"In the Bleak Mid-Winter" [Benjamin Britten]

"In the Bleak Mid-Winter" [Benjamin Britten]

First line of lyrics: In the bleak mid-winter

Part of: "A Boy Was Born"

Britten, Benjamin; music (English, 1913-1976)

Rossetti, Christina Georgina; text (English, 1830-1894)

Anonymous; text ("Corpus Christi Carol")

1932-33 [composition]; 1934 [publication]

London: Oxford University Press

genre: choral music|carol|Christmas music|sacred music|song|song cycle

chorus: women’s SSAA chorus|boys' unison choir

instrumentation: organ

initial sharps/flats: one flat

initial time signature: 4/4|12/8

origin: United Kingdom

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "A Christmas Carol" ("In the bleak mid-winter")

Place in the larger work: The fifth variation in a song cycle called "A Boy Was Born," which includes Theme: "A Boy Was Born" (anon. 16th century); Variation 1: "Lullay, Jesu" (anon. before 1536); Variation 2: "Herod" (anon. 15th century); Variation 3: "Jesu, as Thou art our saviour" (anon. 15th century); Variation 5: "In the bleak mid-winter" (Christina Rossetti; anon. 15th century); Finale: "Noel!" (anon. 15th century; Thomas Tusser; Francis Quarles)

Work contains texts by multiple authors

Notes about the text: The score includes a preface that states that it is "Reprinted from the Poetical Works of Christina Rossetti by permission of Messrs Macmillan & Co. Ltd." (vii). It also includes the text of the anonymous Corpus Christi Carol: "Anon. (before 1536). (Ancient English Christmas Carols.)" (viii).

Tempo markings: "Andante molto moderato (ma comodo il canto)"; quarter note = 66-68; for boys, dotted quarter note = 66-68

Performance instructions: The music is polyrhythmic; each chorus sings in a different time signature at the same time. The women's SSAA chorus sings in 4/4 time while the boys' unison choir sings in 12/8 time.

Performance history: First performed in 1934 (Ezust).

Dedication: "To my father"

Format 1: musical score

6 pages (pp. 38-43); performance time 5 minutes

In reference to the published works below: Gooch and Thatcher 4286

Reference: Gooch, Bryan N.S. and David S. Thatcher. Musical Settings of Early and Mid-Victorian Literature: A Catalogue. New York: Garland, 1979.

Reference: Ezust, Emily. The LiederNet Archive. http://www.lieder.net/lieder/index.html

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

musical score: University of Alberta Library, Alberta

Opus: 3

Record: CRM-christmascarolinthebleak-britten

"Copyright, 1934, by the Oxford University Press, London. The copying of this work by hand in any form--on blackboard or on MS paper--is strictly forbidden as contrary to the Copyright Act of 1911."

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