the choir tested positive for COVID-19. Although they only suffered mild symptoms, this would mean the other choral scholars were probably exposed and would not be able to participate in the Christmas Eve service. For those of you who do not know who “choral scholars” are, they are usually the undergraduates who sing with the trebles, the trebles being young boys.

From what I can gather, the choir was recording a backup concert around the same time. With a forty-eight-hour notice, the King’s Singers were asked to replace the choral scholars and the service was recorded. The Telegraph called it, “The race to save the nation’s favourite Christmas broadcast.”

Later, the college announced the services on Christmas Eve would not be live, but the earlier recorded service would be broadcasted. The college stated that with further lockdowns by the government as well as travel restrictions, it would be irresponsible for the college to have singers, staff, and faculty travel to Cambridge.

Virtual Caroling

There was a great effort to have King's College's service broadcast live. Many choirs and classical ensembles went virtual for their concerts. In addition, where there use to be only a handful of cathedrals and great churches that use to broadcast their compline, vespers, masses, and evensongs, now, many went to virtual religious services. What you might never see in one’s lifetime, you can suddenly see carols services from Ely Cathedral, see Conspirare performing live from Austin, Texas, a live Christmas concert by singers in hardhats from Notre Damn Cathedral in Paris.

In truth, as a Christmas carol fanatic, one found it hard to keep up. You wanted to watch everything. Yet, this year we at Christmas Carols & Sacred Music, we posted links to live performance after live performance. Classical MPR, Classic FM, and Classical-Music.com, posted lists of online performances as well.

Carol Fandom

At Christmas Carols & Sacred Music, we also decided to keep a running list of new Christmas classical albums instead of putting it out after Christmas as we usually do. Furthermore, the list is to be “working,” meaning we will continually update it with the assistance of the carol-loving community. We also created a working list of carol premieres and Christmas musical commissions because we saw the need to keep track of the new carols out there.

Among other news, one scholar in an article said, “Once In Royal David’s City," ‘Away in a Manger," and "Good King Wenceslas," were not "real" carols tempting us to look back at the real carols of early music.

Chris Westbrook won the BBC’s Carol competition. Alastair Boyd has won the TMC Choral Composition with his "A Hymn on the Nativity" (see it performed on the Toronto Mendelson Choir's Festival of Carols concert). The Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College did not have a commissioned carol this year, although it did release a recording of "Peace on Earth" by Errollyn Wallen, one of the last carols King’s recorded with Cleobury.

Choir of King's College, Cambridge: "Peace on Earth" by Errollyn Wallen

Various new Christmas recordings were released. Among them, new recordings by Queen’s College Oxford, Winchester College Chapel Choir, Trinity Boy’s Choir, Choir of St. John’s Cambridge, SWR Vokal Ensemble, Musica Bohemica, Choir of Keble College Oxford, the Godwine Choir, Chanticleer to mention a few.

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Favorite Carols

“O Holy Night” was voted the nation’s (UK) favorite carol on Classic FM. Why does the United States not have a similar survey? The choice of the favorite carol, often gives a measure of the mood of the country. In the United States, we have to rely on Billboard, iTunes downloads, and Spotify plays of popular Christmas music. Unfortunately, there is a desert of carols on these lists. Surveying many of them, “O Holy Night” was the only carols listed. One list had “O Holy Night” in the top 10 (sung by Josh Groban). The next carol ranked was “O Holy Night” again at 65 (Carrie Underwood). On another list, The Bare Naked Ladies recording of “God Bless You Merry Gentleman” ranked in the 70s. On the iTunes list, the Pentatonix version of the same carol barely cracks the top 100.

In 1906, “O Holy Night” was the first piece of music to be broadcast on the radio. We at Christmas Carols & Sacred Music have called “O Holy Night” the “Star-Spangled Banner” of Christmas carols because so many soloists butcher it. Andrew Gant described “O Holy Night” as an “art song,” one “meant for a soloist, preferably one as plump and confident as the Christmas turkey.”[1] Gant goes on saying, “It doesn’t’ really work sung by a choir, and certainly not by a congregation.” There are some exceptions that prove him a little wrong, but we half way agree with him. Those exceptions being John Rutter and John William’s (Home Alone)(liners nots says it not his arrangement, but he had something to do with it) arrangements.

We can take these informal surveys as a measure of what the favorite carol in the States and the UK are in 2020. Observing the lyrics, maybe as we “Long lay” “in sin and error pining til He appears and the soul felt its worth,” bring some hope to self-reflections on sin.

Themes

However, in all the cancelations, moves from live audiences to virtual, I notice new Christmas compositions and concerts this year dealt with a variety of social justice topics, aside from the traditional Christmas charity. With the rise of open racism and Fascism again, some composers dealt with it by composing pieces about racism, reconciliation, and #BlackLivesMatter. Other did concerts on themes of “All Earth is Hopeful,” “Sun of Justice, Reveal of Dawn,” and “For Everyone Born.” Issues revolving around the pandemic have piled on to the plight of the poor, the refugee, and the hungry — themes we usually associate with Christmas. Others called for peace, much more than the traditional carols' pleading. Others focused on reunions and hope after a year of sequestering and socially distancing, that soon “we all will be together.”

"Joseph's Carol" by John Rutter

New Carols

Even Mr. Christmas John Rutter appears to have written a carol on the whim as only he can do, writing “Joseph’s Carol” in honor of the Oxford Vaccine Group. It was premiered by the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra with Bryn Terfel. VocalEssence carol competition featured Travis Ramsey’s new carol on the tradition text “Little Lamb” as well as the premiere of Kim Andre Arnerson's "Nordic Christmas." Diana Burrells wrote of tradition greenery in “Green growth the holly” for the Choir of St. Catherine’s College, Cambridge. Also for the same college, a new version of “O Antiphones” by Christopher Fox. 

For the Choir of Bath Abbey, Huw Williams wrote a new version of “Away in a Manger.” For University College, Dublin, Ivo Antognini used the text of “Christe Redemptor” for a really lovely new carol. Many other new compositions and arrangements are mentioned on our post on the subject.

"Christe Redemtor" by Ivo Antognini (performed by the Choral Scholars of University College Dublin)

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The Bristol Choral Society asked Judith Wier and Stephen Jackson to judge for its First Carol Competition in memory of Mary Otty (Mary Otty Prize 2020). The five final carols were to be performed we assume by the choral society in December. Wier states on her blog that there were 70 submissions from around the world. Unfortunately, due to COVID-19 restrictions, the winners’ carols were not performed, but 1^st Prize went to Pamela Slatter ("I saw three ships"), with a motet by James Williams ("Christ’s Nativity") at 2^nd. Weir does not mention the place of the others, but states they were Mark Chaundy ("There is no Rose"), Jamie Brown ("‘Nu tändas tusen Iuleljus’"), and Matthew Heyburn ("I saw a faire Maiden").

Global Flu Pandemic 1918

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If we listen to the music historians, carols were once dances, not necessarily songs. Carols were sung in secret during religious oppression or even Puritan canceling of Christmas, carols were sung in congregations like that first Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols at King’s College in 1918 (though not the first Nine Lessons and Carols), a response to the aftermath of World War I (199 former King's College choristers died in the war)[2] and like today, a global pandemic, the 1918 one being the Flu Pandemic.

Despite our pandemic worries, carol writing and singing continued in 2020, maybe in smaller places with smaller crowds, but there was no reluctance to bring out the carol even though we had every right to lament this year. All this new music and continued caroling occurred despite the sickness, loneliness, and death that pervade our present time.

In my at-home carol music, I was moved to take out the “grand” recordings with full orchestra, choir, and chorus with brass heavily exaggerated, and I found I played these repeatedly. These were recordings like the John Alldis Choir with the London Symphony or the Cambridge Singers with the City of London Sinfonia. To use vaccination jargon, a much larger dosage of carols was needed this year. Recordings like these satisfied that craving. Maybe it was a longing for the live concert, or maybe the longing to hear larger groups of people sing together.

On Christmas Eve, as I listened to the Choir of King’s College and the King’s Singers finish the Festival, I knew it was not a live broadcast, and I knew the congregation was not singing along. However, the spirit of caroling still rang out in the chapel. “Hark the Herald Angels” was being sung, ending the festival. As the first chords of “In dulci jubilo” by Johanne Sebastian Bach blared out on the organ and the radio announcer stated this had been a broadcast of the festival live from King’s College, Cambridge, you still feel that warmth. As the lyricist (or poet) for “O Holy Night” wrote in the original French text:

“ …love unites those whom iron once held in chains…People, arise! Song of your deliverance.”

John Sullivan Dwight who translated the song could not make a literal translation of the French, but he wrote “Truly He taught us to love one another.” It has since given us much hope and peace, just as carols should.

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[1] Gant, Andrew. The Carols of Christmas: A Celebration of the Surprising Stories Behind Your Favorite Holiday Songs, Nelson Books, 2015, p. 84.

[2] Summerley, Jeremy. "Carols from King's: Centenary Celebration," lecture for Gresham College 13 December 2018: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKdXgh8hG2Y&list=PLF7z6sStd01lZEjwpsj7GtJ-2SDL9UTk5&index=3&ab_channel=GreshamCollege

 

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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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