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This short Christmas cycle was written in 2012 for the end of year concert by South Auckland Choral Society to be conducted by the composer. The concert included my school choir, St Mary’s Schola, and I was keen to write something that the combined forces (including the soloists) in the concert could sing together. Several of the texts are traditional and anonymous, with more recent texts by Sara Teasdale and New Zealand poet and hymn writer Marnie Barrell.

The cycle doesn’t try to encapsulate the entire Christmas story, but focuses on those characters on the edge of the story – the angels, the shepherds and the wise men. The final text is a welcome to Christmas, naming a number of other participants in the story of Christmas, to which is added a quote from “In dulci jubilo”.

• David Hamilton: Angels and Shepherd and Wise Men All - hardcopy score 

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This short cycle examines the differences between northern and southern hemisphere experiences of Christmas. These differences are encapsulated in Margaret Mahy’s early poem Christmas in New Zealand which contrasts the colours of a summertime Christmas with the images of snow and robins on Christmas cards. The second piece sets a Christina Rossetti poem which suggests that Christ’s birth was early in the day watched only by the angels and the animals. The third piece sets a traditional text which describes the typical landscapes of a northern hemisphere Christmas – the bare tress and the animals foraging for food. The fourth movement is a piece for band alone, which picks up on elements of the opening movement as well as varied treatment of fragments from the well-known carol “Good King Wenceslas”. The final piece sets a widely anthologized poem of unknown authorship. It humorously returns us to a summertime Christmas where there‘s no snow, and where Santa might end up with a suntan in the “Pacific summertime” Christmas.

Christmas Here and There was commissioned by South Auckland Choral Society for the choir’s end of year concert 2011.

• Hamilton: Christmas Here and There; computer set 

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This lively and rhythmic Christmas piece sets the well-known text by Isaac Watts. The music adopts a gospel style with much use of syncopation. Towards the end of the piece a fragment of the well-known setting of this text briefly appears in both the accompaniment and the soloist’s parts. The work was commissioned for the staff and parents’ choir, directed by David Gordon, to sing at the annual carol service of Diocesan School for Girls in Auckland.

• Hamilton: Joy to the World; computer-set  Year: 2010 

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The original title for this short poem was simply “Christmas” – here I have taken the last line as a more interesting title. The text tells, in short lines, of the traditional images surrounding the birth of Jesus.

The poem is variously credited to Mary I., or Mary I. Osborn, of whom nothing is known, although one or two poems appear on the internet.

“Little Lord of Light” was written for conductor Susanna Saw and Kuala Lumpur Children’s Choir. The choir has performed several pieces of mine, and I had the pleasure of working with them in 2010.

• David Hamilton: Little Lord of Light - hardcopy score 

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This is a modern folk song about the history of glass-making in Sunderland. It is part of a collection of songs about the River Wear, “Winter Wear”. It can be performed as a Christmas song, or at other times of year. It is not especially religious.

Glass-making has always played an important role in the cultural and industrial history and soul of Sunderland and the River Wear: Benedict Biscop’s unique use of French glass-makers to fill in the windows of his monastery church, St. Peter’s in the 9th century; the industrial melting pot of the 19th century where the abundant supply of coal from the Durham coalfield, ferried down the River Wear fuelled several industries, most notably steel-making, shipbuilding and glass making; the European monopoly of Joblings Glassworks making heatproof oven-ware out of Pyrex in the mid- 20th century; and the National Glass Centre of today in which students at the University and glass artists from around the country craft enchanting art works. The first people to see each of these phenomena must have been transfixed by the novelty they were witnessing. This song portrays the response to each of these first encounters with the magical glass.

• Camm: Magical Glass; computer set 

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• Camm: Magical Glass; computer set 

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This is a modern folk song about the history of glass-making in Sunderland. It is part of a collection of songs about the River Wear, “Winter Wear”. It can be performed as a Christmas song, or at other times of year. It is not especially religious.

Glass-making has always played an important role in the cultural and industrial history and soul of Sunderland and the River Wear: Benedict Biscop’s unique use of French glass-makers to fill in the windows of his monastery church, St. Peter’s in the 9th century; the industrial melting pot of the 19th century where the abundant supply of coal from the Durham coalfield, ferried down the River Wear fuelled several industries, most notably steel-making, shipbuilding and glass making; the European monopoly of Joblings Glassworks making heatproof oven-ware out of Pyrex in the mid- 20th century; and the National Glass Centre of today in which students at the University and glass artists from around the country craft enchanting art works. The first people to see each of these phenomena must have been transfixed by the novelty they were witnessing. This song portrays the response to each of these first encounters with the magical glass.

• Camm: Magical Glass; computer set 

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• Camm: Magical Glass; computer set 

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Langston Hughes (1902-1967) was an American novelist, playwright, short story writer, and columnist. He was one of the pioneers in the style of poetry known as ‘jazz poetry’. He came from mixed-race ancestry, and in his early years was an educator and advocate for African-American rights. He lived much of his adult life in Harlem, and received numerous honours and awards in his lifetime.

“Shepherd’s Song at Christmas” is a poem in which a young shepherd boy wonders what gift he should take to the infant Jesus. He first suggests a song, then a lamb, and finally he pledges to give his heart.

This setting was made for the annual Christmas concert at St Mary’s College in Auckland. It was written to involve both Mary’s Schola (conducted by the composer) and the school’s younger choir.

• David Hamilton: Shepherd's Song at Christmas - hardcopy score 

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• David Hamilton: Shepherd's Song at Christmas; audio 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 4  Year: 2013 

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Christmas Carol – a bit ‘Rutteresque’ in style but with some unexpected twists and jazzy harmonies at times.

This piece was first performed in December 2010 in its original ‘a cappella’ version by The Graduate Choir conducted by Terence Maskell. The revised version with keyboard accompaniment won first prize in the Amadeus Choir of Toronto’s Seasonal Song Writing competition for 2011 (Adult Amateur SATB accompanied category).

• Chris Artley: The Ashwell Carol (a cappella version) - downloadable PDF 

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• Chris Artley: The Ashwell Carol (a cappella version) - hardcopy score 

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Christmas Carol – a bit ‘Rutteresque’ in style but with some unexpected twists and jazzy harmonies at times.

This piece was first performed in December 2010 in its original ‘a cappella’ version by The Graduate Choir conducted by Terence Maskell. The revised version with keyboard accompaniment won first prize in the Amadeus Choir of Toronto’s Seasonal Song Writing competition for 2011 (Adult Amateur SATB accompanied category).

• Chris Artley: The Ashwell Carol (SAB and keyboard version) - downloadable PDF 

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• Chris Artley: The Ashwell Carol (SAB and keyboard version) - hardcopy score 

  Full score | Hardcopy - computer set
  
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Christmas Carol – a bit ‘Rutteresque’ in style but with some unexpected twists and jazzy harmonies at times.

This piece was first performed in December 2010 in its original ‘a cappella’ version by The Graduate Choir conducted by Terence Maskell. The revised version with keyboard accompaniment won first prize in the Amadeus Choir of Toronto’s Seasonal Song Writing competition for 2011 (Adult Amateur SATB accompanied category).

• Chris Artley: The Ashwell Carol (SATB and keyboard version) - hardcopy score 

  Full score | Hardcopy - computer set
  
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• Chris Artley: The Ashwell Carol (SATB and keyboard version) - downloadable PDF 

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