Favourite unacc. carol from past 70 years

[ardcarp]

Having tutted and grumbled for the past two months about premature celebrations of Christmas [e.g. by Tescos, local schools, CFM] I feel it's just about reached the time when it's OK to talk about Christmas Carols. Do any forumistas have a favourite unaccompanied carol written in the last 70 years? Or maybe more than one? And using the word 'carol' in its widest possible sense?

I admit I chose 70 years because my own favourite, Kenneth Leighton's Lully, Lulla, was written in 1948 (while he was still a student) and I didn't want to exclude that. Other faves of mine (not often done, alas) are Peter Aston's Dormi Jesu John Byrt's Both All and Some and Peter Racinr Fricker's A Babe is Born. It's a shame Judith Weir's Illuminare isn't strictly 'unaccompanied' although it very nearly is.

[Pulcinella]

I think that mine has to be Ord's Adam lay ybounden, but some others are way up there (and I'm sure I'll think of more as soon as I post this):
Poston: Jesus Christ the apple tree
Richard Rodney Bennett: Out of your sleep
Lennox Berkeley: I sing of a maiden
Howells: The three carol anthems
And if an arrangement counts:
Praetorius arr Sandström: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

[Serial_Apologist]

Does anybody know: were the carol settings specificially for the children's section of the choir in "Hodie" composed for the work at the time of composing the rest of the work (1954)? Or did Vaughan Williams incorporate them from earlier standalone settings? If the former, I'm having those as my favourites, having sung at least one of them in my school choir..

[Beef Oven!]

Damn! My favourite one is from 71 years ago. Never mind, next time maybe.

[omega consort]

Damn! My favourite one is from 71 years ago. Never mind, next time maybe.

Don't have time to check composition date right now, but if it is within the period, then I would nominate Warlock's Bethlehem Down. I've often said if someone presented a composer with just the melody of this carol and said "write some harmonies", I wonder who would have conjured up what Warlock did!

[ardcarp]

Praetorius arr Sandström: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen

Nice idea that one, but after having heard it several times (over a few years) I find I can do without it! Just a personal thing.
Love the rest of your choices.

Don't have time to check composition date right now, but if it is within the period, then I would nominate Warlock's Bethlehem Down.

It's a purely arbitrary 'limit' anyway. In which case I'll include Britten's Shepherd's Carol otherwise know as 'O lift your little pinkie'.

[DracoM]

Bethlehem Down
Jesus Christ, the Apple Tree [ first sung at Felsted School Junior School Ch under their much-prized MD Bob Barsby - as I understand ]

[Vox Humana]

Currently, probably this one:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P6ynPX2C7FI

I have always had a soft spot for Richard Rodney Bennett's Susanni too:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pB8wzt9I8w

Other already mentioned:
Howells: A Spotless Rose (although I am getting a bit tired of it) - although, come to think of it, it's outside the specified time window.
R. R. Bennett: Out of your sleep
Leighton: Lully lulla

Another I have always enjoyed is Walton's All this time.

[ardcarp]

Richard Rodney Bennett's Susanni too:

Yes! Another one that seems to have gone off the radar.

[rauschwerk]

Yes! Another one that seems to have gone off the radar.

I have sung and enjoyed Susanni quite a lot in recent years, most recently just a few weeks ago.

[Pulcinella]

Howells: A Spotless Rose (although I am getting a bit tired of it) - although, come to think of it, it's outside the specified time window.

I did wonder about that, and was relieved when the 70 years became a 'guideline'.

I sang Howard Skempton's Adam lay ybounden last year, and enjoyed that very much too.

[gradus]

Bethlehem Down
The Angel Gabriel

[Vox Humana]

Howells: A Spotless Rose (although I am getting a bit tired of it) - although, come to think of it, it's outside the specified time window.

I did wonder about that, and was relieved when the 70 years became a 'guideline'.

I have just realised that A Spotless Rose will be 100 years old next year. Crumbs. It doesn't sound that old to me.

[Serial_Apologist]

Don't have time to check composition date right now, but if it is within the period, then I would nominate Warlock's Bethlehem Down. I've often said if someone presented a composer with just the melody of this carol and said "write some harmonies", I wonder who would have conjured up what Warlock did!

Bethlehem Down was composed in 1927, and thus lies outside the time frame.

[cloughie]

Gaudete - you did mean 700!