892BTC932932BBM/BTCceremonycarolsA Ceremony of CarolsFor treble voices and harp

When still incomplete, the work was described as 'for children's voices' in a letter of 30 September 1942, but as 'for women's voices' in the programme of the London première on 21 December 1942 and in the Radio Times announcement of the first broadcast. The programme of the first performance of the revised version describes it as 'for boys' choir and harp'.

op. 28281Choral Mar 19421081Oct 19421082summer 1943

Nos 4a and 7 were added when the work was revised. See also 'Notes' below.

Treble voices, harp

The score has the following note: 'The accompaniment of this work was designed for harp. If, however, this instrument is not available, a piano can be substituted, in which case no. 7 ('Interlude') should be omitted and there should be a short pause between nos 6 and 8'.

Various (see individual movements)23.0'For Ursula Nettleship'

Ursula Nettleship (1886-1968), singer and teacher.

The original order of the work, sketched by Britten while returning from America on the MS Axel Johnson, was: 1.'Hodie Christus natus est' (discarded); 2. 'There is no rose'; 2b. 'Balulalow'; 3. 'As dew in Aprille'; 4. 'This little babe'; 5. 'In freezing winter night'; 6. 'Deo Gracias'. After Britten arrived back in the UK in March 1942 he substituted the plainsong 'Procession' and 'Recession' for the original 'Hodie', and used the music of the discarded item for 'Wolcum yole', which became no. 2. 'Spring carol' was also added at this time.

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1 Procession

This movement and 'Recession' are variants of the 'Magnificat' antiphon for the second vespers of the nativity of Our Lord. The plainchant was supplied to Britten by Alec Robertson. This movement superceded an earlier first movement, 'Hodie Christus natus est'.

The plainchant was later used in a work written for Alec Robertson's eigthieth birthday: Alleluia! For Alec's 80th birthday, Oct-Nov 1971.

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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2 Wolcum yole! (anon.)

Composed after Britten's return to the UK on 17 April 1942. The music for this movement was originally used in the discarded 'Hodie Christus natus est' movement.

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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3 There is no rose (anon.)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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4a That yongë child

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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4b Balulalow (James, John and Robert Wedderburn, 1600s)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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5 As dew in Aprille (anon.)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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6 This little babe (Robert Southwell, c1561-1595)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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7 Interlude (for harp)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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8 In freezing winter night (Robert Southwell, c1561-1595)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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9 Spring carol (William Cornish, c1465-c1523)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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10 Deo gracias (anon.)

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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11 Recession

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This movement and 'Procession' are variants of the 'Magnificant' antiphon for the second vespers of the nativity of Our Lord. The plainchant was supplied to Britten by Alec Robertson. This movement superceded an earlier first movement, 'Hodie Christus natus est'.

The plainchant was later used in a work written for Alec Robertson's eigthieth birthday: Alleluia! For Alec's 80th birthday, Oct-Nov 1971.

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Copenhagen Boys' Choir / Benjamin Britten / Enid Simon. (Decca 436 3942). Recording courtesy of Decca Music Group.

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Discarded: Hodie Christus natus est''

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Replaced with 'Procession'. The music was used for 'Wolcum yole!'.

0892/131081194019423000000070892010821940194210000000070913014389201000Concert performance5 Dec 19421599Norwich Castle, Norwich

The women's voices of The Fleet Street Choir, Margaret Ritchie sop, Gwendolen Mason harp, T.B. Lawrence cond

01599194019421250000000709195891BTC931931BBM/BTCking11The man born to be king no 11: King of sorrowsRadio score1Incidental musicpre 20 Sep 19421079Female v, male chorus, pf(of play and vocal number) Dorothy L. Sayers (1893-1957)

Britten set a song for Mary Magdelene, 'Soldier, soldier, why do you roam' for this episode.

001942pre 20 Sep 1942893BTC933933BBM/BTCbritainamerica2Britain to America, Series II No 4: Where do I come in?Radio score1Incidental music pre 7 Nov 194210832 fl (II=picc), 2 ob, 2 cl in B flat, 2 bn - 2 hn in F, 2 tpt in B flat, trbn, bass trbn - timp (=susp cymb), 2 perc (xyl, tamb, susp cymb, cymb, small wb, sd, td, bd, gong) - harp - str (vn, va, vc, db)

Music written for episode no 4 of the second series of programmes about Britain and the British, made at the request of NBC, New York. The programme was written by Louis MacNeice (1907-1963).

001942pre 7 Nov 1942