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When I was approached by the Hibiscus Coast Singers with a query about Christmas choral cycles, I had to admit that while I had written a considerable amount of Christmas choral music, none of the existing cycles I had written suited their purpose. Previous cycles were either the wrong voicing or had unsuitable accompaniment resources. I therefore offered to create something new for them for existing pieces, many of which were for treble voices and which could be easily re-written for mixed-voice choir. Ultimately the temptation to write some new music was too great, and the cycle ended up being three existing pieces (numbers 1, 5, and 7), and four new ones.

In selecting texts I wanted each to focus on a specific aspect of Christmas. The piece present a number of significant events which surround or lead up to the birth of Christ – the appearance of the angels foretelling Christ’s imminent birth, the shepherds, the wise men and so on.

The first text set the scene – the shepherds are watching their sheep and the landscape is peaceful. Soon ‘wondrous music’ is heard and the whole Christmas story is encapsulated in the remainder of the text. The second text focuses on the angels – here described as ‘singing sweetly’. The third text is a new setting of the well-known choral text ‘While shepherds watched their flocks by night’. The fourth text tells of the wise men and their long trek to find the Christ-child. Stars, and one particular star, are integral to the story of Christmas, and the fifth text tells of a ‘weary waiting world’ suddenly awakened by joyous bells and stars ‘dancing on the snow’. The sixth text is from the Afro-American tradition of spirituals and tells in simple language of Mary rocking the cradle of the new-born baby. The final text tells of our wonder at the story of Christmas – the ‘tender joy’, ‘the mystery of love’ and the ‘sweetness of the dream’.

• Hamilton: The Road to Bethlehem; computer-set  Year: 2007 

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• Wells, J.: The Shepherds' Carol; computer-set 

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• Christmas a cappella  Year: 2001 

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• Marshall: The Water of Life; computer set  

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• Madden: Three Christmas Carols; computer set 

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• Madden: Three Christmas Carols; computer set 

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• Sing in Exultation! - a Christmas Celebration 

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• Sings Harry Vocal Ensemble: the lover's ghost  Year: 1998 

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• Choros: He came all so stille  Year: 2004 

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The original version (for soloist, SSA choir and chamber orchestra) of this cycle of pieces was written for the Epsom Girls’ Grammar School 1991 music tour to Texas and Los Angeles. The soloist on the tour was one of the school’s senior music students: Morag Atchison.

The re-working of the piece was prompted by the 2010 tour to the United Kingdom by the choir Choralation (Westlake Girls’ and Boys’ High Schools) under their conductor Rowan Johnston. One of the choirs’ vocal tutors was Morag Atchison (now a highly regarded soprano soloist and voice teacher) who would be travelling with the choir on tour, and who suggested the cycle. As with the 1991 tour, this tour would be taking place in the weeks preceding Christmas.

The texts all relate to the birth of Christ, and the first is a setting of Christina Rossetti’s well-known “Love Came Down at Christmas”. The opening movement is for the solo soprano with unaccompanied choir. The next movement sets a part of the old German text “Vom himmel hoch” from Klug’s ‘Gesangbuch’ of 1535 under the title “The Angel’s Song”. Here, the music divides between the words of the angels, and the words of children – the latter sung by the treble voices. All join together at the end in praise of God.

The third movement, “Cradle Hymn”, was newly written in 2010, replacing the original third movement. Here, the soloist is featured, in a setting of selected verses from Isaac Watts’ poem of the mother of Christ singing to her new-born baby. Interspersed is a setting for the choir of sections of the well-known Christmas motet “O magnum mysterium”. The fourth movement’s text is by Richard Wilbur and looks forward from the stable of Christ’s birth to future events in his life. Finally there is a shortened return to the music of the first movement.

• Hamilton: To the Christ Child; computer-set  Year: 2010 

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• Hamilton: To the Christ Child; computer-set  Year: 2010 

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• Williams F.: Two Carols; facsimile 

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• Music by Felicity Williams 

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• McLeod: Sun Festival Carols; computer-set 

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• Wanganui Schola Sacra Choir: Pohutukawa Carols  Year: 2002 

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• Wells: We Praise the infant Jesus; computer-set  

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• Gordon: We Three Kings; computer set  

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• Gordon: We Three Kings; computer-set 

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A celtic folk feel in 3/4 time in E major, this love song was originally written for a wedding. It can be sung as a solo or as an SATB piece with piano and flute. The flute obbligato is optional. The choral arrangement was done by Glenys Chiaroni for the Twilight Tones chamber choir at Tawa College Wellington. Youth choir, adult choir or solo song. Good as a farewell song, choral item or Big Sing entry. Also available as a solo song with piano accompaniment. Vocal range 10 notes.

• Russell: Where E'er You Go; computer set 

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• Russell: Where E'er You Go; computer set 

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