"A Symphony of Carols" Scored for SATB Choir, Soprano Soloist, Chamber Orchestra, and Organ;  Duration is 45 minutes

Information about "A Symphony of Carols"Duration & Difficulty Level
Featured Carols
Description
Sound Clips
Get the CD
Quotes & Reviews
Instrumentation
Important Performance Notes

Duration & Difficulty Level

DURATION:  ca. 45 minutes

DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR CHOIR:  Moderate to Difficult — recommended for high-quality community, college, or church choirs 

DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR ORCHESTRA:  Difficult — recommended only for professional players

Carols Featured in "A Symphony of Carols"Ten carols, woven together into one seamless work:

"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing"  (ca. 4:30)
(Words: Charles Wesley, 1739;  Melody: Felix Mendelssohn, 1840)

"Susani"  (ca. 4:50)
(Words: Peter Bloesch, © 1996;  Melody: Traditional German)

"Personent Hodie"  (ca. 3:20)
(Words & Melody from Piae Cantiones, 1582)

"From Heaven Above to Earth I Come"  (ca. 0:45)
(Words: Martin Luther, ca. 1535, tr. by Catherine Winkworth, 1855;  Melody from Geistliche Lieder, 1539)

"See, Amid the Winter's Snow"  (ca. 6:45)
(Words: Edward Caswall, 1858;  Melody:  John Goss, 1871)

"I Saw Three Ships"  (ca. 5:45)
(Words & Melody: traditional English)

"Once in Royal David's City"  (ca. 7:00)
(Words: Cecil F. Alexander, 1848;  Melody: Peter Bloesch, © 1995)

"Coventry Carol"  (ca. 4:30)
(Words & Melody from the Pageant of the Shearmen and Tailors, 16th century)

"Ding Dong! Merrily on High"  (ca. 3:30)
(Words: G.F. Woodward (1848-1934);  Melody: 16th-century French)

"O Come, All Ye Faithful"  (ca. 4:20)
(Words: Latin hymn attr. to John Francis Wade, 1751, tr. by Frederick Oakeley, 1841, alt. Peter Bloesch, 2001;  Melody: John Francis Wade's "Cantus Diversi," 1751)

(Note: This is an original work based on carols whose words and melodies are in the public domain, with the exception of the words to "Susani" and the melody of "Once in Royal David's City," both of which are original and are copyright by Peter Bloesch.  This work as a whole is copyright by Peter Bloesch, and all rights are reserved, including the right to perform, record, or broadcast the piece.)

Description of "A Symphony of Carols"Because of the great variety within this piece, "A Symphony of Carols" will hold your audience's attention throughout - from the festive opening of "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," to the gently flowing lullaby of "Susani"...  from the stark, medieval sound of "Personent Hodie" to the lush orchestrations of "See Amid the Winter's Snow"...  from the rollicking fun of "I Saw Three Ships" to the mysticism of the "Coventry Carol"...  and from the playfulness of "Ding Dong! Merrily on High" to the triumphant majesty of "O Come, All Ye Faithful."

 

PROGRAM NOTES FROM THE CD BOOKLET, BY PETER BLOESCH:

"For as long as I can remember, Christmas carols have nourished and inspired me.  Among all types of music, they have a unique and universal appeal, uniting us in a shared expression of joy and good will.  They are at once old and fresh;  profound and simple;  to be shared and to be kept within one's heart. 

"It is their wonderful simplicity that made these carols enormously appealing to me as a composer, for their bold, simple melodies allow a composer to do much more than just arrange them, but to actually transform them.  This is probably most apparent in 'I Saw Three Ships,' in which the chorus's nine verses are interrupted halfway through by an orchestral interlude which has fun making many playful variations on the simple theme. 

"Choosing which carols to include was not an easy task, but I eventually settled on these nine traditional carols, supplementing them with a new music setting I composed for the text 'Once in Royal David's City.'  By weaving these ten carols together into a single flowing piece, I sought to create a cumulative effect more powerful and captivating than an individual presentation of the carols could afford. 

"I have thoroughly enjoyed every aspect of creating this piece, and I feel honored to share with you the simple and yet profound joy intrinsic in these carols."

Sound Clips

(Please note: These sound clips are being presented for demo purposes only, and all music on this website is copyright by Peter Bloesch, with all rights reserved.  Any unauthorized use or duplication of this music is prohibited.)

• "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (beginning)
  
• "Susani" (middle)
  
• Transition from "Susani" into "Personent Hodie"
  
• "See, Amid the Winter's Snow" (ending)
  
• "I Saw Three Ships" (beginning)
  
• "I Saw Three Ships" (ending)
• Transition from "Coventry Carol" into "Ding Dong! Merrily on High"
  
• Transition from "Ding Dong! Merrily on High" into "O Come, All Ye Faithful"
  
• "O Come, All Ye Faithful" (ending of entire piece)

How to Obtain the CD

FOR THOSE CONSIDERING PERFORMING THE PIECE:

This CD is available to you at no charge, as a Demo CD.  Simply contact me and describe your interest in "A Symphony of Carols."

 

FOR THE GENERAL PUBLIC:

Please contact me for ordering information.  The price per CD is $17.00, which includes S&H and any applicable sales tax.  Discounted S&H is available for multiple copies ordered at one time.

Selected Quotes and Reviews of "A Symphony of Carols" Robert Lindsey Nassif, Broadway composer:

"Peter, every year I love playing your CD of 'A Symphony of Carols.'  It's my favorite holiday CD and really captures the magic and majesty of the season.  Your arrangements are so creative, masterful, and imaginative, and always put me immediately in the holiday spirit!"

— Robert Lindsey Nassif
Award-winning Broadway composer and arranger of holiday music

Dr. Gerhard Krapf, composer:

"Peter, I am most impressed by your composition, 'A Symphony of Carols,' and its wonderful 'rightness,' integrity, and sincerity.  You have selected a beautiful sequence of carols, have mastered the formal challenge, and have embued the piece with a cohesive musical message - and all of this supported by your fine compositional technique, sense of color (beautiful scoring), and instrumentation.  Congratulations!"

— Dr. Gerhard Krapf
Composer, retired Professor of Organ, and Founder of the Organ Department at The University of Iowa

Dr. Eldon Obrecht, Professor of Music Theory and Composition:

"Your composition, 'A Symphony of Carols,' is an impressive achievement.  I appreciated the variety in both the length and technique of your transitions between carols.  I appreciated, even envied, the skill of your vocal part-writing.  Few composition students could do this.  You have created an effective and well-crafted work.  It should have a place in the standard choral repertoire."

— Dr. Eldon Obrecht
Retired Professor of Music Theory, Composition, and Double Bass at The University of Iowa

Instrumentation for "A Symphony of Carols"(Also see Important Performance Notes 1 and 2, below.)

1 Flute (doubles on Piccolo), 1 Oboe, 2 Clarinets in Bb and A, 1 Bassoon, 2 Horns, 2 Trumpets in Bb, 1 Trombone

2 Percussionists on the following instruments:  Glockenspiel, Chimes, Piatti, Suspended Cymbals, Sizzle Cymbal (suspended), Snare Drum, Triangle, Tambourine, Mark Tree, Finger Cymbal, Timpani (2 timps)

1 Harp

Organ (Please see Important Performance Notes: No. 3, below.)

Strings (at least 4, 4, 2, 2, 1)

SATB Choir (at least 50 voices, but the more the better) with Soprano Soloist

Important Performance Notes for "A Symphony of Carols"1.)  SIZE OF CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

"A Symphony of Carols" was written in such a way that the orchestration is an integral part of the drama and character of the piece.  Therefore, it is not possible to reduce the size of the chamber orchestra as it is listed above, nor is it possible to perform the work with an orchestral reduction for piano or organ.  

There is a piano/vocal score available that uses a crude piano reduction of the orchestra, but this piano part is for rehearsal purposes only and cannot be used in performance as a substitute for the chamber orchestra.  

 

2.)  DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR CHAMBER ORCHESTRA

Please note that while the level of difficulty for the chorus is only moderately difficult, the level of difficulty for the chamber orchestra, on the other hand, is difficult, meaning that the orchestral parts are recommended only for professional players.  This is an important consideration to take into account when planning to perform this piece.  

 

3.)  ROLE OF THE ORGAN IN THIS PIECE:

The organ's role in this piece is subtle but crucial.  While it plays in only three of the ten carols and is never featured as a soloist, it nonetheless provides an important harmonic underpinning to the chamber orchestra, helping the chamber orchestra to sound larger than it actually is.  In other words, this work is not a showcase for the organ.  The desired effect of the organ is to help create a fuller-sounding orchestra, without the audience being aware that the organ is even playing.  

 

4.)  THROUGH-COMPOSED NATURE OF THIS PIECE:

This is a through-composed piece written as one long movement (ca. 45 minutes), without breaks.  Due to the integral nature of the the transitional bridges that tie all the carols together (and due to the overall dramatic contour of the piece), it is not possible to perform an abbreviated version of "A Symphony of Carols."

Nor is it possible, at this time, to extract individual carols from this work and perform them as isolated movements, since in their current state, none of the carols has a true "beginning and ending."

I do have plans, however, to extract several individual carols from the work (such as "Susanni," "See Amid the Winter's Snow," and "Once in Royal David's City") and to arrange them for choir and keyboard.  When those arrangements are completed, I will list them in the "Church Music" and "Concert Music" sections of this website.  (In the meantime, "Once in Royal David's City" is currently available as an a cappella piece.)