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This work was written at the request of conductor Elise Bradley for her highly regarded choir Key Cygnetures at Westlake Girls High School (Auckland).

It was intended for a ‘mid-winter Christmas’ concert which was to also feature Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols. I therefore felt happy to turn to Christmas texts with some of the more traditional Christmas references (snow etc).

The first text is from the fifteenth century and is a general text mentioning Mary, the manger, the wise men, and the gifts they brought, and ends with call to delight in the Christ child. The second text, by G.K. Chesterton contains images of snow and night, and ends with the line that gives the work its overall title. The third text is a variant of the carol ‘I saw three ships come sailing in’ and may refer either to the medieval myth that Joseph and Mary travelled to England, or obliquely to purported journeys of the relics of the wise men. The fourth text is a lullaby by nineteenth century poet John Addington Symonds. Again the wise men and their gifts are mentioned along with the shepherds. The final text is another anonymous one, and is simply a brief and energetic welcome to ’heaven’s King’.

• Hamilton: A Child Comes Forth; computer-set 

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• The Treble Voice Choral Music of David Hamilton Vol. 2 

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This short work was written at the request of Rachel Young, conductor of Auckland Youth Choir. The choir’s 2006 Christmas concert was to also involve the Auckland Girls Choir, Auckland Boys Choir, and Aotea Youth Symphony Orchestra. A work which could open the concert, involve all performers, and make use of the performance space was needed. And it had to be easy to learn and quick to put together!

After considering various texts I approached noted New Zealand hymn writer Marnie Barrel to ask if she had anything suitable as a text. She very kindly wrote the text that I used for the work. Each choir has an energetic presentation of a verse which describes some of the features and feelings of Christmas. This is followed by an Alleluia. Towards the end of the work, the Alleluia becomes the basis of a canon for all the choirs along with the orchestra.

• Hamilton: A Christmas Fanfare; computer-set 

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• Hamilton: A Winter Twilight; computer-set 

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First performed by the Bach Choir of Wellington under my direction, it is in 3 sections and employs both minimalist and polyphonic techniques and is of a moderate to difficult standard. It works best in a room with a bright natural acoustic.

• Williams, N.: Ave Maria; computer-set 

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• Williams N: Ave Maria; computer-set 

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A solemn hymn of praise to St. Cuthbert of Lindisfarne and Durham Cathedral, for SATB choir, organ or piano and untuned percussion.

• Camm: Aves Beati Cuthberti; computer set 

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This short work for 3-part male voices and piano sets a text by poet W.H. Auden. The text tells of the gradual approach of a group of soldiers and suggests a time of war in an earlier era of English history.

The text is essentially a conversation, with most verses beginning with the question ‘O what is….?’ the answers detailing the progress of those approaching: have they stopped at the doctor, or the parson, or the farmer? The first character becomes more frantic towards the end, as the second decides it is time to leave: ‘…I promised to love you, dear, but I must be leaving’.

Poet W.H. Auden was born in England but spent much of his life in the USA, having become an American citizen after his move there in 1939. His first book of poems appeared in 1928, with his 1930 collection ‘Poems’ firmly establishing his reputation. He served in the Spanish Civil War, and throughout his life was prolific as a poet, playwright, essayist, librettist and editor.

The work should be sung with a sense of slowly increasing menace and danger. It should also have a gradually increasing intensity through to the climax at the second to last verse. The first verse may be sung as a solo, by all the tenors, or by the entire choir in unison. The piano part should give the impression of a drum, and, if the choir is large enough to balance the sound, a snare drum may be added ad lib.

• Hamilton: Ballad (O What is that Sound?); computer-set 

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• Hamilton: Ballad (O What is that Sound?); computer-set 

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The Thanksgiving Mass here is huge. Last year, for this particular Mass, I harmonised and orchestrated (for choir and orchestra) the Chorale melody ‘Schwing Dich’, ‘Praise My Soul’, had the choral verse for tenors (in this case, sopranos) and strings, continuo performed, and other excellent items. The standard of performance is excellent and the congregation is comprised of parents and students so the auditorium is packed.

• Perkins: Cogitationes Fantasia; computer-set 

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Written for the students of the National School for the Blind and Vision Impaired, Manurewa. Ideas for the text and musical form were workshopped with some of the students and their teacher, Wendy Richards in October, 2005, and again in March, 2006. The finished work looks at ideas about difference, belonging and finding common ground; a lyrical opening and closing section frames a more energetic middle section exploring ideas of conflict and tension, before finally the choir is able to unite (come together) at the end of the piece. The piece received its first performance at the National School for the Blind and Vision Impaired annual national music camp held in Manurewa, Manukau City, in July, 2006.

• Carey: Come Together; facsimile 

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• Cruise-Johnston: Danny Boy; computer-set 

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This version of the folk song Darling Johnny O is based on the unaccompanied mixed-voice choir arrangement found in my Four New Zealand Folk Songs arranged in 1999. The original version is found in Neil Colquhon’s collection Song of a Young Country: New Zealand Folksongs published by A.H. and A.W. Reed. Both the words and music are by ‘Anon.’! New Zealand is too young a country to have a true ‘folk’ tradition and much folk music is really variants of earlier British songs, often with local names and places substituted for the originals.

This version was made at the request of conductor Kieth Stubley who was seeking a folk song arrangement for a competition. Specifically he was keen to have something using a slower tempo.

In this version the choral parts have been simplified and a piano accompaniment added (often taking the role of the lower voices in the original arrangement).

Darling Johnny O is in the tradition of love ballads. A young woman sings of her love who, having signed onto a ship, has not been heard from for a long time. She sings proudly of her lost love and vows to travel wherever necessary to find him.


The song begins:
My Johnny signed on board the Dragon,
Bound for some place I don’t know,
But true it is I have had no letter,
From my darling Johnny O.

• Hamilton: Darling Johnny O; computer-set 

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