Carol Symphony

Carol Symphony

Carol Symphony is a collection of four preludes, written by Victor Hely-Hutchinson in 1927. It is based on four Christmas carols, given additional orchestration and counterpoint arrangements. The four movements are written to be played uninterrupted consecutively.

The first movement (Allegro energico) is based on "O Come All Ye Faithful". The second movement is a scherzo (Allegro molto moderato) on "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen". The third movement (Andante quasi lento e cantabile) is a slow movement whose outer sections are based on the Coventry Carol, with a central interlude on "The First Noël". The finale (Allegro energico come prima) recapitulates material from the first movement, and also uses "Here We Come A-Wassailing" before concluding with a re-statement of "O Come All Ye Faithful".

Two sections from the "First Noël" section were used for the opening and closing titles of the 1984 BBC adaptation of John Masefield's "The Box of Delights". It featured a recording conducted by Barry Rose in 1966 of the Pro Arte Orchestra at Guildford Cathedral. During World War II, the book had been adapted for radio on the BBC's "Children's Hour", and Hely-Hutchinson's same music had been used.

For many people who grew up listening to radio Children's Hour programmes, the haunting harp theme in the Symphony as the First Noel motif starts is as magically evocative of the spirit of Christmas as is the lone chorister who starts to sing "Once in Royal David's City" at the beginning of the King's College, Cambridge Festival of Lessons and Carols.

External links

* [http://www.bbc.co.uk/cult/classic/box/ Title sequence from "The Box of Delights"]
* [http://www.emusic.com/samples/m3u/song/10874277/13525670.m3u Coventry Carol]
* [http://www.emusic.com/samples/m3u/song/10874277/13525670.m3u God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen]
* [http://www.content.loudeye.com/scripts/hurl.exe?clipid=033989901170000020&cid=600161 The First Noel]
* [http://www.emusic.com/samples/m3u/song/10874277/13525669.m3u O Come All Ye Faithful]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-BxxdE9GvZc Opening sequence of the Box of Delights (YouTube)]
* [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aUPIkVAmkcY Closing sequence (YouTube)]


Wikimedia Foundation. 2010.

Игры ⚽ Нужно решить контрольную?

Look at other dictionaries:

  • Carol (music) — Carols redirects here. For the Ayumi Hamasaki song, see Carols (song). A carol is a festive song, generally religious but not necessarily connected with church worship, and often with a dance like or popular character. Today the carol is… …   Wikipedia

  • Carol Neblett — (born February 1, 1946, in Modesto, California) is an American operatic soprano. She studied at the University of California, Los Angeles, and in 1969, made her stage debut with the New York City Opera, playing the part of Musetta in Puccini s La …   Wikipedia

  • Carol Burnett — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Carol Burnett Carol Burnett en la Casa Blanca en 2005 Nombre real Carol Creighton Burnett Nacimiento 26 de abril de 19 …   Wikipedia Español

  • Carol Jantsch — (born Carolyn Mae Jantsch, in Ohio, March 8, 1985[1]) is an American tuba player. She is the daughter of a medical doctor and a Kenyon College vocal music teacher, Nancy Jantsch.[2] She began to study piano at age 6, and the euphonium at age 9.… …   Wikipedia

  • Carol Truax — (3 October, 1899 June 1986) was an American music administrator and an author of many cookbooks. She was noted both for her time as Executive Director of Fine Arts at Colorado College (1945 – 1951), and also as consultant in Fine Arts to the… …   Wikipedia

  • Carol Vaness — Saltar a navegación, búsqueda Carol Vaness (San Diego, 27 de julio de 1952) es una soprano estadounidense. Soprano lírico dramática de importantes medios y esmaltado timbre considerada una de las mejores Fiordiligi de Cosí fan tutte, Donna Anna… …   Wikipedia Español

  • Symphony Hour — was a cartoon made by Walt Disney starring Mickey Mouse in 1942.Mickey leads a radio orchestra who performs the overture to Light Cavalry (by Franz von Suppé). The sponsor (Pegleg Pete as Mr. Sylvester Macaroni) loves the rehearsal, but come the… …   Wikipedia

  • Carol Williams (organist) — Dr. Carol Williams, International Concert Organist, San Diego Civic Organist and Artistic Director of the Spreckels Organ Society Carol Anne Williams D.M.A., ARAM, FRCO, FTCL, ARCM is a Welsh born international concert organist, now living in… …   Wikipedia

  • Symphony No. 1 (Brahms) — The Symphony No. 1 in C minor, Op. 68, is a symphony written by Johannes Brahms. Brahms spent at least fourteen years completing this work, whose sketches date from 1854. Brahms himself declared that the symphony, from sketches to finishing… …   Wikipedia

  • Carol of the Bells — The signature repeating four note motif of the song by which listeners automatically recognize it. Carol of the Bells is a highly popular English Christmas carol. It is a choral miniature work by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych as Shchedryk… …   Wikipedia

Share the article and excerpts

Direct link
… Do a right-click on the link above
and select “Copy Link”