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Quickly becoming the most sought after composer on the West coast of the United States, Jessica French has written this splendid setting of Christina Rosetti's "Love came down at Christmas".

Labels: 12 Carols for Christmas, Christmas, Jessica French

This is, as everyone knows, a serious church music blog, but we also enjoy Star Wars, so...

Check out the first track, and then just keep going because it's glorious

And quite frankly, I'm somewhat miffed that no one told me about this!!

Wikipedia: Christmas in the Stars

Labels: Christmas, Star Wars

What makes a Christmas carol? Because composers are writing new ones all the time, and there are lots of cues to make it sound, you know, "Chrismtassy". The words help, of course, but simply having a refrain is a great cue. And in here, Gerre Hancock finds superb vocal agility from his Choristers for the energetic refrain in his Salutation Carol.

Labels: 12 Carols for Christmas, Christmas, Gerre Hancock, St Thomas (New York)

I find this lovely little thing by Will Todd simply irresistable in it's quiet, confident joy. I haven't directed it yet, but I'm sure it will find its way on to a music list very soon.

The words are written by the composer:

Shepherds, called by angels, called by love and angels:
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come.
Sages, searching for stars, searching for love in heaven;
No place for them but a stable.
My Lord has come.
His love will hold me, his love will cherish me, love will cradle me.
Lead me, lead me to see him, sages and shepherds and angels;
No place for me but a stable.
My Lord has come.

Labels: 12 Carols for Christmas, Christmas, Todd

As is mentioned in the latest episode of All Things Rite & Musical, Frank Boles has a splendid take on the medieval "Adam lay ybounden" carol text.

Labels: 12 Carols for Christmas, ATRM, Boles, Christmas