Midnight of your Birth 5 Carols for Upper Voices
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Bob Chilcott has become one of the world's most widely performed composers and arrangers of choral music. His compositional output reflects his wide taste in music styles and his commitment to writing music that is both singable and communicative. He has been involved in choral music most of his life he was a chorister and then a choral scholar in the choir of King's College, Cambridge, and was a member of the British vocal group The King's Singers for whom he made a number of popular arrangements of well-known songs from all genres. As well as being a full-time composer he is also a highly acclaimed choral conductor. He has been privileged to conduct many choirs all over the world. He is Principal Guest Conductor of The BBC Singers and in 2019 he was appointed Principal Conductor of Birmingham University Singers. His music has been widely recorded by many choirs and groups including The King's Singers, Tenebrae, and The BBC Singers.The Midnight of your Birth . . . consists of five carols based on original texts by Charles Bennett which have more to do with the impact the Nativity had on nature rather than humanity. It is simply scored for choir and piano, but the piano writing is so diverse and colorful that its contrasts actually enhance the quality of the vocal writing. It . . . evokes a deep sense of peaceful reflection on the meaning of the season.
Jean-Yves Duperron, http://www.classicalmusicsentinel.com, December 2019
One carol is entirely in unison, while the other four use three independent parts, and one carol features a mezzo-soprano solo throughout. The piano accompaniment is idiomatic and not particularly challenging. Texts for each are written by Chilcott's frequent collaborator, Charles Bennett, and they feature plentiful imagery from the natural world,especially birds. Chilcott's note in the score highlights his desire to imbue the carols with memorable melodies and tunes that make the most of the timbre of upper voices. He is in his most broad style here, with syncopations and harmonic idioms drawn from popular styles. His proficiency in writing for voices is evident on each page, and the pieces are interesting for both listener and performer. Whether performed singly or as a group, these new carols are a welcome addition to seasonal music for treble choirs.
Jason Overall, Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, November 19
Christmas carols, sacred and secular, have often referred to nature, including trees (cherry, holly) and birds (swans, geese, doves). These five carols, with words by Charles Bennett, make striking use of images from the natural world. . . Scorings vary from unison to SSA, and with a solo voice. Bob Chilcott writes that 'I have always felt that carols need tunes and I have done my best to write some that might stick in the memory.' He has done so with a delightful freshness and artful simplicity.
Gordon Appleton, CMQ Sunday by Sunday, September 2018
The new carol texts make for a semi-continuous cycle, employing nature as an invocation for incarnation. The poetry is more suggestive of the Nativity narrative rather than a rehashing of conventional details, and the thematic center is a message of kindness and welcome. Musically, Chilcott is firmly in his personal idiom, a style that flirts with some commercial tendencies without ever abandoning accepted ecclesiastical reserve. He writes ably for voices, and the lines nearly sing themselves. These would be attainable for most treble choirs . . . The music is charming in the best of senses, and at times even bewitching . . . Each of the pieces could also be excerpted and would stand alone well.
Jason Overall, Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, November 2018
Demands on the choir are modest, and these pieces are accessible to a wide range of ensembles. For those familiar with Katie Melua's album or wanting attractive settings of popular carols, these four arrangements will be a welcome arrival.
Jason Overall, Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians, November 2018