Christmas Peal of Carillon Bells

Thomaner Boys Choir

Georg Christoph Biller - conductor

Ullrich Böhme - organ

Basso Continuo: Stefan Altner - organ / Bernd Strauss - Double bass / Günter Krause - Violoncello / Matthias Müller - Violin

The Order of Music:

0:00 J.S. Bach - Nun komm der Heiden Heiland

1:36 Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina - Christe redemptor omnium

4:24 Ambrosius - Veni redemptor gentium

5:00 Johann Hermann Schein - Nun komm der Heiden Heiland

6:30 Heinrich Schütz - Deutsches Magnificat

14:25 Max Reger - Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern

16:44 Max Reger - Unser lieben Frauen

18:58 J.S. Bach - Allein Gott in der Höh' sei Ehr

20:34 E. Mauersberger/H. Kaminski - Maria durch ein Dornwald ging

22:40 Sigfrid Karg-Elert - Resonet in laudibus

25:10 J.S. Bach - Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her

26:33 J.S. Bach - In dulci jubilo

29:14 J.S. Bach - Ich steh an deiner Krippen

31:29 J.S. Bach - Freut euch und jubiliert

32:51 J.S. Bach - Gloria in excelsis Deo

34:07 J.S. Bach - Präludium G-Dur

37:02 F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Frohlocket, ihr Völker auf Erden

38:34 E. Mauersberger - Wach, Nachtigall, wach auf

40:58 E. Mauersberger - Vom Himmel hoch, o Englein kommt

43:02 F. Mendelssohn Bartholdy - Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe

47:27 Altböhmisches Weihnachtslied - Freu dich, Erd und Sternenzelt

48:44 Altböhmisches Weihnachtslied - Lasst alle Gott uns loben

51:19 Max Reger - Vom Himmel hoch

52:45 Gustav Schreck - Stille Nacht, Heilige Nacht

55:45 J.S. Bach - In dulci jubilo

From Christmas Concert at Nidaros Cathedral in Trondheim, Norway, in December 2010.

"See Amid the Winter's Snow"

(Original version, from the chapel of King's College, Cambridge).

“See Amid the Winter's Snow” by John Goss is played by David Christensen on the carillon at the University of California, Riverside. The piece was arranged by Milford Myhre.

    1 Movements

        1.1 1. "Procession" ("Hodie Christus natus est", Gregorian antiphon to the Magnificat at Second Vespers of Christmas)

        1.2 2. "Wolcum Yole!"

        1.3 3. "There is no rose" (Trinity College MS 0.3.58, early 15c)

        1.4 4a. "That yonge child"

        1.5 4b. "Balulalow" (the brothers Wedderburn, fl. 1548)

        1.6 5. "As Dew in Aprille" (Sloane 2593, first quarter 15c)

        1.7 6. "This Little Babe" (from Robert Southwell's "Newe Heaven, Newe Warre", 1595)

        1.8 7."Interlude" (harp solo)

        1.9 8. "In Freezing Winter Night" (Southwell)

        1.10 9. "Spring Carol" (16c., also set by William Cornysh)

        1.11 10."Deo Gracias" (Sloane 2593)

        1.12 "Recession" ("Hodie")

"O Holy Night" sung by the

Liverpool Metropolitan Cathedral Choir.

"O Holy Night" by Adolphe Adam is played on the carillon of the University of California, Riverside by David Christensen. As the sounds of the bells gently fade into this Christmas Eve night of 2015.

The Choir, Orchestra, and Congregation of Central Baptist Church, Bearden, sing John Rutter's setting of "O Come, All Ye Faithful" as part of the 2013 Bearden Christmas Festival.

From Lessons and Carols Christmas service, 2013,

University Presbyterian Church Austin, Texas:

"O Come, All ye Faithful"

"O come, O come, Emannuel"

sung by the  West Point Military Academy Glee Club, 1988

"See Amid the Winter's Snow"

Performed by the Birmingham Boys Choir at the 37th Annual Christmas Concert, December 2, 2014, Canterbury United Methodist Church, Birmingham, Alabama
Ken Berg, Music Director
Susan Berg, Associate Music Director and Pianist
Jeff Caulk, Erin Evans, Phillip Ritchey, Music Assistants

Bruce Ludwig, Organist
Dr. William Somerall, Oboe
Dr. Leonard Candelaria, Alexander and Ariana Candelaria-Fouse, trumpet

"It Came Upon the Midnight Clear" with

The Choir of Selwyn College, Cambridge

"Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day”

sung by the Winchester Cathedral Choir

“Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day” is an English Christmas carol usually attributed as 'traditional'; its first written appearance is in William B. Sandys' Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern of 1833. It is most well known in John Gardner's adaptation, but numerous other composers have made original settings of it or arranged the traditional tune, including Gustav Holst, Igor Stravinsky, David Willcocks, John Rutter, Ronald Corp, Philip Stopford, Andrew Carter, Jamie W. Hall and Jack Gibbons. The verses of the hymn progress through the story of Jesus told in his own voice.

“I saw three ships come sailing in” (arr. David Willcocks) - Guildford Cathedral Choir (Barry Rose, conductor)

(From a broadcast live on BBC radio, December 25, 1970. The carol “I saw three ships” is of uncertain provenance but its words are believed to have been written by wandering minstrels in the Middle Ages. Some sources claim that in the original version the ships were those carrying the skulls of the three Wise Men to Cologne Cathedral in Germany. The tune, which is thought to originate in Derbyshire, was published in Sandys’ “Christmas Carols Ancient and Modern” of 1833).

By kind permission of King's College, Cambridge, we bring you an exclusive performance of the much-loved Christmas carol Ding! Dong! Merrily on High. Filmed by the Guardian during rehearsals for the annual Carols from King's performance, choirmaster Stephen Cleobury explains the origins of the carol and his personal take on it before leading the choir through a beautiful rendition.

King's College Cambridge 1954

"A Festival of Lessons and Carols"

Digitally Remastered

Courtesy of BBC and youtube public domain.

A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols is the Christmas Eve service held in King's College Chapel in Cambridge, United Kingdom. The Festival was introduced in 1918 to bring a more imaginative approach to worship. It was first broadcast in 1928 and is now broadcast to millions of people around the world.

The service includes carols and readings from the Bible. The opening carol is always 'Once in Royal David's City', and there is always a new, specially commissioned hymn.

King's College Choir, Cambridge, "Nine Lessons and Carols" from 1992, provided on public domain youtube.

Live television broadcast from St Paul’s Cathedral Melbourne on 24 December 2007 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, with the cathedral choir, directed by June Nixon, and Siegfried Franke and Lachlan Redd (organists). We are very grateful to the ABC (http://www.abc.net.au) for giving "The Archive of Recorded Church Music" permission to upload this television programme into the public domain.

1. Once in royal David’s city (“Irby”)

2. King Jesus hath a garden (arr John Rutter)

3. Adam and his helpmate (arr Christopher Gower)

4. On Jordan’s bank (“Winchester New”)

5. Joys Seven (arr Stephen Cleobury)

6. Away in a manger (arr June Nixon)

7. Earth has many a noble city (“Stuttgart”)

8. Carol of the Star (arr June Nixon)

9. A Carol for all Seasons (Trad., arr Price)*

10. Unto us a boy is born (“Puer nobis”)

11. Stille Nacht (arr June Nixon)

12. O little town of Bethlehem (“Forest Green”)

13. Hark the herald angels sing (“Mendelssohn”)

14. Sir Christèmas (William Mathias)

15. O come, all ye faithful (“Adeste fideles”)

* played by the handbells of Trinity Grammar, Melbourne

“Worthy is the Lamb,” from Handel's Messiah, The Choir of King's College, Cambridge

"Hallelujah Chorus"

(from Messiah) G. F. Handel

Memphis Masterworks Chorale, Michael Divine, Guest Conductor

This is a radio drama produced on Christmas Eve, 1958, at WRVC-FM, a Norfolk radio station, where Gwen Whitehurst (Organist at South Norfolk Baptist) was often invited to play the piano, and where Jim and Joe Hughes worked while in college.  When the station was forced to close in the late 1960’s, due to financial problems, the Vice President, Dr. Clay, gave the original recordings of this radio play and "The Gift of the Magi," by O. Henry, (about a young married couple, and how they deal with the challenge of buying secret Christmas gifts for each other, with very little money;  a story with a  biblical lesson about gift-giving, read by Audrey Dickens), to Joe as a parting gift.  It is here offered for you at the Christmas season, a time when we remember and honor the birth of Jesus Christ, our Lord.  Charles Dickens’ story tells of sour and stingy Ebenezer Scrooge’s ideological, ethical, and emotional transformation after the supernatural visits of Jacob Marley and the Ghosts of Christmas Past, Present, and Future Yet to Come. 

This live studio production, which features the great grandson of Charles Dickens, is set within a religious context, with the use of the hymn, “See, Amid the Winter’s Snow,” also known as “Hymn for Christmas Day,” written by Edward Caswall, with music composed by Sir John Goss.  It is found in many hymnbooks, and sung at Christmastime.

1.  See, amid the winter's snow,

Born for us on Earth below,

See, the tender Lamb appears,

Promised from eternal years.

Refrain:

'Hail, thou ever blessed morn,'

'Hail redemption's happy dawn,'

'Sing through all Jerusalem,'

'Christ is born in Bethlehem.

2.  Lo, within a manger lies

He who built the starry skies;

He who, throned in height sublime,

Sits among the cherubim.

Refrain

3.  Teach, O teach us, Holy Child,

By Thy face so meek and mild,

Teach us to resemble Thee,

In Thy sweet humility.

Refrain

Choir: Temple Church, London

Organist: Sir George Thalben-Ball

"A Cause for Carolling"

For the first eight decades of the 18th century, 'While Shepherds Watched' was the only Christmas hymn authorised for use within the Church of England. Because of this, hundreds of different tunes became attached to the words of this iconic carol.

With the support of live musical examples, the importance to Christmas Past and Present of our festive favourites will be examined.  Jeremy Summerly, presents a lecture for Gresham College at Barnard’s Inn Hall.  Jeremy is the Sterndale Bennett Lecturer in Music at the Royal Academy of Music; and also chairs the Academy’s Continuing Professional Development Programe.

You can access this lecture by "left clicking" with your "mouse" on the following website link below, which will take you directly to the lecture:

https://www.gresham.ac.uk/lectures-and-events/a-cause-for-carolling