Christmas Carols

From our Nine Lessons and Carols service

Once in Royal Davids City

Opening Prayer

What can I give him 

(This Carol would have been sung by the Choir )

I arranged many Carols at St Francis over the years, but this is one I composed myself. The words are based on the last verse of Christina Rossetti’s “In the bleak midwinter”.
It was composed for Junior & Senior Choir, and in this arrangement the Junior Choir part is represented by the harp, and the Senior Choir the orchestra.  It seemed very appropriate to have this carol here.  What can I give him? - well in these difficult times and in looking to remember our 9 Lessons and Carols, many people have given their time and talents to this project for the love of Christmas, and as in Rossetti’s words, given our hearts.

Lesson 1

O Come, O Come Emmanuel
 

Lesson 2

Good Christians all rejoice

Lesson 3

Sans Day Carol

 (This Carol would have been sung by the Choir )

Lesson 4

Marys boy Child

Lesson 5

O little Town of Bethlehem

Lesson 6

Calypso Carol

Lesson 7

It came upon the midnight clear
 

Lesson 8

Christmas Lullabye (John Rutter)

 (This Carol would have been sung by the Choir )

Over the past 12 years, it has become a tradition at St Francis to include a John Rutter carol in our 9 Lessons and Carols Service.  As this incentive is all about tradition, it seems appropriate to continue this.  Christmas Lullabye is one of his lesser known carols, but one we have sung a few times, and was composed in 1989 as a commission for The Bach Choir in celebration of the 70th Birthday of David Willcocks (another “Christmas name”).  For this version, I have scored the upper parts as flutes, and the men as brass, with a string accompaniment.

Lesson 9

O Come all ye Faithful
 

Closing Prayer

Hark the Herald Angles Sing