"In the bleak midwinter" [Chris Hutchings]

"In the bleak midwinter" [Chris Hutchings]

First line of lyrics: In the bleak mid-winter

Hutchings, Chris; music (Scottish, born 1979)

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

2012 [composition] [copyright]

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

chorus: SATB chorus

initial sharps/flats: one sharp

initial time signature: 3/4

origin: United Kingdom

male composer

English

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

Composition history: "The piece was started at a conference at the University of York in 2011, and completed in early 2012 - I think it was premiered in 2012. I really wanted to get away from the stodgy 4/4 feel of the well-known Holst and Darke settings, and putting it in 3/4 also solves some of the scansion problems from those versions" (Hutchings).

Tempo markings: "Lento"; quarter note = c. 55

Performance history: Performance by the Edinburgh Singers "At Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh, Musical Director John Gormley, December 14th 2013" ("Chris Hutchings In the Bleak Midwinter.").

Recordings: "Chris Hutchings In the Bleak Midwinter." Performance by the Edinburgh Singers and John Gormley, musical director. YouTube, uploaded 20 December 2013, https://youtu.be/MrLNHO9_j_M.
Hutchings, Chris. "In the bleak midwinter." In Dulci Jubilo: Choral Music for Advent & Christmas. Performance by Harmonia Sacra, Peter Leech, conductor. Nimbus Alliance, 2019.

Format 1: musical score

7 pages

Format 2: sound recording

running time 2 minutes

Other data reference(s): Hutchings, Chris. "Re: "Christina Rossetti in Music" inquiry." Received by Mary Arseneau, 5 November 2020.
"In Dulci Jubilo: Choral Music for Advent & Christmas." Wyastone Estate Limited, https://www.wyastone.co.uk/in-dulci-jubilo-choral-music-for-advent-christmas.html. Accessed 2 November 2020.

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

musical score: Chris Hutchings

Record: CRM-christmascarolinthebleak-hutchings

File(s): CRM-christmascarolinthebleak-hutchings.pdf

"© 2012 www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk" This score is protected by copyright. All rights reserved. The score appears on this website by kind permission of composer Chris Hutchings.

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.