"Love came down at Christmas" [David Hamilton]

"Love came down at Christmas" [David Hamilton]

First line of lyrics: Love came down at Christmas

Part of: "Four Carols" / "To the Christ Child"

Hamilton, David; music (New Zealand, born 1955)

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

1991 [copyright] [composition]; 2010 [revised publication]

Helsinki: Sulasol

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

chorus: SATB chorus

instrumentation: a cappella

initial sharps/flats: two flats

initial time signature: 4/4

other version 1 - solo: soprano

other version 1 - chorus: SATB chorus

other version 1 - instrumentation: piano

origin: New Zealand

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "Christmastide"

Place in the larger work: The original version of the setting is the first song of four in the song cycle called "Four Carols," which includes 1. "Love Came Down at Christmas" (Christina Rossetti); 2. "The Shepherds Had An Angel" (Christina Rossetti); 3. "The Childhood of Christ" (Eustace Condor); 4. "Epiphany Carol" (James Lowell). The revised version of the setting is the first song of five in the song cycle called "To the Christ Child," which includes 1. "Love Came Down at Christmas" (Christina Rossetti); 2. "The Angel's Song" (Von Himmel Hoch - Klug's Gesangbuch); 3. "Cradle Hymn" (Isaac Watts); 4. "A Stable Lamp" (Richard Wilbur); 5. "Love Came Down at Christmas (reprise)" (Christina Rossetti).

Composition history: "While overseas in 1989 I came upon the book by Erik Routley A Panorama of Christian Hymnody - a sourcebook of hymns and other sacred texts. These four carols draw their texts from that book: the first two by Christina Rossetti (1830-1894), the third by Eustace Condor (1820-1892), and the fourth by James Lowell (1819-1891). The fact that the poets are contemporaries is quite coincidental - these are texts which appealed and which appear to form a satisfactory cycle (although individual pieces may be performed separately). Love Came Down at Christmas is a popular and widely set Christmas text, and originally appeared in Time Flies: A Reading Diary, while The Shepherds had an Angel comes from Rossetti's Poetical Works. Both texts were originally intended as hymns for children. The Childhood of Christ was also a children's hymn and is drawn from the Congregational Church Hymnal of 1867, whereas the Epiphany Carol appeared in the 1865 publication Songs of the Sanctuary. Over a number of years I have written short Christmas pieces for groups directed by John Rosser - the Summer Singers, Quintessence, the Star Quartet and his fine chamber choir Viva Voce. These four pieces are dedicated to John and Kathryn Rosser as an appreciation for their interest in my music and willingness to perform (and record) it" (Hamilton).

Tempo markings: "gently flowing"; quarter note = c.76

Performance instructions: Revised version includes a soprano solo and piano duet.

Dedication: "For John and Kathryn Rosser"

Format 1: musical score

4 pages; performance time 8 minutes (Four Carols song cycle)

Other data reference(s): Hamilton, David. "Four Carols." Sounz, https://www.sounz.org.nz/works/11734?locale=en#loan-information. Accessed 25 August 2020.
Hamilton, David. "To the Christ Child." Sounz, https://www.sounz.co.nz/resources/13297. Accessed 29 September 2020.
Record for "Love came down at Christmas." WorldCat, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/155720234. Accessed 11 April 2019.

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

musical score from "Four Carols": The National Library of New Zealand, Wellington

musical score from "To the Christ Child": University of Auckland General Library, Auckland

Record: CRM-christmastide-hamilton

File(s): CRM-christmastide-hamilton-ms.pdf; CRM-christmastide-hamilton.pdf

"Copyright © 1991 David Hamilton" (Four Carols version); "COPYRIGHT © DAVID HAMILTON 1991/2010" (To the Christ Child).

The Christina Rossetti in Music project website is hosted in Canada at the University of Ottawa Library, and we aim to comply with Canadian copyright laws. If you believe we have violated Canadian copyright law, please contact us at christinarossettimusic@uottawa.ca. The Christina Rossetti in Music project is strictly not for profit and intended for research and educational purposes only.