Following on from 'I Saw Three Ships and other carols', this is the second volume of beautifully arranged carols performed by the Manor House String Quartet.

23 MP3 Songs in this album (61:57) !
Related styles: Classical: String Quartet, Holiday: Classical, Mood: Christmas

People who are interested in Christmas Holiday Music String Quartet should consider this download.


Details:
Following on from the 2010 release of âI Saw Three Ships and Other Carolsâ, this is a second volume of Christmas carols arranged for string quartet. This collection continues in a similar vein, but has developed a life of its own, exploring the Christmas musical tradition from countries such as France, Germany, Ireland and the Ukraine - as well as many well loved carols from the British Isles. Researching the history of these carols has made me aware of the often piecemeal nature of their development (such as âThe Twelve Days of Christmasâ and âJingle Bellsâ), where luck often played a part in arriving at the final versions that we know and love today. Many started life in a non-religious form or for purposes other than being played at Christmas (âGood King Wenceslasâ and âHark! The Herald Angels Singâ being two well-known examples). Whatever their origins, we hope that by re-arranging and harmonising these pieces for string quartet, we have given them a fresh feel, with original counter melodies illuminating the traditional tunes in an authentic way. Vaughan Jones 2011

The Carols

Sussex Carol. The words and melody now used for this carol were written down by two pioneers of English folk music collection: Cecil Sharp and Ralph Vaughan Williams. Sharp collected his version in Buckland, Gloucestershire whereas Vaughan Williams gathered his from a Harriet Verrall of Monkâs Gate, near Horsham, Sussex. This is how it acquired the title âSussex Carolâ and is the most popular version nowadays, being published in 1919.

Il est Né, le Divin Enfant. Grosjean's âAirs des Noêl Lorrainâ published in 1862 contains the melody for this carol, where it is entitled 'Ancien Air de Chasse'. It does bear a similarity with an ancient hunting tune from Normandy called 'Tête Bizardeâ and it has also been speculated that it may have originated in the 18th century as a composition in a rustic style. It has a fanfare like quality which lends itself to ornamentation and can also be performed as a gavotte.
Joy to the World. The melody we now know as âJoy To the Worldâ is often called âAntiochâ and has been accredited to the prolific American hymn writer Lowell Mason. Many still assume it is the work of George Frideric Handel but it seems more likely that Mason took snippets of Handelâs music and formed a convincing pastiche of the great masterâs style. It is an uplifting melody and melds perfectly with the words (which were written 120 years previously by the English hymn writer Isaac Watts in 1719).
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear. The words of this carol were written in 1849 by the Unitarian minister Edmund Sears from Massachusetts. From there it evolved a parallel existence; being sung in the United States to a melody by Richard Storrs Willis called âCarolâ (written in 1850) and known in Britain by a traditional tune called âNoelâ which Arthur Sullivan arranged in 1874.
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing. Felix Mendelssohn composed the melody for this famous carol as a chorus in his 1840 cantata âFestgesangâ. It was not intended for religious use as the work was written to commemorate Johann Gutenberg's invention of the printing press! Equally interesting is the scoring Mendelssohn originally employed for this tune, with bass trombones and tubas accompanying the tenors and basses of the chorus to produce some murky sonorities in the lower registers. It was re-harmonised by William H. Cummings in 1855 and set to a text by Charles Wesley written in 1739. Wesley expected his words to be set to solemn music and would have no doubt been as surprised as Felix Mendelssohn at the unlikely marriage which finally immortalised them â so is the often strange history of familiar carols which we might otherwise assume were always thus.
Good King Wenceslas. This famous 13th century carol was originally meant as a celebration of spring and was entitled âTempus Adest Floridumâ (âThe Time for Floweringâ). It was published in 1582 in the Finnish collection âPiae Cantionesâ, a copy of which found its way into the hands of the British ambassador to Sweden, G. J. R. Gordon in 1853 who presented it to John Mason Neale. Neale then added lyrics concerning a Bohemian Duke who goes forth on the feast of St. Stephen (26th December) to give alms to a beggar. The words are pure Victorian whimsy but have not totally obscured a delightful ancient melody.
Rocking Carol. Collected in the 1920s by a Miss Jacubickova, this traditional Czech carol was originally called âHajej, nynjejâ. The comforting words speak about rocking the infant Jesus and keeping him warm. The melody bears a close resemblance to âTwinkle, twinkle, little starâ and may be Medieval in origin.
Gaudete! Gaudete! Christus est Natus. This was another of the collection of 74 songs known as âPiae Cantionesâ and published in 1582 by the Finnish clergyman and headmaster Jacobus Finno. The piece appears without the verses which seem to have been taken from older chants. It is a song of praise at the birth of Christ as âGod has become man, to the wonderment of natureâ.

We Wish You a Merry Christmas is one of the most enduring and widely arranged of all Christmas songs. It is believed to have originated in the West Country of England where groups of travelling singers (or âwaitsâ) would sing for food and gifts. The lyrics are a plea for festive treats and include the lines âNow bring us some figgy pudding, For we all like figgy pudding, And we wonât go until weâve got some, So bring some out here!â The âfiggy puddingâ in question contained molasses, figs, lemon peel, walnuts and spices.

O Holy Night. Adolphe Adam (the famous composer of the ballet âGiselleâ) wrote this carol in 1847. It was based on the poem âMinuit, Chretiensâ (Midnight, Christiansâ) by a wine merchant and poet Placide Cappeau and was later modified by the American Unitarianist minister John Sullivan Dwight. Despite the religious content of the poem and beauty of the melody it has an operatic feel to it that is reminiscent of Rossiniâs forays into religious music. It is also known as âCantique de Noelâ.

Past Three Oâ Clock. The words to this traditional carol were set to the tune originally known as âLondon Waitsâ by George Ratcliffe Woodward for the âCambridge carol bookâ of 1924. The words of the refrain however can be traced back to Playfordâs âDancing Masterâ of the 17th century. Woodward also provided words for the old French carol that became âDing Dong Merrily on Highâ which is one of the carols included on our first album.

See Amid the Winterâs Snow. The words for this carol (also known as âHymn for Christmas Dayâ) were penned by Edward Caswall and the music composed by John Goss. Goss also wrote the memorable hymn âPraise my Soul, the King of Heavenâ and this carol certainly has a hymnlike quality to it. Goss was a pupil of Thomas Attwood (himself a favourite pupil of Mozart) and went on to teach Arthur Sullivan.

Shakespeareâs Carol. The auuthor of this particular carol was the eighteenth century English composer Thomas Arne. He is reported to have been a difficult character, forcing his favourite singers on to theatre managers so that by the time he reached later life few would employ him. He did have considerable success though (including the patriotic song âRule Brittaniaâ written for the masque âAlfredâ) and this carol was part of a production for the play âAs You Like Itâ.

Jingle Bells. One of the worldâs most popular Christmas songs isnât all that it appears. Written in 1857 by the American James Lord Pierpont it was in fact written for Thanksgiving and entitled âOne Horse Open Sleighâ. Harmonically the original chorus is completely different from the version we are now familiar with and in this arrangement it was decided to incorporate it into the third verse (from the modulation onwards this is how it would have originally sounded!).

O Tannenbaum. This beloved German carol is often translated as âO Christmas Treeâ but itâs exact translation is âO Fir Treeâ. The first appearance of this folk tune seems to date back to 1550 (possibly in Westphalia) with the most popular version being by Ernst Anschutz (who added a second and third verse) in 1824. It is a secular song which praises and draws comfort from the beauty and evergreen fir tree.

Lute Book Lullaby. The title of this breathtakingly beautiful lullaby is âSweet Was the Song the Virgin Sungâ and comes from William Balletâs 1600 collection of lute music which is now housed in the library of Trinity College, Dublin. The bound collection also includes âGreen Sleevesâ and âRobin Hood is to the Greenwood Goneâ. The lullaby is frequently performed by unaccompanied voices and notable harmonisations have been made by Charles Wood and Geoffrey Shaw.

The Shepherdsâ Farewell. âLâAdieu des Bergers a la Sainte Familleâ comes from the sacred trilogy âLâEnfance du Christâ by Hector Berlioz. The full scale choral work depicts the holy familyâs flight to Egypt as angels warn of Herodâs impending massacre. The piece was composed in 1853-4 and the âShepherdâs Farewellâ occurs in the second part. It has become a tradition to perform it at a very slow tempo but Berlioz actually marks it âAllegrettoâ We have recorded this version at his tempo marking and this gives the piece a sense of forward momentum and freshness.

Carol of the Bells. The whole of this carol is created around an ancient Ukrainian four note figure which represents the New Year (celebrated in April). The composer was Mykola Leontovych and he wrote it in 1904 making two other arrangements at a later stage. In the early 1920s it received a performance in New York and itâs celebrity soon spread (the lyrics âRing, Christmas Bellsâ being added in 1947 and further popularising this wonderful piece). Unfortunately the composer never got to enjoy the success it received as he was shot dead by a Chekist agent in early 1921.

To Drive the Cold Winter Away. A version of this song dating from the early 17th century is entitled âA Pleasant Country New Ditty: Merrily Shewing How to Drive the Cold Winter Awayâ. The first two verses (of which 12 verses exist) were written by Tom Durfey, a friend of Charles the second. The song also crops up in Playfordâs âThe English Dancing Masterâ of 1651 as well as in the Pepysian Collection. The song is also well known as âThe Praise of Christmasâ.

Sans Day Carol. This ancient Cornish carol (known in Cornish as âMa Gron Warân Gelinenâ) owes itâs title to the fact that in the 19th century a Reverend Doble committed it to paper after a Reverend Watson sang to him the melody he heard one Thomas Beard singing in the village of St. Day (or Sans Day)! St. Day was named after a Breton Saint much venerated in Cornwall. The words are conversational in style: âNow the holly bears a berry as white as the milk, and Mary bore Jesus, who was wrapped up in silkâ.

O Little Town of Bethlehem. Ralph Vaughan Williams collected the tune âThe Ploughboyâs Dreamâ in 1903 from a Mr. Garman of Forest Green in Surrey. The melody was then combined with the text of âO Little Town of Bethlehemâ which had been written by the American Episcopal Priest Phillips Brooks in 1868. From there it entered into the English Hymnal in 1906 and became another example of a well-known carol (along with âIt Came Upon the Midnight Clearâ) which is known by a completely different melody in the United States to the one familiar in Britain.

Don Oiche Ud i Mbeithil is loosely translated from its original Gaelic as âThat Night in Bethlehemâ. The words tell the nativity story - speaking of the events on the night of Jesusâs birth and end with a message of peace from the angels. In Ireland, there remains a tradition of leaving a lit candle in the window on Christmas Eve, in symbolic welcome of the holy family.

Noel Nouvelet. This energetic French carol dates back to the 1500s and was originally a New Year carol. Many versions have existed through the ages but little is known about itâs origins. The opening lines translate as: âChristmas comes anew, let us sing, Faithful people, let us shout âthanksâ to God!â

Vaughan Jones (Violin and Arranger)
Vaughan is a prolific string arranger who began learning the violin at the age of 8, going on to study at Birmingham Conservatoire and the Royal College of Music, before playing with many of the leading London Orchestras. He now concentrates fully on performing chamber music and working as a string arranger. In recent years he has studied with Hungarian violin teacher Kato Havas and in 2007, switched from an 18th century instrument to a superior hand made violin by luthier Martin McClean of Northern Ireland.
Louise Bevan (Violin)
Louise also composes and arranges music alongside a busy career as a violinist working frequently with the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, the Royal Shakespeare Company and the CBSO. Louise also plays on a modern violin, hand made by luthier William Luff in 1982.In 2007, Louise was invited to perform her 'Five Scandinavian Pieces' at the Dorset Composers' Festival to great acclaim.

Adrian Smith (Viola)

As a soloist Adrian has performed much of the viola repertoire including performances of pieces such as the Bartok Concerto, the Bruch Romance and Hindemith Trauermusik while maintaining a busy career in London orchestras and the West End alongside his work with the quartet. He plays a modern viola made in 2009 by Scottish luthier Ian Ross.

Julia Graham (Violoncello)

Having held positions with the BBC Symphony Orchestra, the English Sinfonia and the orchestra of English National Opera, alongside her work with the Manor House String Quartet, Julia enjoys an active career as one of the busiest freelance cellists in London â regularly being invited to play with groups such as the Academy of St Martins in the Fields, the English Chamber Orchestra and the London Chamber Orchestra. Julia plays on an English Cello made in 1830 by luthier William Booth