Price codeB
Christmas, midwinter, New YearCatalogue no. 4008
Christmas round a 4 voci
Music: David Johnson, Words: Martin Luther, trans. the brothers Wedderburn
Voicing: 4 equal or mixed voices
Performance time approx: 1m 30s
Range: b – d'' (upper voices) / B – d' (lower voices)
Price code: B
Complexity:
A lovely round in E dorian mode, expressing the quiet astonishment of seeing the Christ child in a wooden crib. The meter is irregular but the pulse is constant, with 11 syllables in each line. In the score, syllables sung simultaneously are vertically aligned.
For a contrasting companion piece, consider David Johnson’s Christmas canon a 6 voci, also available from Canasg.
My saull and lyfe stand up and see
Quha lyis in ane cribe of tre:
[quha — who; ane — an; tre — wood]
Quhat Babe is that, sa gude and fair?[quhat — what; sa — so]
It is Christ, Goddis Sone and air.[God's Son and heir]
Scots translation by the Wedderburn brothers c. 1565 of the hymn Vom Himmel hoch by Martin Luther