Scored for Chorus and Full Orchestra; Duration is 17 minutes
Below are the details regarding this piece.
If you are considering performing this work: Please contact me for purchase and rental information, to obtain a perusal score, or to receive a demo CD of my Holiday Pops music.
Duration & Difficulty Level
Featured Carols
Description
Quotes & Reviews
Instrumentation
Duration & Difficulty Level DURATION: ca. 17 minutes
DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR CHORUS: Moderately Difficult — recommended for professional choirs or high-quality community choirs
DIFFICULTY LEVEL FOR ORCHESTRA: Difficult — recommended only for professional symphony or pops orchestras
"Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" (can also be performed separately)
(Words: Charles Wesley, 1739 ; Melody: Felix Mendelssohn, 1840)
"The First Nowell" (can also be performed separately)
(Words & Melody: Traditional English)
"Deck the Halls" (can also be performed separately)
(Words & Melody: Traditional Welsh)
"Away in a Manger" (Kirkpatrick version) (can also be performed separately)
(Words: Anon., 1885 ; stanza 3, 1892 ; Melody: William J. Kirkpatrick, 1895)
"O Come, All Ye Faithful" (can also be performed separately)
(Words: Latin hymn attr. to John Francis Wade, 1751, tr. by Frederick Oakeley, 1841, alt. by 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. This work is copyright by Peter Bloesch, and all rights are reserved, including the right to perform, record, or broadcast the piece.)
"A Garland of Carols" is a large-scale work in every sense of the term, and will provide you a wonderful opportunity to fully display the caliber of your orchestra and chorus. It seamlessly weaves together five traditional carols by using transitional bridges that are not merely functional but also quite expressive in themselves.
There is a great amount of musical and emotional variety within this work, ranging from the festive opening of "Hark! The Herald Angels Sing" to the hushed reverence of "Away in a Manger," and all the way through to the dramatic extended ending of "O Come, All Ye Faithful." Through its many unexpected turns, this piece will take your audience on a delightful musical journey.
Even though this piece is a bit longer than many other pops pieces out there, I'm convinced that you'll find it to be a compelling and engaging piece from start to finish.
Note: Because of its highly dramatic ending, this piece is particularly well-suited for being placed at the end of a concert, although it can certainly appear elsewhere on the program.
The Cedar Rapids Gazette:
"The Holiday Pops concert was lovely, as always. And therein lies the problem. This sure-fire audience favorite draws huge crowds to the Paramount Theatre year after year to hear the Cedar Rapids Symphony play the songs of the season... But it's always the same songs, the same arrangements, the same sing-along, the same recipe for success... Now give us something we don't expect!
"For one brief shining moment, Peter Bloesch did just that, and it was the highlight of the evening! In 'A Garland of Carols' this young Iowa City composer took five familiar carols, strung them together, then twisted them brilliantly into a gleaming new work...
"The Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale handled the task with grace... Bloesch's orchestral parts were equally thrilling, with unusual harmonies rocking 'Away In A Manger,' before gently laying that segment to rest, then blasting through 'O Come, All Ye Faithful' with chimes and brass blaring."
— The Cedar Rapids Gazette, excerpt from review by Diana Nollen, reprinted with permission. © The Gazette, Cedar Rapids, Iowa.
Joe Harnell, Hollywood composer and arranger:
"How could I be anything but totally blown away by the grandeur and power of your 'Garland of Carols'? A 'tour de force' if I ever heard one! I hope that orchestras around the country will take note of these arrangements, because they're terrific!"
— Joe HarnellFilm Composer and Lecturer; Arranger for many celebrated singers, including Frank Sinatra, Judy Garland, and Beverly Sills
Dr. Randal A. McChesney, choral conductor:
"Peter Bloesch's penchant for the unexpected in works such as the choral/orchestral 'O Holy Night' and 'A Garland of Carols' startles audiences into rapt attention with their texture and beauty. Performances of these works with the Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale and Cedar Rapids Symphony Orchestra earned warm and enthusiastic audience reception.
"Having conducted a number of Peter's works, I can attest to the fact that his choral writing is consistently outstanding and a delight to sing. Accessible and artistic, the work of Peter Bloesch deserves attention and frequent performance."
— Dr. Randal A. McChesneyExecutive Director, Richards Institute of Education and Research; Past President, Choristers Guild Board of Directors; former Director, Cedar Rapids Concert Chorale
Click here for more quotes and reviews of my Holiday Pops music.
Instrumentation for "A Garland of Carols"3 Flutes (2nd and 3rd double on Piccolo), 2 Oboes, 1 English Horn, 3 Clarinets in Bb (3rd doubles on Bass Clarinet), 2 Bassoons, 1 Contrabassoon, 6 Horns, 3 Trumpets in C, 3 Trombones (2 tenors and 1 bass), 1 Tuba
4 Percussionists: 1 timpanist (4 timps) ; 3 percussionists on the following instruments: Glockenspiel, Xylophone, Chimes, Vibraphone, Piatti, Suspended Cymbals, Sizzle Cymbal (suspended), Snare Drum, Triangle, Tambourine, Mark Tree, Bell Tree
1 Harp
1 Electronic Keyboard, with the following sounds: acoustic piano, celeste, church organ, and a sound of piano + bells
Strings
SATB Chorus
