"In the bleak mid-winter" [Matthew Whittall]

"In the bleak mid-winter" [Matthew Whittall]

First line of lyrics: In the bleak mid-winter

Part of: "Christmas Hath a Darkness: Four Carols for Advent"

Whittall, Matthew; music (Canadian-Finnish, born 1975)

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

2007 [composition]; 2017 [publication] [copyright]

Fennica Gerhman

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

solo: soprano

chorus: SATB voices with divisi

instrumentation: a cappella

initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats

origin: Canada

male composer

English

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

Place in the larger work: The third song of four in the song cycle called "Christmas Hath a Darkness: Four Carols for Advent," settings of Christina Rossetti poems, including 1. "This Advent Moon"; 2. "Earth grown old"; 3. In the bleak mid-winter"; 4. "Love came down at Christmas."

Composition history: "This cycle of carols, to the poetry of Christina Rossetti, was assembled piecemeal over a number of years, gradually acquiring a larger dramatic and harmonic arch shape as new settings were added. I was particularly attracted to Rossetti’s conflation of the dark, fallow winter landscape with that of the soul waiting for salvation" (Whittall).

Tempo markings: "freely, simple, folk-like"; quarter note = 72-76

Dedication: "for HOL"

Format 1: musical score

3 pages (pp. 31-33); performance time 3 minutes

Other data reference(s): "Christmas Hath a Darkness: Four Carols for Advent (2007-2016)." Matthew Whittall Composer, http://www.mwhittall.com/compositions/christmas-hath-a-darkness-four-carols-for-advent-2007-2016/. Accessed 13 June 2019.

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

musical score: Morriset Library, University of Ottawa, Ottawa

This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "Matthew Whittall: Christmas Hath a Darkness - Four carols for Advent." https://www.fennicagehrman.fi/news-item/news/matthew-whittall-christmas-hath-a-darkness-four-carols-for-advent/?tx_news_pi1%5Bcontroller%5D=News&tx_news_pi1%5Baction%5D=detail&cHash=82ff3ba5ca54750b46afa016b05c3208. Accessed 13 June 2019.

Record: CRM-christmascarolinthebleak-whittall

"© 2017 Fennica Gehrman Oy, Helsinki"

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