Christmas World Music

Bob Chilcot (Edited by) : World Carols for Choirs SSAA

Review: Bob Chilcott and Susan Knight have searched the globe for vibrant, exciting music representing a wide range of choral traditions and styles-from a powerful arrangement of an old Armenian hymn to a percussive Dominican "villancico," a carol in the style of Nigerian art music, a Polish folk carol, a new arrangement of popular Canadian carol, and much more besides. Each piece may be sung in its original language or in English, and pronunciation guides are provided for those who wish to sing the original texts. This collection will help to refresh the repertoire of choirs the world over, with most pieces suitable for choirs of all sizes and abilities.

Songlist: Looys parats (The Light of Glory), An Australian Christmas, Oi Bethleem! (O Bethlehem!), Omnes nu laet ons gode loven (Now Let Us All Praise God), Acalentando Jesus (Sleep, little Savior), The Huron Carol, Notre divin Maitre (Our master, Lord Jesus), Cantemos a Maria (Let us sing to Mary), Nuud ole, Jeesus, kiidetud (Now blessed by thou, Christ Jesu), On lapsi syntynyt meille (A Son to us is given), Vieux Noel pour les Tout-petits (Awake, awake!), Nikolauslied (St Nicholas Song), Pastoral (Angels Bright), Jol, Oigbhean a chanaim (I sing of a maiden), The Divine Image, Ju nashuhtdah (Jesus is born), Sudrabina lietins lija (See the silver rain is falling), Indigo I, Amuworo ayi otu nwa (For unto us a child is born), Det hev ei rose sprunge (A spotless rose), Tarice-lamance w cudownej stajence (Joyous Dances), Susa ninna, Ett Nyfott Barn (A Newborn Child), Auf, ihr Hirten, von dem Schlaf (Wake up shephers from your sleep), Sussex Carol, Jesus, Jesus, rest your head, Who is the baby?, Ananaya, nanay (Christmas Carol)

Celtic Woman : A Christmas Celebration

Review: Enjoy 16 classic Christmas songs as well as as Gaelic rendition of "The Night in Bethlehem" with Celtic Woman: A Christmas Celebration. This Christmas songbook is perfect for those nights the family is gathered and eager for some holiday music.

Songlist: Christmas Song the (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire), Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, The Little Drummer Boy, White Christmas, Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!, O Holy Night, Away in a Manger, Ding Dong Merrily on High, Silent Night, Panis Angelicus, Don Oiche Ud I Mbeithil (That Night in Bethlehem), O Come, All Ye Faithful, Wexford Carol, Green the Whole Year 'Round, Carol of the Bells (with Lyrics), Christmas Pipes

Style: World / Folk

Daniel Semsen : Season of Joy - A Celtic Christmas Celebration

Review: Combining the passion of Celtic musical traditions and the joyous celebration of Christ's birth, SEASON OF JOY offers a spectacular collection of new and beloved seasonal songs that will perfectly complement any Christmas program. Acclaimed arranger/orchestrator Daniel Semsen has brilliantly married traditional Celtic instrumentation with a vibrant contemporary sound. Featuring four new songs by Keith and Kristyn Getty, this one-of-a-kind musical combines such Irish classics as "The Wexford Carol" with exciting new Celtic-inspired arrangements of Chris Tomlin's "Emmanuel (Hallowed Manger Ground)" and Travis Cottrell's "Jesus Saves." A standout offering is the stunning overture, which features fiddles, penny whistles and bagpipes. No less than one dozen familiar carols artfully weave their way through the work, inviting your congregation to fully join the celebration. Two optional narrations, a sequence of dramatic readings and production notes by Deborah Craig-Claar have also been provided, allowing you to customize the work to your presentational needs. This year, share the SEASON OF JOY with your choir, your church and your community.

Songlist: A Celtic Christmas Overture, Christmas Pipes, Joy Has Dawned, Once Upon A Christmas, The Wexford Carol, The Carolin' Reel , Emmanuel, How Suddenly A Baby Cries, Jesus Saves, By Faith, Celtic Christmas Blessing

Einojuhani Rautavaara : Our Joyful'st Feast

Review: This Christmas carol, commissioned by the Finnish broadcasting company Yle and first performed in Helsinki by Helsinki Chamber Choir, conducted by Nils Schweckendiek, is based on three texts, two by William Shakespeare and one by George Wither. The largely homophonic textures combine with Rautavaara's characteristically rich and often chromatic harmonies to form a very effective and satisfying work, a bit different from the usual Christmas offering.

J. Robert Carroll : Seven French Noels - TTBB edition

Review:

Jana Skarecky : Four Czech Carols

Review: Four Czech Carols has English lyrics and arrangements by Canadian contemporary classical composer Jana Skarecky for SATB a cappella Choir. Duration: 6:50

Songlist: Softly She Sang, Jesus Christ is King of Kings, Have You Ever Seen?, O Come, Hear The Tidings

Marian Dolan : An International Christmastide

Review: An international collection of Advent/Christmas and Epiphany choral music which represents countries as diverse as India, Korea, Palestine, Venezuela and Sweden. Both accessible and eclectic, This music is suitable for worship and concert use, written by leading composers of that region of the world. Series editor Marian Dolan, has traveled the world in search of interesting, lesser known choral music. She brings the best of her discoveries to this series.

Songlist: Sankta Lucia, Hoosianna, Sculti, sculati, boira mari, Como sucedio (How It Happened), Peace Child, Kyrie, O Lamb of God, Prayer for Justice, Mary's Salidummay, Ososo (Come Now, O Prince of Peace), Tropar Na Rozhdestvo (Your Birth, O Christ), In dulci jubilo (Nar juldagsmorgon glimmar), O Jesu parvule (Ett barn ar fott), Ubi sunt gaudia (O, du saliga), Sheng-ye qing, sheng-ye jing (Holy Night, Blessed Night), Gloria, Neturtas (Child of the Manger), From East to West, Christmas Psalm Refrains, Let the Heavens Rejoice, The Splendor of the Lord, Worship the Lord, All Kings Shall Bow Down, Karthar Ivarey (God of All Gods), Cum Dung to All a'We, Yo soy la luz del mundo, Psalm 84, Hanure Binnanun, To the Unnamed Light, Blagri (Beatitudes)

Michael Burkhardt : Three Carols from Poland

Review: Written for SATB, SA and TB Small Ensembles, Treble Solos, a cappella. Three short traditional carols that may be performed individually or grouped together in a concert. The carols are fun to sing and include both Polish and English text. 1. Shepherds, 2. Mary's Lullaby, 3. Today in Bethlehem

Morten Schuldt-Jensen : Weihnachtslieder 1 (German Carols 1)

Review: In many parts of the world, Advent and Christmas carols have become part of the standard repertoire of popular songs, and this tradition has also produced a large number of such songs in German-speaking countries. These include not only folk songs, some of unknown origin, but also art songs in various styles, as well as movements from popular classical Christmas works. This diversity is reflected in this first volume of German-language Christmas carols, which brings together carols from a broad range of eras, origins and styles. The name SAM-Klang takes the three voice parts from the arrangements -- Soprano, Alto and Men -- and combines it with the Scandinavian and German words for sound to create the portmanteau word sound together or harmony. The series offers basic and advanced choral repertoire. In addition to new repertoire and new arrangements, you will also find essential parts of the classical German, Scandinavian, French and English SATB repertoire, carefully and considerately reworked for SAM. The arrangements retain the characteristic features of the original movements and have almost the same richness of timbre, resulting in works which sound nearly unchanged to an audience. Piano reductions of all choral movements facilitate rehearsal preparation. The arrangements offer development opportunities for all voice sections, bringing new life and new quality to SAM choir work. SAM-Klang enables youth choirs to gain access to classical choral literature and ensures that mixed choirs who face challenges in finding singers for all male voice parts continue to have access to well-loved repertoire.

Songlist: Brich An, Du Schones Morgenlicht, Freu Dich, Erd' Und Sternenzelt, Kommet, Ihr Hirten, O Du Frohliche, Ubers Gebirg Maria Ging

Otmar Mácha : Ten Czech Christmas Carols

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Paul J. Christiansen : Beautiful the Sky: Four Scandinavian Carols

Review: Beautiful the Sky is a collection of beloved Scandinavian Christmas anthems by Paul J. Christiansen, edited by his son Erik Christiansen. These gorgeous settings evoke a sense of their homeland and would stand as beautiful additions to your church's Christmas worship service or concert program. The texts are presented in both English and the original language.

Songlist: Christmas Comes Again, This Happy Christmas, Joyous Christmas Song, Oh, How Beautiful the Sky

Paul Trepte : Three German Carols

Review: Three classic German carols, imaginatively and masterfully arranged by Paul Trepte. Delight your choir and audience this Christmas with the lilting charm of Susani, the lively Liebe Nachtigall, Wach Auf - with its mesmeric canonic writing - and the simple majesty of Wie Schon Leuchtet, a wonderful arrangement of Philipp Nicolai's most famous melody.

Songlist: Susani, Liebe Nachtigall, Wach Auf , Wie Schon Leuchtet

Peter Schubert : French Noels

Review: These Christmas songs have been chosen from those transcribed by Andrienne Block and are particularly interesting because the music was originally composed for secular texts, and the Christmas texts were substituted in the following decades. Unaccompanied with rehearsal piano.

Songlist: Chantons, grands et petits, Quand le fils Dieu prit naissance, Votre beaute, Ecoutez la trompette

Ruth Heller : Christmas: Its Carols, Customs and Legends

Review: 70 carols from around the world plus historical descriptions of Christmas customs. Titles: Carol of the Mistletoe Singers (Canadian) * Baloo Loo Lammy (Scotch) * Echo Carol (German) * Bells of Paradise (English) * Christmas, O Day! (Norwegian) * and more. 6.5" x 9.25" size.

Sally K. Albrecht : Celebrations Around the World!

Review: This innovative songbook celebrating unique holidays in 13 countries around the world will be a wonderful addition to any music or classroom teacher's library. The Teacher's Handbook is filled with useful teaching tools including: Notes about each holiday (may be used as connecting dialog), Programming ideas, Reproducible Student Song Sheets, Performance and Musical Development notes, Suggested activities, PLUS tons of ideas for further interdisciplinary study. Learn about other cultures, customs and languages through the cross-cultural study of music. Includes songs for: USA, Canada, Barbados, Brazil, United Kingdom, Italy, Saudi Arabia, China, Russia, Japan, Australia, South Africa and Ghana. Recommended for grades 2--7. Works as a songbook OR a program. Performance Time: Approximately 30 minutes. Reproducible Student Song Sheets included.

Voicing: Children

Sally K. Albrecht : Celebrations Around the World---Again!

Review: This innovative songbook (a sequel to the popular Celebrations Around the World!) celebrates more unique holidays in 12 countries around the world. The Teacher's Handbook includes notes about each holiday, programming ideas, suggested activities, and reproducible song sheets, PLUS tons of ideas for further interdisciplinary study. Includes songs for the USA, Mexico, Venezuela, Ireland, Sweden, France, Spain, India, Israel, China, South Korea, and Kenya. Recommended for grades 2--7. Works as a songbook OR as a 30-minute program.

Voicing: Children

Satis N. Coleman / Elin K. Jorgensen : Christmas Carols from Many Countries

Review: Arranged for unchanged voices, this collection of old favorites, familiar carols with new settings, carols in original foreign languages and newly translated carols is a great resource for those who want to add a little more repertoire to their Christmas caroling.

Songlist: Adeste Fideles, Although you are so Tiny, Angels we have Heard on High, An Weihnachten, As I sat on a Sunny Bank, As Joseph Was a Walking, As Lately we Watched, Away in a Manger, Bergers, pour qui cette fete, Boar's Head Carol, The, Bring Your Torches, Carol, children, carol, Carol fo the Flowers, Chantons, baries, Noue Noue, Christ-Boy is Born, Christmas Eve is Here, Christmas is Here Again, Christmas Nightingale, The, Christ, Hasten, Ye Shepards, Dame get up and bake your pies, Dear baby Jesus not rest in sleep, Deck the Halls, Die Weihnachts Nachtigall, Der Heiland, Der Hirten, Ein, Entre, First Noel, The, Friendly Beasts, The, From Over the Hills, and more

Simon Halsey : Five Welsh Carols

Review: These lyrical and atmospheric carols for the Christmas season offer choirs the chance of exploring treasures from one of the most musical of nations. The Welsh texts are accompanied by new English singing translations.

Songlist: The Shepherds Were Keeping Their Watch (Roed Yn Y Wlad Honno), Come from Ev'ry Land (Tua Bethl'em Dref), Come All Christians, Singing (O Deued Pob Cristion), Dark the Night (Seren Bethlehem), Deck the Hall with Boughs of Holly (Oer Yw'r Gwr Sy'n Methu Caru)

Various : A Baltic Christmas - 10 Pieces for A Cappella Choir

Review: With captivating settings of Latvian choral music featuring folk songs and poetry by composers Rihards Dubra, Eriks Esenvalds, and Vytautas Miskinis, as well as thrilling arrangements of ancient pagan folksongs by Ilona Rupaine and Juris Vaivods, this exciting anthology of Christmas music from Latvia and Lithuania is perfect for choirs looking to broaden their musical horizons during the festive period.

Songlist: O Emmanuel, At Christmas, Hodie Christus Natus Est, O Radix Jesse, Verbum Caro, A Child's Prayer, The Candles Glow, Nata Lux, Duido, Kalado

Various Arrangers : Peace On Earth

Review: 144 carols from around the world including Spain, Italy, Mexico, Puerto Rico,Denmark, Germany, France, Chile and many others. Quality arrangements that are fun to sing.

Songlist: As Lately We Watched (Austria), The Simple Birth (Belgium), The Huron Carol, Going to Bethlehem (Chile), Quickly Now, O Shepherds (Columbia), Hear, O Shepherds (Croatia), Come, All Ye Shepherds (Czech Republic), A Child Is Born in Bethlehem (Denmark), Away in a Manger (England), Angels We Have Heard on High (France)

Walter Ehret : Christmas Carols of France

Review: A collection of French Christmas carols for unison or 2-part voices with French and English texts.

Songlist: We Sing in Celebration, He is Born, the Holy Child, Angels O'er the Fields Were Singing, O Come Away, Ye Shepherds, The Sleep of the Infant Jesus, What is This Perfume So Appealing?, Neighbor, What Has You So Excited?, O Holy Night, Pat-a-Pan, Ballad of Jesus Christ, Although You Still are Weak and Helpless, Christmas Comes Anew, Sleep, Little Dove, Shepherd, Shake off Your Drowsy Sleep, Whence Comes This Rush of Wings Afar?, March of the Kings, Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella, Touro-Louro-Louro, Whence Art Thou, My Maiden?

Walter Ehret : Christmas Carols of Northern Europe

Review: 38 easy arrangements of traditional carols from the acclaimed arranger Walter Ehret. Text in both English and the native language with carols from Germany, Austria, Denmark, Norway and others.

Songlist: O How Joyfully, O Christmas Tree, Ring, Little Bells, O Come, Little Children, In Bethlehem so Lowly, While By My Sheep, Joseph, Dearest Joseph Mine, The Christmas Tree With Its Candles Gleaming, Susani, Come Running, You Shepherds, Shepherd's Cradle Song, Dear Nightingale, Awake, Maria Wanders Through The Thorn, From Heaven Above To Earth I Come, Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Light, Beside Thy Cradle Here I Stand, How Brightly Shines The Morning Star, Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming, Lippai, As Lately we Watched, The Twilight Is Falling, Above on the Mountain, Silent Night, Holy Night, A Baby In The Cradle, Still, Still, Still, Gloria, The Simple Birth, Today We Welcome a Tiny Child, The Happy Christmas Comes Once More, Lovely Is The Dark Blue Sky, and more

Walter Ehret : Christmas Carols of Spain and Latin America

Review: A collection of 27 traditional carols for unison and 2 part voices arranged by Walter Ehret. In Spanish with English translations.

Songlist: A La Nanita Nana, Come, My Dear Old Lady, Thou Art Well Content, Foom, Foom, Foom, The Son Of Mary, Holy Joseph And Mary The Maid, King Herod, The Icy December, Carol Of The Birds, We'll Speak Very Softly, O Bethlehem, A Fire Is Started In Bethlehem, Bells Over Bethlehem, O My Loveliest One, In Bethlehem's Cradle, The Holy Child, At The Hour Of Midnight, Song Of The Wise Men, Shepherds In Bethlehem, Happily Singing, We Are Singing, As The Frightened Baby Jesus, The Journey, Going To Bethlehem, Pray Give Us Lodging, The Babe, Hasten Now, O Shepherds

Walter Ehret : The International Book of Christmas Carols

Review: 164 easy arrangements with chords of carols from around the world, complete with lyrics in the original language as well as English. This special collection also includes historical background information on the observance of Christmas through the years and notes about specific carols to give added understanding. Songs are included from England, Italy, Latin America, Spain, Scandinavia, Poland, Czech Republic, and more.

Songlist: Christmas and Its Songs, ENGLISH CAROLS, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, Good Christian Men, Rejoice, The Seven Joys of Mary, This Endris Night, Good King Wenceslas, God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen, Coventry Carol, When Christ Was Born of Mary Free, The Holly and the Ivy, The Friendly Beasts, The First Nowell, Joy to the World, What Child is This? (Greensleeves), While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks, Gloucestershire wassail, The Boar's Head Carol, Wassail Song, The Twelve Days of Christmas, On Christmas Night (Sussex Carol), Blessed Be that Maid Marie, A Virgin Unspotted, Once in Royal David's City, Sleep, Holy Babe, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, As with Gladness Men of Old, Angels From the Realms of Glory, Masters in this Hall, I Saw Three Ships, and more

Catherine DeLanoy : Li'l Liza Jane

Review: Spirited and fun for young voices, this folksong favorite sparkles with rhythmic energy! Individual part-singing as well as chordal and polyphonic passages fill the work, creating teaching moments for your rehearsal and ultimately an entertaining performance. Your guys will love it too!

Sheet Music Available: SAB

Jill Gallina : Dominick, the Donkey

Review: A little donkey helps Santa Claus bring presents to children in Italy in this delightful novelty arrangement. Various Italian words and expressions are used throughout with easy part writing and plenty of hee-haws for all!

Sheet Music Available: SAB,   2-Part,   SAB,   2-Part

Audrey Snyder : Frosty Winter Snow

Review: You'll thrill to the wintry sights and sounds that this sparkling Russian folksong evokes as it celebrates the first snowfall of winter! Perform it in English or with the very short and easily-learned Russian text, this will be a delightful choice for holiday and winter programs. Available separately: 3-Part Mixed, 2-Part, VoiceTrax CD.

Sheet Music Available: 3-Part,   2-Part,   3-Part,   2-Part

Cristi Cary Miller : Christmas in Killarney

Review:

Sheet Music Available: 3-Part Mixed,   2-Part,   2-Part,   3-Part Mixed

Victor Johnson : Adorar al Nino

Review: Here is a bright Venezuelan Villancico in a warm and colorful setting for young voices with piano, flute and percussion. An excellent choice for Christmas or concert, the voice parts are accessible to assure confidence and success! Available separately: 3-Part Mixed, 2-Part, VoiceTrax CD. Duration: ca. 1:50.

Sheet Music Available: SAB,   2-Part,   SAB,   2-Part