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A Christmas Overture (for Orchestra)

This vivacious and colourful Christmas Overture, commissioned from Nigel Hess by John Rutter for his 2007 Christmas Festival, proved an instant success with audience and orchestra alike. Traditional carols, skilfully juxtaposed and interwoven, provide the thematic material. They are, in order of their appearance: Ding dong! merrily on high, Deck the hall, Il est ne le divin enfant (enchantingly scored for pastoral woodwind), Infant holy, infant lowly (lyrical cor anglais and violin solos),Personent hodie (a fanfare-like call to attention), We wish you a merry Christmas (a jovial fugue), and Angels, from the realms of glory which brings the overture to a majestic close. Fragments of other carols appear along the way to enrich the texture of what is surely one of the most attractive orchestral pieces yet written for the festive season.

 

Commission Details: Commissioned by John Rutter

First Performance: 
10.12.07, Royal Albert Hall, London, UK: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra/John Rutter

Description: orchestra

Duration (mins): 8

Genre: Orchestral - Full Orchestra

Instrumentation: 
3(III=picc).2(II=ca).2.2 - 4331 - timp - perc(3): 3 SD/susp.cym/BD/finger cyms/glsp/cyms/shaker/tgl/bell tree/mark tree/tamb/t.bells - org (=opt cel) - harp - strings

Availability: Score and parts for hire

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