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How did you get on with this year’s Christmas Quiz? Some questions were trickier than others but thank you for playing; we hope it brought some festive cheer in the run-up to Christmas. A particular well done to anyone who was able to identify not only the title of each carol, but also the twelve letter word at the end of the quiz.
A special mention goes to Ben S whose name was picked out of the hat, winning a signed copy of all twelve carols. The answers are included below, and there’s a playlist of the twelve carols so you can sing along while you put the final touches to any festive plans. We wish you all a very merry Christmas!
Listen to the playlist>>
Day 1: Nativity Carol: B – ‘Born in a stable so bare…’
Written in 1963, this is one of John’s earliest pieces.
Day 2: Es ist ein Ros entsprungen: E – ‘Es ist ein Ros entsprungen‘
John creates a peaceful and contemplative atmosphere in this arrangement of the traditional German carol, Es ist ein’ Ros’ entsprungen. The piece opens with a lyrical melody from the solo oboe, over a wash of gentle, hummed vocal harmonies. John continues the carol by underpinning the vocal melodies with ‘ah’s and hummed parts, and keeping the dynamics soft, to retain its tranquility.
Day 3: Sans Day Carol: N – ‘Now the holly bears a berry as white as the milk’
The title of this folk carol is a corruption of St Day, the Cornish village where it was heard and written down in the early twentieth century. This setting, one of a number of carol arrangements John made while a student at Cambridge in the 1960s, gained currency from performances by King’s College Choir, Cambridge.
Day 4: Christ is the morning star: C – ‘Christ is the morning star’
‘Christ is the morning star’ – an Advent carol – was written in 2013 at the invitation of Graham Ross, Director of Music at Clare College, Cambridge.
Day 5: Love came down at Christmas: L – ‘Love came down at Christmas, love all lovely, Love divine’
The simplicity of Christina Rossetti’s text is reflected in this setting, which dates from 1971. It was written for a Christmas concert given by the Louis Halsey Singers in London.
Day 6: Esta Noche: E – ‘Esta noche nace un niño, entre la escarcha y el hielo‘
The infectious dance-like spirit of this anonymous folk-carol has made it a favourite both in Spain and in the New World.
Day 7: O Holy Night: O – ‘O holy night the stars are brightly shining’
A much-loved cornerstone of Christmas repertory.
Day 8: Suzi’s Carol: A – ‘A babe is born all of a may’
We gave further instructions on this one – to work out the first letter of the first full sentence of the lyrics of the carol. Don’t worry: if you chose ‘N’ (for Nowell), and you got everything else correct, your name was entered into the draw!
JR writes: Suzi Digby, choral conductor extraordinaire, has been a major force for good in the choral world (and beyond) for a number of years, and is a personal friend. Among her many projects, she commissioned a wealth of new choral music from a remarkable cross-section of composers. I feel privileged to have been invited in 2017 to be one of them, and at her suggestion I decided to write a carol, with her expert choir in mind. I always return to early English carol texts with pleasure, but in choosing ‘A babe is born all of a may’ I preferred to avoid such a lengthy title, so Suzi’s Carol it is, in recognition of her huge contribution to the world of choral music.
Day 9: I sing of a maiden: I – ‘I sing of a maiden that is makeless’
This tender, lyrical fifteenth-century poem on the theme of the Virgin Mary and the coming of Christ has been set to music by many composers. John made a setting for solo voice back in the 1970s that was laid aside for some years, only rediscovering it while clearing the attic in 2020! He decided to rewrite it and re-voice it for mixed choir, in which form it is recorded here.
Day 10: The Wild Wood Carol: S – ‘Sing O the wild wood, the green holly’
A gentle, haunting carol, inspired by the animals of ‘The Wind in the Willows’.
Day 11: Rejoice and Sing: R – ‘Rejoice and sing, glad news I bring’
‘Rejoice and Sing’ was written in 2014, in celebration of the 95th birthday of Sir David Willcocks.
Day 12: New Year: T – ‘Turn your eyes to the light’
New Year was written in 2006, at the request of the organist and choir of Sandringham Church, who wished to offer a seasonal tribute to HM The Queen in her 80th birthday year.
When you unscramble all of the letters, you get the word: CELEBRATIONS
Listen to the playlist>>
This was so much fun, and I hope you do this again next year! Merry Christmas to you and your families and a very Happy New Year ahead!