John Rutter- Suzi’s Carol

John Rutter- Suzi’s Carol. Commissioned and performed by ORA Singers & Suzi Digby. Recorded at St Augustine's Church, Kilburn, January 2017.

Emma Walshe (soprano), Joby Burgess (percussion).

From the album 'The Mystery of Christmas: O magnum mysterium'- released 16th November, 2018 with harmonia mundi.

"In common with many composers, I have often found the text for a new carol in the rich store of early English poetry, so much of which was inspired by the Christmas story and written with musical setting in mind - though in many cases the music is lost. Suzi's Carol was composed to a 15th-century anonymous text, A babe is born all of a may, found in the Sloane manuscript in the British Library. In modern times this text was memorably set to music in exuberant style by William Mathias, but I felt there was scope for a more introspective setting: given the brief that there was to be an accompaniment for percussion, I found a counterpart to the mood of the text in the characterful and perhaps slightly enigmatic tone-colour of marimba, with crotales (small pitched metal plates sounding like tiny bells) at the point of climax in the music. I have dedicated my setting to Suzi and her wonderful choir ORA Singers."- John Rutter


Text:

A babe is born all of a may,
To bring salvation unto us.
To him we singen both night and day;
Veni Creator Spiritus

At Bethlehem, that blessed place,
The child of bliss, born he was;
Him to serve, God give us grace,
O lux beata Trinitas.

There came three kings out of the east,
To worship the King that is so free,
With gold and myrrh and frankincense,
A solis ortus cardine.

The angels came down with one cry,
A fair song then sungen he
In the worship of that child:
Gloria tibi Domine

A babe is born all of a may,
To bring salvation unto us.
To him we singen both night and day.
Veni Creator Spiritus. Nowell.


Full album listing:

1. William Byrd- O magnum mysterium (2'43)
2. Adrian Peacock- Venite, Gaudete! (2'23)
3. Roderick Williams- O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel (7'08)
4. Judith Weir- Drop down, ye heavens, from above (1'40)
5. Thomas Tallis- Videte miraculum (9'55)
6. Anonymous (medieval)- Coventry Carol (2'42)
7. Anonymous arr. Richard Allain- Coventry Carol (3'52)
8. Anonymous (medieval)- Nova, nova (1'57)
9. James MacMillan- Nova! Nova! Ave fit ex Eva (5'39)
10. John Rutter- Suzi’s Carol (5'00)
11. Jamie W. Hall- As I lay upon a night (3'13)
12. Anonymous (medieval)- There is no rose (3'22)
13. Ben Rowarth- There is no rose (4'41)
14. Thomas Hyde- Sweet was the song (2'02)
15. Anonymous (medieval)- Now may we singen (4'25)
16. Cecilia McDowall- Now may we singen (3'29)
17. Fredrik Sixten- Mary’s Lullaby (Silent Night) (4'01)
18. Steven Sametz- Gaudete (2'15)
19. Morten Lauridsen- O magnum mysterium (6'00)

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