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In the deepness of the night before Christmas, children dream of exciting and wondrous things: so do adults, but they are also fraught with arrangements and planning for the big day. a call for simplicity and remembering the loving and gifting nature of Christmas. This piece is performed “in the round” i.e. the adult choir encircles the audience and the children stand up the central aisle. The adult choir gradually moves around the audience and sings at times in smaller groupings. The audience does not know where the sound will come from next. The children need to be able to hold 3 simple parts. Finger cymbals are used to indicate stars and nocturnal animals create an interesting opening. It is depicts a New Zealand Christmas experience.

• Russell: A Wellington Christmas or Christmas Eve Reflections; computer set 

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• Russell: A Wellington Christmas or Christmas Eve Reflections; computer set 

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• Hinds: After Midnight; facsimile 

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• Hinds: After Midnight; facsimile 

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• Williams, F.: Anthem for Christmas Day; computer set 

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• Williams F.: Anthem for Christmas Day; facsimile 

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• Music by Felicity Williams 

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This short cycle of Christmas pieces was written for Auckland vocal ensemble V8 for their end of year concert. The concert was to feature a brass quintet as guest artists, so I offered to write a work for the combined forces. I was keen to avoid texts with references to snow and plum puddings, and therefore sought out texts more appropriate to the New Zealand experience of a summer Christmas. In the end, the opening and closing texts chosen are more traditional in nature, but also rather general in their language. The opening
text is simply a short anonymous poem stating when Jesus was born and how joyful a thing that was.

The second text is a New Zealand carol “Christmas Come In” and I’ve used its title for the cycle as a whole. J.R. Hervey was a poet who lived from 1889 to 1958. The words of the carol make passing references to the time of year in New Zealand: “Winter a ghost, summer the host…”.

The third text, “Melaleuca Morning” is by Australian poet Jeff Guess. According to the internet:

Melaleuca is “…a genus of around 170 species in the Myrtle family…(they) are commonly known as “Paperbarks” in the tree forms and :Honey Myrtles” in the smaller forms,…(and) are generally plants of open forest, woodland or shrubland. The stamens are often brightly coloured with red, pink, mauve, purple, and yellow being common.”.

The final text is an anonymous blessing for Christmas.

• Hamilton: Christmas Come In!; computer set 

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• Hamilton: Christmas Come In; computer set 

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Arrangements of traditional Polish carols contrasting in mood. Available either in SATB with 2 french horns accompaniment, or SATB with piano accompaniment. They are of moderate difficulty, tuneful and accessible to all singers and audiences.

• Caskie: Five Polish Christmas Carols; computer-set 

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• Caskie: Five Polish Christmas Carols; computer-set 

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• Caskie: Five Polish Christmas Carols; computer-set 

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• Caskie: Five Polish Christmas Carols; computer-set 

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While overseas in 1989 I came upon the book by Erik Routley A Panorama of Christian Hymnody – a sourcebook of hymns and other sacred texts. These four carols draw their texts from that book: the first two by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), the third by Eustace Condor (1820-1892), and the fourth by James Lowell (1819-1891). The fact that the poets are contemporaries is quite coincidental – these are texts which appealed and which appear to form a satisfactory cycle (although individual pieces may be performed separately).

Love Came Down at Christmas is a popular and widely set Christmas text, and originally appeared in Time Flies: A Reading Diary, while The Shepherds had an Angel comes from Rossetti’s Poetical Works. Both texts were originally intended as hymns for children. The Childhood of Christ was also a children’s hymn and is drawn from the Congregational Church Hymnal of 1867, whereas the Epiphany Carol appeared in the 1865 publication Songs of the Sanctuary.

Over a number of years I have written short Christmas pieces for groups directed by John Rosser – the Summer Singers, Quintessence, the Star Quartet and his fine chamber choir Viva Voce. These four pieces are dedicated to John and Kathryn Rosser as an appreciation for their interest in my music and willingness to perform (and record) it.

• Hamilton: Four Carols; computer set 

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• Hamilton: Four Carols; computer-set 

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Henna appears in two collections of carols. In a 2008 revision it is No. 5 from the Five Carols for 3 and 4 Parts. The original version of the carol appears in my earlier collection Sun Festival Carols.

• McLeod: Five Carols for 3 and 4 Parts; computer-set 

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• McLeod: Five Carols for 3 and 4 Parts; computer-set 

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• McLeod: Henna; computer-set 

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• McLeod: Henna; computer-set 

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Henna appears in two collections of carols. In a 2008 revision it is No. 5 from the Five Carol for 3 and 4 Parts. The original version of the carol appears in my earlier collection Sun Festival Carols.

• McLeod: Sun Festival Carols; computer-set 

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• McLeod: Five Carols for 3 and 4 Parts; computer-set 

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• McLeod: Five Carols for 3 and 4 Parts; computer-set 

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• McLeod: Henna; computer-set 

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• McLeod: Henna; computer-set 

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• Wanganui Schola Sacra Choir: Pohutukawa Carols  Year: 2002 

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