Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) was one of the most celebrated British composers of the 20th century. He developed his own style as a composer, and wrote opera, orchestral music, songs and was a brilliant pianist. He lived in Suffolk in a place called ‘The Red House’. He wrote lots of music for children’s voices, including the Missa Brevis, Friday Afternoons, and the A Ceremony of Carols.
A Ceremony of Carols In 1942, Britten was on a boat from New York to London when he started to compose seven of the eleven carols. He wrote these pieces for three-part children’s voices (like much of the music we sing in the choir), soloists and harp. Britten carefully set old English texts from a book of poems he had picked up in a shop in Canada, and formed them into one long piece to narrate Jesus’s birth. He then added the ‘Hodie Christus Natus’ chant at the start and the end, and a harp piece in 1943 so that all could be performed from start to finish in church or in a concert.
The Harp The Harp is one of the world’s oldest instruments. It makes sound by strings of different lengths being plucked. The harp appears in artwork of Greek Antiquity (500 BC), when people would sit and listen to poetry while someone played music on the lyre (an early harp). It also appears in artwork in the Vatican, usually played by an angel. By combining this light, thin and floaty sound with high voices, Britten captures a cold winter’s night and a magical story. He uses the warmer lower notes of the harp to point us to the new life of spring, and then leaping glissandi to capture the joy of ‘Deo Gracias’, which means ‘thanks be to God’.
Ceremony of Carols – St John’s College, Cambridge, Directed by George Guest You may notice that the titles and texts are not in Modern English. They are in Middle English, Latin, and some Early Modern English. Which old words in the titles can you spot that sound familiar to you? They may be spelled differently! You can follow the words by clicking here. 1. 0:00 Procession (‘Hodie Christus natus est’) 2. 1:28 Wolcum Yole! 3. 2:48 There is no Rose 4a. 5:22 That yonge child 4b. 7:13 Balulalow 5. 8:32 As dew in Aprille 6. 9:37 This little Babe 7. 11:00 Interlude (harp solo - Marisa Robles) 8. 15:02 In Freezing Winter Night 9. 19:06 Spring Carol 10. 20:22 Deo Gracias 11.21:33 Recession (‘Hodie’)
Tasks 1. 2. 3. 4.
Listen to all of the Ceremony of Carols in a quiet place. While you listen, follow the words. As you listen, write down whatever comes into your imagination. Which is your favourite part of the Ceremony of Carols? On the top of a piece of paper, write the title of your favourite movement, for example ‘Deo Gracias’ or ‘There is no rose’. Draw a picture to illustrate it. 5. In the middle of the Ceremony of Carols is a beautiful solo harp piece (click the link). Write a poem to accompany this harp piece. It can be as long or as short as you like.
Figure 1 – The Red House Figure 2 – Fesco at the Vatican Figure 3 – Harp score of A Ceremony of Carols