Advent and Christmas greetings!
Choral
Over the years I’ve written a great deal of music for Christmas, so it’s not surprising that this time is the busiest for performances of my pieces, and it is really gratifying to know of so many singers learning my music and hopefully enjoying the process and the performance. I’ve been combing the internet for details of performances this month and I’ve found each of my three Christmas cantatas, and also many individual carols: here’s the cantatas:
A Feast for Christmas – performances in Weybridge (Walton Voices) and Buxton (Buxton Musical Society)
O Come, Emmanuel – performances in Virginia Beach, USA, Stockholm, Sweden, and Hitchin, UK
A Light in the Stable – performances in Andover (Andover Choral Society), Wakefield (Yorkshire Philharmonic Choir), and Faringdon (Faringdon Singers)
And in terms of individual carols, my Sweet babe, sang she is getting some good outings this year, including a recording and performance by St Martin’s Voices (director Andrew Earis) and performances by The Sixteen (director Harry Christophers) at London’s Cadogan Hall and Trinity College Chapel, Cambridge – also to be broadcast on BBC R3 on 23rd December.
Piano
Jan and I have been working together on a series of short piano pieces for relaxation and meditation – more about that next year.
As well, we are continuing to add pieces to the Janet and Alan Bullard Piano Series, and also I’ve been adding pieces to the Piano Prayer and Praise series – the newest one is Eventide (Abide with me), and Noel Nouvelet, which I did last year, is particularly appropriate for the Christmas season.
Organ
Editing The Oxford Hymn Settings volumes 8 and 9 (see Newsletter 17) gave me the taste for writing more organ preludes; and newly released are
Hyfrydol (Church Organ World) in Sortie Sorted vol. 2
Two Preludes on Veni Creator Spiritus (first performed at Chelmsford Cathedral) YouTube here
Pavane and Galliard for chamber organ (for Carson Cooman) details here
Just a reminder, too, about my two sets of organ preludes published by Banks Music Publications, for Christmas, and Lent/Easter. There are recordings of all of these (as well as of those published by Church Organ World and a few published by OUP) on YouTube, performed by the indefatigable Steven Maxson.
Six Dances
I was delighted to give a recital with my saxophonist son, Sam, at Lion Walk Church in the centre of Colchester in the autumn. It included the first performance of my Six Dances for alto saxophone and piano – a reworking of my Six Dances for Four Hands (piano duet). This version, together with separate ones for tenor sax and for clarinet, are all on sale from Colne Edition. Here’s a recording of the performance.
Details of all the pieces mentioned here are on my website.
We all have our own ways of celebrating Christmas, of course, and for me, church services help to remind me what it’s all about – I’m taking part in two Lessons and Carols Services – singing in in a city centre church, and directing a ‘once-a-year’ choir in a small village church. Two very different services in different environments – but the same Christmas message, of joy and peace.
Very best wishes to you all from me and my family to all readers: may Christmas bring you joy, and the New Year peace and happiness!