Worklist Opera Orchestral Works Choral Works (accompanied) Choral Works (unaccompanied) Chamber Music Music for Solo Voices Music for Christmas Church Music Music for Young Performers Arrangements Programme Notes & Texts

 

 

Christopher Brown

 

composer

conductor

editor

music typesetter

“One of Britain’s most accomplished composers of the post
Leighton-Howells-Britten generation”  (Musical Opinion)

© Christopher Brown 2011

music for Christmas

See also Arrangements

for hymns, descants, fanfares etc

“... beautiful and dramatic ... exceptionally expressive cantilena ... Challenging but rewarding for both singers and listeners.”
 (Edward Greenfield on “Hodie Salvator Apparuit” in The Guardian.)

 

Tis Christmas Time

 

A complete collection of Christopher Brown’s shorter Christmas works

 

Original carols (inc. “Dormi, Jesu”, “Balulalow”, “Adam lay ybounden”, “There is no rose” etc.)

Arrangements of traditional carols (inc.  “The Holly and the Ivy”, “A merry Christmas”, “Away in a manger”, “Silent Night”, “Gabriel’s Message” etc.)

Descants and orchestrations of popular Christmas hymns (Inc.”A great and mighty wonder”, “Once in royal David’s City”, “O little town of Bethlehem”, “Lo! He comes with clouds descending” etc.)

 

41 pieces, 208 pages, lavishly illustrated throughout with woodcuts and engravings by Albrecht Dürer

           and a wide variety of Christmas poems and texts

Available now from Musography   

 

First performance:

British Federation of Young Choirs, Young Persons Concert Foundation Orchestra, cond. Brian Kay
SATB:2+1.2.2.2: 4.3.3.1: Tmp 3P: Str (or Piano)
Publisher: Chester Music
11.3.90: Wembley Conference Centre, London
2 mins.
A New Year's Carol  op. 72a  from "The Circling Year"      

First performance:

New Cambridge Singers, cond. Christopher Brown
SSAATTBB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
9.12.06: Linton, Cambridgeshire
3 mins.
Adam lay ybounden          
also contained in "Three Early English Carols"

First performance:

Harston Village College Choir, cond. Christopher Brown
SATB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
December 1964: Harston
2 mins.
Balulalow (version 1)          

First performance:

Huntingdonshire Philharmonic, cond. Christopher Brown
SATB: 2.0.2.2: 2.0.0.0: Str (or keyboard)
Publisher: Musography
17.12.88: Free Church Centre, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire
2 mins.
Balulalow (version 2)          
also contained in "Christmas Cantata" with reduced scoring (1.1.1.1: 1.1.0.0: Str)

First performance:

Brington School Choir, cond. Jo Ward
Equal voices unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
December 1999: Brington School, Cambridgeshire
2 mins.
Christmas Bells    Choral Round      

First performance:

Julie Kennard, Dorking Choral Society, cond. Philip White
S solo, Chorus: 1/1.1/1.1/1.1: 1.1.0.0: Str
Publisher: Musography
21.11.92: Dorking Parish Church
46 mins.
Christmas Cantata  op. 78  A Meditation at the Crib for Soprano, Chorus and Chamber Orchestra      

First performance:

Huntingdonshire Philharmonic, cond. Christopher Brown
2/1.2.2.2: 2.3.3.1: Tmp. 2P: Str (+ optional choir) or Piano solo
Publisher: Musography
22.12.84: Free Church Centre, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire
4 mins.
Christmas Medley    A potpourri of well-known Christmas melodies      

First performance:

Choir of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, cond. John Williams
SSAATBB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
Chapel of St. Peter-ad-Vincula, Tower of London
3 mins.
Dormi, Jesu          

First performance:

St. Michael's Church Choir, cond. Jonathan Rennert
B solo, SSAATBB and Organ
Publisher: Musography
11.12.02: St. Michael's Church, Cornhill, London
5 mins.
Gabriel and Mary          

First performance:

Salterello Choir, cond. Christopher Seaman
SSAATTBB with soli unaccompanied
Publisher: Chester Music
9.12.70: St. Andrew's Church, Holborn, London
17 mins.
Hodie Salvator Apparuit  op. 28  A Sequence for Christmas      

First performance:

Huntingdonshire Philharmonic, cond. Christopher Brown
SATB unaccompanied
Publisher: Chester Music
17.12.83: Free Church Centre, St. Ives, Cambridgeshire
3 mins.
I sing of a maiden          
included in "Chester Book of Carols"

First performance:

New Cambridge Singers, cond. Christopher Brown
SATB with soli unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
1.12.07: Braughing
3 mins.
Lullay, my liking          
also contained in "Three Early English Carols"

First performance:

Baccholian Singers
TTBarBarB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
15.6.73: Carlisle
4 mins.
Maid, Mother, Mary  op. 37a        
also contained in "Three Medieval Carols"

First performance:

Dorking Choral Society, cond. Philip White
SSAATTBB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
21.11.92: Dorking Parish Church
4 mins.
New Prince, New Pomp    from "Christmas Cantata"      

First performance:

Canticum, cond. Christopher Brown
S solo, SSATB
Publisher: Musography
17.6.95: Swavesey Parish Church, Cambridgeshire
4 mins
Noël          

First performance:

Baccholian Singers
TTBarBarB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
15.6.73: Carlisle
4 mins.
Out of your sleep  op. 37a        
also contained in "Three Medieval Carols"

First performance:

New Cambridge Singers, cond. Christopher Brown
SSATB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
11.12.10: Balsham Parish Church
3 mins.
Sir Christemas          
also contained in "Three Early English Carols"

First performance:

Dorking Choral Society, cond. Philip White
S solo, SATB, 1.1.1.1:1.1.0.0: Str (or keyboard)
Publisher: Musography
21.11.92: Dorking Parish Church
3 mins.
Sweet was the song the Virgin sang    from "Christmas Cantata"      

First performance:

SATB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
3 mins.
The Song of the Rose          

First performance:

SSA and Piano or Orchestra (2.1.2.1: 2.1.0.0: (Hp): Str)
Publisher: Musography
1966: Liverpool Cathedral
3 mins.
There is no rose of such virtue          

First performance:

Dorking Choral Society, cond. Philip White
SSAATTBB and Orchestra (1.1.1.1: 1.1.0.0: Str) or Keyboard
Publisher: Musography
21.11.92: Dorking Parish Church
9 mins.
Three Carols  op. 78a  from "Christmas Cantata"      

First performance:

New Cambridge Singers, cond. Christopher Brown
SSAATTBB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
1 - 9.12.06: Linton  2 - 1.12.07: Braughing  3 - 11.12.10: Balsham
9 mins.
Three Early English Carols          

First performance:

Baccholian Singers
TTBarBarB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
15.6.73: Carlisle
12 mins.
Three Medieval Carols  op. 37a        

First performance:

Dean Close School Chapel Choir, cond. David Lepine
SATB and Organ or Orchestra (2.2.2.2: 2.2.2.0: Str)
Publisher: Musography
December 1960: Dean Close School
3 mins.
'Twas in a cave          

First performance:

Baccholian Singers
TTBarBarB unaccompanied
Publisher: Musography
15.6.73: Carlisle
4 mins.
Welcome! Our Messias  op. 37a        
also contained in "Three Medieval Carols"