"Sleep, Holy Babe" is a unique collection based on the theme of The Nativity. At its heart lie nine Christmas lullabies, as well as two carols and a motet depicting the story of Christ's birth. These are framed by a pair of Advent antiphons and Magnificat settings and an Epiphany carol. "Sleep, Holy Babe" contains: Five new pieces commissioned specially for this anthology by Daniel Burges, Hilary Campbell, Andrew Earis, Catherine Kontz, and Anthony Mudge - Eight recently-composed works by David Bevan, Alexander Campkin, John Duggan, Emma Gibbins, Trevor Ling, Francis Pott, and Jonathan Rathbone - A variety of texts covering a range of themes including the Lullaby, the Baby Jesus, the Virgin Mary, the Nativity scene, the Star in the east, the Shepherds, the Magi, and King Herod - Two 'O' antiphons (in four and six parts) by Pierre de Manchincourt (1510-1564), and two contemporary faux-bourdon Magnificat settings (in four and eight parts) - New settings of well-known texts such as: "The Coventry Carol", "Lullay my Liking", and "Sing Lullaby" - New and recent texts by: Alexia Anastasiadis, Donald Atkinson, John Duggan, and Claire Lawrence - Two pieces for three-part upper voices (SSA), one unaccompanied, one with harp (or piano) accompaniment; and a three-part piece for lower voices (TTB) - 14 unaccompanied pieces, and 3 accompanied pieces. |
