The Best Carol Arrangements

[Mary Chambers]

Patrick Hadley's setting of 'I sing of a Maiden' too....

I don't think the Hadley and Berkeley settings of I sing of a maiden are arrangements, are they? They are original compositions, as are Britten's and, as far as I know, Holst's. I take 'arrangement' to mean a composer's version of an existing melody, not an original setting of existing words.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I don't think the Hadley and Berkeley settings of I sing of a maiden are arrangements, are they? They are original compositions, as are Britten's and, as far as I know, Holst's. I take 'arrangement' to mean a composer's version of an existing melody, not an original setting of existing words.

Yes, that's what I had in mind when I started the thread.

[ardcarp]

I was beginning to wonder if we were talking about arrangements or original settings.
Several people have mentioned esteemed Willcocks arrangements, but one of them, Resonemus Laudibus, doesn't seem to get done much these days. It's quite 'modernistic' (silly word) for Willcocks, and is, IMO, a jolly good one.

Then of course there's Deck the Halls done by the Kings Singers, complete with Kazoos. Is that a Langford arrangement?

[muticus]

Weir - Illuminari Jerusalem - that wonderful moment when the organ appears after the choir have been singing a capella - magical!

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Willcocks had his arrangements restored in the King's College Nine Lessons and Carols last Christmas, but I suspect we'll be back to the much less good Cleobury ones again this year.:(

[Wolsey]

Willcocks had his arrangements restored in the King's College Nine Lessons and Carols last Christmas, but I suspect we'll be back to the much less good Cleobury ones again this year.:(

You make it sound as if Willcocks was indulging in covert machinations. Rather, his descants were used to honour his 90th birthday which fell six days after that service.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Yes, I was aware of the reasoning behind it. I just wish they'd do the same for his 91st, 92nd, 93rd...

[secret squirrel]

Now own up, whoever you are who has'nt spotted the HUGE elephant in the room?

You've all been thinking of him, but daren't speak his name for Christmas without one of his arrangements or carols would be 'utterly unthinkable!!!


ss

[Mary Chambers]

I know exactly who you're talking about, but this thread is about the best carol arrangements

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I confess to being a bit dim over this one. Please could you give an extra little hint? :)

[David Underdown]

I can't believe it's not...

[hmvman]

Not a carol 'arrangement' but the way the harmonies are arranged makes for the 'tingle factor' every time - Warlock's "Bethlehem Down".

I love this piece too, moeranbiogman. The choir to which I belong is doing it as part of our Christmas concert and it's lovely to sing too; deceptively tricky! Another piece we're doing and which I like very much is Kenneth Leighton's setting of the Coventry Carol ('Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child').

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

The best single volume of carol arrangements would seem to be "100 Carols for Choirs". It's includes items not in the individual Carols for Choirs volumes, which is slightly galling.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Does anyone recall broadcasts of carol concerts from Liverpool about 30 years ago, conducted by Edmund Walters, with some very flashy orchestrations of traditional carols? I didn't like them much at the time, but if there are any recordings, I wouldn't mind giving them another chance.

[mercia]

Kenneth Leighton's setting of the Coventry Carol ('Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child').

ah - bliss!!

Has anyone mentioned Joys Seven arr. Cleobury (apologies if you have)?