"Love came down at Christmas: A Christmas Cantata" [John C. Hallett]

"Love came down at Christmas: A Christmas Cantata" [John C. Hallett]

First line of lyrics: Love came down at Christmas

Hallett, John C.; music (American, 1917-2000)

Ackley, A.H. [Alfred Henry]; music (American, 1887-1960). Matthews, Timothy R.; music (English, 1826-1910).

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

Ackley, A.H. [Alfred Henry]; text (American, 1887-1960). Elliott, Emily S.; text (English, 1836-1897). Munden Nixon, Vida; text (American, 1894-1988). Unknown; text (biblical text)

Hallett, John C.; arrangement (American, 1917-2000). Leidzén, Erik William Gustav; arrangement (Swedish, 1894–1962).

1965 [publication] [copyright]

Winona Lake: Rodeheaver Hall-Mack

genre: sacred music|cantata|choral music|Christmas music

solo: soprano

chorus: SATB chorus|speech choir|children's two-part chorus|children's unison chorus

instrumentation: organ

initial sharps/flats: four flats

initial time signature: 4/4

origin: United States

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "Christmastide"

Work contains texts by multiple authors

Notes about the text: Hallett's libretto is an extended meditation on "Love Came Down at Christmas" and integrates additional hymns, poems and narration. In addition to "Love Came Down At Christmas," of which only the first stanza is used, the cantata includes "The Lowly Little Jesus (Junior Choir)" (Vida Munden Nixon); "Sing, Jesus Christ Is Born" (Anonymous and Christopher Wordsworth); "Rejoice And Be Merry" (Unknown); "Glory To God In The Highest"; "God So Loved The World" (John 3:16); "Would You Feel Lost In Bethlehem?" (A.H. Ackley); and "Thou Didst Leave Thy Heavenly Throne" (Emily S. Elliott). "Love came down at Christmas" is sung first and returns twice (pp. 22-23; pp. 30-33) over the course of the cantata. The narration interspersed throughout the piece meditates on Christ's birth using Rossetti's language of personified "Love," meaning Christ, coming to earth.

Tempo markings: "Andante"

Performance instructions: "The Speech Choir may be a select group of High School students or adults who are carefully trained to speak clearly. They will be most effective if unseen and heard over the public address system from the balcony, an adjacent room, or similar convenient place. For variety and emphasis, (A) indicates ALL to speak, (B) BOYS only, (G) GIRLS only.
Where both instruments are available, contrasts in the musical background are heightened by playing organ only at places indicated (O), piano only at (P), and both play at (OP).
The narrator should stand near the piano, at side of platform, if possible." At the end of the score, a note reads: "For climactic ending, segue with Junior, Youth and Adult Choirs singing O, HOLY NIGHT (Octavo No. 2227)."

Notes: Foreword: "Christina Rosetti's lovely poem provides the theme of this cantata by John Hallett. Beautiful melodies and harmonies for Adult Choir with soprano soloist are interwoven with narration and recitation of Scripture by a Speech Choir (High School or Adult) and optional unison or two-part song for Junior Choir. The music is not difficult and is within the range of the average choir."

Format 1: musical score

4 pages (pp. 3-6)

Other data reference(s): Record for "Love came down at Christmas : a Christmas cantata." WorldCat, http://www.worldcat.org/oclc/38099806. Accessed 13 April 2019.

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

musical score: Southern Baptist Theological Seminary Music Library, Louisville

Record: CRM-christmastide-hallett

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