Warwickshire Singers:
A Festive Offering
Programme Notes
A Ceremony of Carols
Benjamin Britten, 1942
Britten composed the majority of the music for A Ceremony of Carols aboard the MS Axel Johnson, a Swedish cargo vessel on which he and Peter Pears returned from America in 1942. The crossing was both long and treacherous – German U-Boats were a constant threat and the vessel itself was uncomfortable. The environment in which Britten found himself was not particularly conducive to composition. This, however, did not seem to deter Britten and, on the voyage, he also finished work on the Hymn to St Cecilia. Before crossing the Atlantic, the vessel stopped at Halifax in Nova Scotia. It is here that Britten purchased a copy of The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, containing texts taken from a range of medieval and Renaissance poetry that inspired the work, which was originally written for treble voices and first performed in Norwich on 5th December 1942.
The first two carols are set 14th-century texts. The joyful cries of Wolcum Yole! contrast with the gentle setting of There Is No Rose, in which the repeated C/F bass ostinato in the harp only changes briefly to a long E flat at the third statement of the word transeamus. The harp's semitone motif in That yongë child depicts the baby's crying, while in Balulalow the cross-rhythms of the accompaniment provide a continuous rocking motion for the cradle. This little Babe, which sets a 16th-century poem by Robert Southwell, builds gradually from the unison writing of its first verse through two-part and then three-part canons to a powerful climax. The cold minor-key opening of In Freezing Winter Night (another Southwell text) develops into a warmer major key, telling of a “Prince’s court” and a crib that is his “chair of State”. Suddenly, winter is swept aside completely by the Spring Carol with its dancing accompaniment. Joyful shouts of Deo gracias introduce the final carol, and canonic entries of the same figure are used to create a tumultuous climax.
Britten juxtaposes, quite seamlessly, the ancient with the modern throughout the work. The piece is ‘book-ended’ by the plainsong Hodie Christus natus est, sung by sopranos alone. The inner movements explore the traditional stories surrounding the birth of Christ whilst demonstrating Britten’s mastery of choral writing, with each movement in contrast with the next, ranging from the profound solos of That yongë child and In Freezing Winter Night, to the contrapuntal exuberance of This little Babe through the smooth polyphony of Balulalow and There is no Rose to the irregularity and dynamism of As Dew in Aprille and Deo Gracias.
A Ceremony of Carols
Text and selective translations
Processional
Hodie Christus natus est:
Hodie Salvator apparuit:
Hodie in terra canunt angeli:
Laetantur archangeli:
Hodie exsultant justi dicentes:
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Alleluia! Alleluia! Alleluia!
Today Christ is born:
Today the Saviour has appeared:
Today angels sing on earth:
Archangels rejoice:
Today the righteous exult, saying:
Glory to God in the highest.
Alleluia!
Wolcum Yole! (Anon 14th Century)
Wolcum, Wolcum, Wolcum be thou hevenè king,
Wolcum Yole! Wolcum, born in one morning,
Wolcum for whom we sall sing!
Wolcum be ye, Stevene and Jon,
Wolcum, Innocentes every one,
Wolcum, Thomas marter one,
Wolcum be ye, good Newe Yere,
Wolcum, Twelfthe Day both in fere,
Wolcum, seintes lefe and dere,
Wolcum Yole, Wolcum Yole, Wolcum!
Candelmesse, Quene of bliss,
Wolcum bothe to more and lesse.
Wolcum, Wolcum, Wolcum be ye that are here,
Wolcum Yole, Wolcum alle and make good cheer,
Wolcum alle another yere, Wolcum Yole, Wolcum!
Wolcum = Welcome
hevenè = heavenly
Yole = Yule
sall = shall
marter = martyr
fere = fear
seintes lefe and dere = saints left and dear
Candelmesse = Candlemas
There is no Rose (Anon 14th Century)
There is no rose of such vertu as is the rose that bare Jesu.
Alleluia, alleluia.
For in this rose conteinèd was heaven and earth in litel space,
Res miranda, res miranda.
By that rose we may well see there be one God in persons three,
Pares forma, pares forma,
The aungels sungen the shepherds to:
Gloria in excelsis,
Gloria in excelsis Deo.
Gaudeamus, gaudeamus.
Leave we all this werldly mirth, and follow we this joyful birth.
Transeamus, transeamus, transeamus.
Alleluia, res miranda, pares forma, gaudeamus,
Transeamus, transeamus, transeamus.
vertu = virtue
litel = little
res miranda = miraculous thing
pares forma = in the parent's image
the aungels sungen = the angels sang
gaudeamus = we rejoice
werldly = worldly
transeamus = we follow
That Yongë Childe (Anon 14th Century)
That yongë child when it gan weep with song she lulled him asleep:
That was so sweet a melody it passèd alle minstrelsy.
The nightingalë sang also: Her song is hoarse and nought thereto:
Whoso attendeth to her song and leaveth the first then doth he wrong.
Balulalow (James, John & Robert Wedderburn, 16th Century)
O my deare hert, young Jesu sweit,
Prepare thy creddil in my spreit,
And I sall rock thee to my hert,
And never mair from thee depart.
But I sall praise thee evermoir
With sanges sweit unto thy gloir;
The knees of my hert sall I bow,
And sing that richt Balulalow.
yongë = young
gan weep = began to weep
passèd = surpassed
minstrelsy = music and singing
whoso = whoever
hert = heart sweit = sweet
creddil = cradle spreit = spirit
sall = shall mair = more
evermoir = evermore sanges = songs
sweit = sweet richt = right
gloir = glory Balulalow = Lullaby
As Dew in Aprille (Anon circa 1400)
I sing of a maiden that is makèles:
King of all kings to her son she ches.
He came also stille there his moder was
As dew in Aprille that falleth on the grass.
He came also stille to his moder's bour
As dew in Aprille that falleth on the flour.
He came also stille there his moder lay
As dew in Aprille that falleth on the spray.
Moder and maiden was never none but she:
Well may such a lady Goddes moder be.
makèles = matchless
ches = chose
stille = silently
moder = mother
bower = bower
flour = flower
Goddes = God’s
This Little Babe (Robert Southwell, died 1595)
This little Babe so few days old, is come to rifle Satan's fold;
All hell doth at his presence quake, though he himself for cold do shake;
For in this weak unarmed wise the gates of hell he will surprise.
With tears he fights and wins the field, His naked breast stands for a shield;
His battering shot are babish cries, His arrows looks of weeping eyes,
His martial ensigns Cold and Need, and feeble Flesh his warrior's steed.
His camp is pitched in a stall, His bulwark but a broken wall;
The crib his trench, haystalks his stakes; of shepherds he his muster makes;
And thus, as sure his foe to wound, the angels' trumps alarum sound.
My soul, with Christ join thou in fight; stick to the tents that he hath pight.
Within his crib is surest ward; this little Babe will be thy guard.
If thou wilt foil thy foes with joy, then flit not from this heavenly Boy.
rifle = plunder
fold = enclosure
for cold = with cold
wise = way, manner
muster = troops
trumps = trumpets
alarum = alarm
pight = set
ward = protection
flit = move away
In Freezing Winter Night (Robert Southwell, died 1595)
Behold, a silly tender babe, in freezing winter night,
In homely manger trembling lies. Alas, a piteous sight!
The inns are full; no man will yield this little pilgrim bed.
But forced he is with silly beasts in crib to shroud his head.
This stable is a Prince's court, this crib his chair of State;
The beasts are parcel of his pomp, the wooden dish his plate.
The persons in that poor attire his royal liveries wear;
The Prince himself is come from heaven; this pomp is prized there.
With joy approach, O Christian wight, do homage to thy King,
And highly praise his humble pomp, wich he from Heaven doth bring.
silly = humble
parcel = part, portion
wight = creature
wich = which
Spring Carol (William Cornish, died 1523)
Pleasure it is to hear iwis, the Birdes sing,
The deer in the dale, the sheep in the vale, the corn springing.
God's purveyance for sustenance, It is for man, it is for man.
Then we always to give him praise, And thank him than.
iwis = certainly
than = then
Deo Gracias (Anon 15th Century)
Deo gracias! Deo gracias!
Adam lay ibounden, bounden in a bond;
Four thousand winter thought he not to long.
Deo gracias! Deo gracias!
And all was for an appil, an appil that he tok,
As clerkes finden written in their book.
Deo gracias! Deo gracias!
Ne had the appil take ben, the appil take ben,
Ne hadde never our lady a ben hevenè quene.
Blessed be the time that appil take was.
Therefore we moun singen.
Deo gracias! Deo gracias! Deo gracias! Deo gracias!
Deo gracias! = Thanks be to God!
ibounden = bound
in a bond = in sin
appil = apple
tok = took
clerkes = clerics
ne = not
take ben = taken been
hevenè = heavenly
moun singen = must sing
A Christmas Offering
Kristina Arakelyan, 2024
Commissioned by Britten Pears Arts, and co-commissioned by Pembroke College, Cambridge and Anna Lapwood (Director or Music), A Christmas Offering was first performed at Snape Maltings Concert Hall on 7th December 2024 by Pembroke College Chapel Choir, Esther Beyer and Anna Lapwood.
Inspired by Benjamin Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Arakelyan’s nine-movement A Christmas Offering is based on medieval English poetry and is a Christmas celebration of contrasting works – ranging from energetic to contemplative and heartfelt.
Kristina Arakelyan’s work as composer, pianist and educator is guided by a clear vision of music’s intrinsic power and purpose. Her works are hallmarked by their striking beauty and compelling emotional honesty, and have been performed at some of the world’s leading venues, including London’s Wigmore Hall, Royal Albert Hall and Southbank Centre in London, Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, Carnegie Hall in New York, and Symphony Hall, Birmingham. The release of A Christmas Offering, her choral album recorded by King's College, London and conducted by Joseph Fort, took place in late 2025.
Warwickshire Singers are delighted to share a message to the choir and audience from Kristina:
“There is something truly magical about the combination of harp and choir which is so evocative of Christmas (and tremendous fun to write for!). As composers, we depend on musicians, such as the wonderful group performing tonight, to bring our music to life. I would therefore like to firstly say a huge thank you to the Warwickshire Singers, musical director Jim Bate and harpist Erica Sinclair for all their hard work during the rehearsal process in learning my piece.
Composing A Christmas Offering was such a joy, not least because it allowed me to reconnect with Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols – a work which I have loved since my school choir days and which holds such a special place in the British choral tradition. Like Britten's work, my composition is based on medieval English poetry, and the musical language includes allusions to this sound world. The contrast in the text of the nine movements allowed for a range of emotions, from energetic movements such as Alleluia! to contemplative moments such as Out of the East, to heartfelt settings such as There is No Rose. Composers shouldn't have favourites, but There is No Rose holds a special place in my heart, as it is a setting of the same text as one of the Britten movements.
I wish I could be there in person to hear the performance. Wishing you all a wonderful performance!”