30 Christmas-tide V 4 Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š Š ŠŠŠ Š. Information. Ideas. Starting. Listen out. Teaching and rehearsing.

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1 30 Christmas-tide RESOURCES P CD track 33 P Warm us: Nos. 0a, a, 5a, 7,8b 2 Inormation This carol, another masteriece by Bob Chilcott, has the most exquisite words, which reay reading beore attemting to learn the music. They blend the human and divine, with the message that Mary s love or her child could not be any stronger, even though he was rohesied a king. It has some real close harmony in arts, and although it is written or SATB, the men s arts would suit young baritone voices as the range is symathetic, and the tenor arts manageable. The iano accomaniment suorts the voices very well. Starting Begin with smooth slow scales and long-held notes or breath control. Sing the irst exercise below smoothly, with suorting chords i ossible. Modulate to higher keys, taking the voices as high as you like. At the very least, sing the exercise in the key o the iece, Eb major (as in the second exercise below), beore moving on. V 4 I(C) I(C) VI(Am) Lul-lee, lul-lay lul-lee IV(F) lul - lee, lul-lay Vbbb4 I(Eb) I(Eb) VI(Cm) Lul-lee, lul-lay lul-lee Teaching and rehearsing IV(Ab) lul-lee, lul-lay Learn the melody o bars 5 8 with everyone. Look at bars2 5:thisisthesamemelodylusabar,with dierent words. Stay with this chunk o melody and try the harmony artsinbars3 5.Theyaresimleandmovevery little, and are relatively oen chords comared with other assages. Some sectional work would hel at this oint unless singers can read and learn quite easily all together. Focus on the assages at bars 9 to0, 25 (end) to 27, and 30 to 32. Tenor and baritone will need to ractise their solo in bars 5 9. Suort rom the iano will make this easier, although the Cb in bar 7 has to come rom the singers irst! Likewise the Gb in bar 8. Put the sections together, not worrying too much about very quiet singing or ritenutos and temo changes just now go or continuity. Ideas In the early stages o rehearsing a iece like this, articularly or a young or less exerienced choir taking on new challenges, continuity and a sense o achievement can be accomlished by singing it through with just the main melody. For examle, the soranos and altos could sing bars 5 2; ossibly add the harmony in bars 3 5; boys/men take their solo in bars 5 9; then everyone sings the melody rom bar 2; sorano bars 26 7; then tutti (everyone) the last ive bars. Variations on this idea are ossible to suit your situation. Listen out I the soranos are inding the to F too high, build in some gentle exercises such as sirening (see notes to song No. or warm u No. 35), which will encourage voices into the head voice. Also try some scales which gradually go u high enough. With such close harmony, less exerienced singers lose conidence in holding their notes. Revisit some sectional work and iece the arts together gradually so that the singers can hear where they are in the collective sound. The boys/men may need to work on tone roduction to give their solo some strength. Don t orce voices but encourage singers to roject them. Imrove the tone by using the inger-squeezing technique (see song No. 5, Ideas). In bar 24, make sure the two hrases eel as though they join, desite the rest and large interval. This is only a matter o thinking and intention by the singers! Perorming Theerormancemaybeheledbyincreasingthe temo a little so that longer hrases don t run out o energy. Whatever the temo, the words must be very clear and as exressive as ossible. Follow what s in the music, and let it seak or itsel. 30. Christmas-tide 89

2 30 Christmas-tide or Joanne Hart Words: Janet Lewis Bob Chilcott Piano Tender and legato i = c.63 4 V bbb4 r - { 4 - m esress. Vbbb. e t 4 S/(A) m dolce cantabile Lul - lee, lul- lay, I could not love thee more i V bbb r { e. e. e. m dolce T. B. Vbbb. 7 e q r t e t thou wast Christ the King. Now tell me, how did Ma-ry know that V bbb.. e e.. e e. r { Christmas-tide Oxord University Press 997 and 2004

3 the Lord o ev - ery - thing? Vbbb t e 4. in her womb should slee and grow oo. 4 V bbb e. e r. 4 {. 4 Vbbb. e. e q.. Lul - lee, lul-lay, an an - gel stood with her who. e e q.. V bbb r t e r t e. {.. Vbbb r q said, t m cantabile m m That which doth stir like sum - mer in thy side shall V bbb r. = {. m Piano art bars 3 4 ad lib. 30. Christmas-tide 9

4 Vbbb 7 b t b b save the world rom sin. Then sta - ble, hall and inn shall che - rish V bbb. b b b b b {. b b b Vbbb 4. e = Lul - lee, lul-lay, and 4. 9 cresc. cresc. a temo dolce V bbb = = bb. 4 r t b e { b bb. 4 e. e. Christ-mas-tide. dolce a temo dolce Vbbb t t V bbb.. e e. { e.. 22 so it was that Day. And did she love Him more be - cause an Christmas-tide

5 Vbbb t e t e t e t e an- gel came to ro-he-sy His name? Ah no, not so, she t e t e e e t t V bbb. e e. r t e e. r {.. Vbbb e 4 t q oco cresc. oco cresc. oco cresc. could not love Him more, but loved Him just the same. t e 4 q V bbb e. r e. 4 r t e {. 4. Vbbb e e e. F.. 30 dolce Lul e - lee, lul e - lee, lul - lee, lul - lay... e. F V bbb dolce. r t { F.. Ê Piano art bar 3 ad lib. e F 30. Christmas-tide 93

6 30 Christmas-tide or Joanne Hart T. B. Words: Janet Lewis Vbbb44 Tender and legato i = c.63 4 S/(A) m dolce cantabile. Vbbb. 7 Bob Chilcott e t Lul - lee, lul - lay, I could not love thee more i e q r t e t thou wast Christ the King. Now tell me, how did Ma - ry know that the Lord o ev- ery - thing? Vbbb t e 4. q in her womb should slee and grow oo. 4 q 0 m Vbbb. e. e.. r q 3.. e e. Lul - lee, lul-lay, an an - gel stood with her who said, m Christmas-tide m cantabile That which doth stir like This age may be hotocoied Oxord University Press 997 and 2004

7 Vbbb 6 t b t sum - mer in thy side shall save the world rom sin. Then a temo dolce Vbbb 4. e b b Lul - lee, lul-lay, and = 4. 8 cresc. sta-ble, hall and inn shall che-rish Christ-mas-tide. Vbbb t 22 t e so it was that Day. And did she love Him more be-cause an an - gel came to dolce t t e Vbbb t e t e t e e 4 t 25 oco cresc. Oxord University Press 997 and 2004 ro-he-sy His name? Ah no, not so, she could not love Him more, but t e e e 6 4 e t t t 4 oco cresc. dolce Vbbb4 4 q e. e. e.. F e e e. q... F loved Him just the same. Lul-lee, lul-lee, lul-lee, lul - lay. dolce This age may be hotocoied 30. Christmas-tide 95