In the Bleak Midwinter

Description

Newcomer Alexandra Skevington brings us a lovely take on a classic tune. Extremely accessible and easy to put together, this arrangement of “In the Bleak Midwinter” will resonate with young musicians.

Program Notes

The English poet, Christina G. Rossetti, wrote the words to this carol, originally published under the title “A Christmas Carol” in 1872. Gustav Holst, best remembered for his suite, “The Planets”, then set the poem to music. It first appeared in “The English Hymnal” in 1906 as “In the Bleak Midwinter.” This piece differs from much Christmas music, as it evokes a quiet and still atmosphere, akin to the sound of fallen snow described in the first of four verses.

“In the bleak midwinter, frosty wind made moan,
Earth stood hard as iron, water like a stone;
Snow had fallen, snow on snow, snow on snow,
In the bleak midwinter, long ago.”

In the final verse, the narrator is reverential rather than loudly joyous, offering their heart to the newborn babe despite having no riches. The overall feeling is one of introspective contemplation, and this arrangement aims to capture that essence, delivering a moment of stillness in an otherwise hectic and extroverted season.