Piano-Vocal Score
Paperback (2016; 2020)
190 pp. 8.5 x 11 inches
ISBN 978-1534976887
CHRISTMAS CANTATA
A 100-minute-long oratorio—a fusion of choral pop, R&B gospel, jazz, and lounge music, with hints of plainsong, Renaissance opera, and Bollywood—all in the great tradition of Western oratorio. It’s great for schools, churches, and choral groups, any time from Advent to Candlemas.
It sings the story of the birth of Jesus, from the eternal pre-existence of the divine Word, through the annunciation, the incarnation, the shepherds and magi, the presentation in the temple, the slaughter of the innocents, the proclamation of the gospel, to the coming messianic kingdom.
It’s all about voices: choruses, solos, duets, trios, quartets, octets, recitatives. You need a chorus who will stick to the notes, and soprano and baritone soloists, who can be a bit freer in their delivery.
The singers are backed by a continuo trio of piano, bass, and drums. You can do a great performance with just these instruments, and a flute or trumpet.
No musicians? No problem! You’ll love the BACKING TRACKS! But, if you want to go to town, there are Parts for Orchestra too!
“A work of genius!”
Noel Tredinnick, All Souls Choir & Orchestra
CHRISTMAS CANTATA HAS…
CHRISTMAS CANTATA has Bible recitatives, interspersed by 18 arias and choruses. It falls into two fifty-minute halves. With an interval of 20 minutes, that makes a perfect musical evening.
1. BEFORE ALL THINGS. Aria for soprano & chorus.
2. IT IS WRITTEN. Recitative.
3. THE ANGEL. Aria for soli and chorus.
4. ALL THIS TOOK PLACE. Arioso.
5. MARY. Aria. Mezzo-soprano & chorus.
6. WHEN ELIZABETH’S TIME CAME. Recitative.
7. BLESSED BE THE LORD. Chorus.
8. AND SO IT WAS. Arioso.
9. CRADLE SONG. Soprano.
10. AND THERE WERE SHEPHERDS. Recitative.
11. GLORIA. Chorus.
12. WHEN THE ANGEL HAD GONE. Recitative.
13. SHEPHERDS. Barbershop quartet.
14. AND THEY HURRIED OFF. Recitative.
15. WAKE, LITTLE CHILDREN. Chorus with children.
INTERVAL
16. LORD, OUR LORD. Chorus.
17. NOW THERE WAS A MAN. Arioso.
18. SIMEON. Tenor solo & chorus.
19. NOW WHEN JESUS WAS BORN. Arioso.
20. YOU, BETHLEHEM. Trio & chorus.
21. THEN HEROD CALLED THE MAGI. Recitative.
22. TWINKLE, TWINKLE, STAR SO BRIGHT. Chorus.
23. AND WHEN THEY CAME TO THE HOUSE. Arioso.
24. THE STAR. Aria.
25. RORATE COELI. Chorus.
26. WHEN HEROD SAW. Recitative.
27. A VOICE IS HEARD IN RAMAH. Aria, soprano & chorus.
28. WHEN ISRAEL WAS A CHILD. Recitative.
29. NEWS. Baritone solo.
30. THE VISION OF ISAIAH BEN AMOZ. Recitative.
31. ARISE, SHINE. Chorus.
32. AMEN. Chorus.
“A remarkable piece of work!”
Kenny Kemp, The Scotsman
IT SOUNDS LIKE THIS…
“Arise, shine is one of my favourite songs. I don’t just mean in the Cantata. It’s one of my favourite songs ever.”
Ross, Edinburgh
BACKING TRACKS
Like I said, you can sing it with backing tracks. Here’s a taste of how they sound…
“When can we do Amen again. It was great.”
Naomi, Holy Trinity Brussels chorister
HOW TO DO IT
VOCAL SCORE
The first thing you need is the vocal score. You get it on Amazon. The links are up top.
If your singers are very young, or don’t read music well, just teach them the notes by ear. If your singers are experienced, get them one score each.
ACCOMPANIMENT
Once you’ve got your vocal scores, you need your accompaniment. There are three options.
- Recorded backing tracks.
- Continuo trio of piano, bass, and drums, with featured instruments. The trio can improvise their parts if they stay within the harmonic structure. You can do a great performance with these three instruments and a flute and trumpet.
- Christmas Cantata sounds amazing with an Orchestra: woodwind (2.1.2.1), brass (2.2.2.2), timpani & percussion (2), strings (5.4.3.2.1). Like the chorus, the orchestra should stick to the notes! Here’s a sample score (Amen).
PERFORMANCE
This year, in keeping with Amazon’s discount offer, No Grand Rights are asked if your prospective audience is under 500. Just buy your music and sing it. But if you sing Christmas Cantata within a church, please enter each song on your CCLI return.
“Everyone loved it. One lady said it was more exciting than the Messiah!”
Wayne Hinton, Director, Los Angeles Jewish Philharmonic
HISTORY
Christmas Cantata first existed as a finished work in 1999. At that time, a studio recording of eight sections of the work was commissioned as a gift for the Scottish Parliament. Each MSP got a CD — remember CDs! — of an eight-track version of the work. The full cantata was first performed in the Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh, at Christmas 2000. It was distributed on the internet until 2016, when it first appeared in print in its current format. The fourth edition (2020) includes revised versions of GLORIA & MARY’S LULLABY.
“Gloria has remained a firm favourite with our singers!”
Gerard Brooks, Director of Music, Methodist Central Halls, Westminster, London