"Christmas Eve" [Edward-Rhys Harry]

"Christmas Eve" [Edward-Rhys Harry]

First line of lyrics: Christmas hath a darkness

Harry, Edward-Rhys; music (Welsh, born 1973)

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

2021 October [composition] [copyright]

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

solo: soprano

chorus: SAATB chorus

instrumentation: piano|wind quintet

initial sharps/flats: no sharps or flats

initial time signature: 3/4

origin: United Kingdom

male composer

English

Rossetti poem(s): "Christmas Eve"

Place in the larger work: The fourth song of five in the song cycle called "Five Christmas Poems," which includes 1. "The Angel Gabriel" (unknown, translated by Sabine Baring-Gould); 2. "In Memoriam" (Alfred Lord Tennyson); 3. "Love Came Down At Christmas" (Christina Rossetti); 4. "Christmas Eve" (Christina Rossetti); 5. "From East to West, From Shore to Shore" (unknown).

Composition history: "Written for Harlow Chorus (UK) in October 2021 as a tribute to their resilience during the national lockdowns of the COVID-19 pandemic, this is a collection of five Christmas poems brought together to celebrate the Christmas season."

Tempo markings: "Andante semplice"; quarter note = 70

Performance instructions: "The piece was written to include a set of parts for an optional wind quintet."

Format 1: musical score

11 pages (pp. 31-41); complete song cycle performance time 17 minutes

Other data reference(s): "Love Came Down at Christmas." Universal Edition, https://www.universaledition.com/edward-harry-7861/works/five-christmas-poems-31846. Accessed 9 May 2022.

Cataloguer: Emily McConkey, University of Ottawa

This score is copyright protected. A score can be consulted here: "Christmas Eve." Universal Edition, https://www.universaledition.com/edward-harry-7861/works/five-christmas-poems-31846. Accessed 9 May 2022.

Record: CRM-christmaseve-harry

"Copyright © ERH 2021"

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