Boris Ord (1897 - 1961) was born Bernhard Ord. He was a British organist and choirmaster of Kings College, Cambridge (1929 - 1957) He served in the RAF during World War 2. His arrangement of Adam Lay Ybounden is his only published work.
 |
| Boris Ord, photographed by Antony Barrington Brown from Wikipedia |
Nativity Carol John Rutter
John Rutter was born in London in 1945 and had his first musical training at Highgate School as a chorister. He studied music at Clare College, Cambridge where he wrote his first published music and had his first recording whilst still an undergraduate.
His compositions cover a wide variety of musical genres but he is well know by all choirs who must have some Rutter in their repertoire. He formed the Cambridge Singers and spends his time composing and conducting.
 |
| John Rutter from Wikipedia |
A Maiden Most Gentle Words Andrew Carter French Traditional Melody arranged by Andrew Carter
Taken from Andrew Carter's Website:
Andrew Carter's music is performed worldwide. As composer, guest conductor and workshop leader he has travelled extensively in the United States, Antipodes and Europe. A twenty-five year association with Oxford University Press has established his reputation as a writer of both choral miniatures and larger scale concert works for chorus and orchestra. Of these latter the widely performed Benedicite was followed by Te Deum, Musick's Jubilee, Horizons, Song of Stillness, and Laudate Dominum. Of similar scale, the Magnificat (MorningStar 2004), is already proving popular. In a lighter vein, the Three Nonsensical Songs for upper voices and orchestra were premiered by Quad Cities Symphony in 2005. After conducting his Magnificat in North Carolina in April 2008, Andrew gave workshops in Toronto and attended the celebrated St Olaf’s College in Minnesota as composer-in-residence.
A particular honour in the field of church music was the invitation to write Missa Sancti Pauli for the 1997 tercentenary celebrations of Wren's St Paul's Cathedral. Over the years several of Andrew’s carols have been included in the renowned Christmas Eve broadcast from King's College Chapel, Cambridge, with Mary's Magnificat featuring again in 2009. Andrew Carter’s Christmas Carols, conducted by the composer with John Scott at the organ, was named amongst the ‘ten best ever’ Christmas CDs in the BBC Music Magazine (Nov, 2007).
Andrew’s lifelong love of the organ is reflected in the festive Organ Concerto (MorningStar 2008) and an album of organ pieces (Oxford) which includes the much acclaimed Toccata on Veni Emmanuel. More recently, the substantial 22-variation Passacaglia (Banks 2007), written to honour Francis Jackson’s 90th birthday, was premiered by John Scott Whiteley in York Minster.
Born in Leicester in the English Midlands, Andrew Carter studied music at Leeds University before settling in York. During his time as a bass songman at York Minster, he founded the Chapter House Choir, the award winning mixed-voice concert group which he conducted for seventeen years, and for whom he penned many of his early published arrangements.
The Little Road To Bethlehem Michael Head
The Little Road To Bethlehem is one of Head's most popular songs. The words are by Margaret Rose. This evening it was sung by two of our junior choristers, Emily and James helped by Sarah Amos from the sopranos.
From Wikipedia
Michael Dewar Head was born in Eastbourne, United Kingdom on 28 January 1900. His father was a barrister and journalist and his mother an accomplished amateur singer and pianist. His mother's influence evidently dominated, and at age 10 he commenced his musical training, taking lessons in piano with Jean Adair and in singing with Fritz Marston at the Adair-Marston School of Music. He was educated at Monkton Combe School in Somerset.
He began to study at the Royal Academy of Music but was soon called up for service in the War. While working at an ammunition factory, he composed the song cycle Over the rim of the moon (Head et al., 1920).This was to become his first published work.
After the war, Head resumed his studies at the Academy. He studied composition with Frederick Corder, piano with T B Knott and organ with Reginald Steggall. He won the Sir Michael Costa scholarship for composition. He also won other awards for composition, sight singing and harmony. In 1924 Michael Head was made an Associate of the Royal Academy of Music. Two years later, he took up a post at Bedales School, Petersfield, where he taught for three years.
Head gave his first public recital as a self accompanied singer at Wigmore Hall in 1929. After this debut performance, his fame grew rapidly. He gave several more recitals in the British Isles and in many parts of the world. Additionally he gave several radio recitals, both in Britain and Canada. He took up the post of Pianoforte Professor at the Royal Academy in 1927 after an invitation by Sir John McEwen. This post he was to hold until his retirement in 1975.
Head was appointed an examiner for the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and as such toured many countries, including Barbados, where he first met and became friends with Organist Dr. John George Fletcher in April 1969, South Africa and Zimbabwe (then Rhodesia). At the outbreak of World War II, he returned to London and continued teaching throughout the blitz. During this time, he gave hundreds of concerts in factories and in small towns.
Head died in Cape Town on 24 August 1976, from a sudden and unexpected illness, while examining for the Associated Board in Rhodesia and South Africa.
| Michael Head |
Still, Still, Still trad. German translated Andrew Gant Music Andrew Gant
Andrew Gant is a British composer, singer, author and Liberal Democrat politician. He attended Radley College and then read Music and English at St John's college, Cambridge. He studied at the Royal Academy of Music and gained a PhD at Goldsmiths College, University of London.
In The Bleak Midwinter Words Christina Rossetti Music Harold Darke
This carol is based on a poem by Christina Rossetti, sister of Dante Gabriel Rossetti. The first setting was by Holst and appeared in The English Hymnal in 1906. Harold Darke's setting is more complex and first appeared in 1911.
 |
| Christina Rossetti by her brother from Wikipedia. |
 |
| Harold Darke from Wikipedia |
I Saw Three Ships English traditional carol arranged by David Willcocks
Taken from Wikipedia
"I Saw Three Ships (Come Sailing In)" is a traditional and popular Christmas carol from England. The earliest printed version of "I Saw Three Ships" is from the 17th century, possibly Derbyshire, and was also published by William Sandys in 1833.
The lyrics mention the ships sailing into Bethlehem, but the nearest body of water is the Dead Sea about 20 miles (32 km) away. The reference to three ships is thought to originate in the three ships that bore the purported relics of the Biblical magi to Cologne Cathedral in the 12th century.
Another possible reference is to Wenceslaus II, King of Bohemia, who bore a coat of arms "Azure three galleys argent". Another suggestion is that the ships are actually the camels used by the Magi, as camels are frequently referred to as "ships of the desert".
Sir David Valentine Willcocks, CBE, MC (30 December 1919 – 17 September 2015) was a British choral conductor, organist, composer and music administrator. He was particularly well known for his association with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, which he directed from 1957 to 1974, making frequent broadcasts and recordings. Several of the descants and carol arrangements he wrote for the annual service of Nine Lessons and Carols were published in the series of books Carols for Choirs which he edited along with Reginald Jacques and John Rutter. He was also director of the Royal College of Music in London.
During the Second World War (1939–1945) he served as an officer in the British Army, and was decorated with the Military Cross for his actions on Hill 112 during the Battle of Normandy in July 1944. His elder son, Jonathan Willcocks, is also a composer.
.jpg)