A solo organ accompaniment to the 16th century Epiphany hymn. Long reverberation gives the feeling of a cathedral.
D F B A
A bouncy and fun arrangement of the well-loved children's song. Just like track 1180, but with fun animal sounds added in verses 4, 5, and 6! A short interlude between each verse gives a child time to choose and tell everyone the next action. Seven verses, with guitar, bass, and percussion.
Bb D E
A bouncy and fun arrangement of the well-loved children's song. A short interlude between each verse gives a child time to choose and tell everyone the next action. Seven verses, with guitar, bass, and percussion. Just like track 1179, but without the animal sounds.
E D Bb
Movement 11 from Handel's Messiah is an aria for bass. The creepy chromatic melody is played unison by the orchestra and soloist, giving an unusual, dark character to the text. Tempos are similar to the London Symphony Orchestra recording.
Bm
This soprano recitative comprises movements 14 and 15 of Handel's Messiah. It tells of the angel of God appearing to the shepherds. Very slow and rubato, with timings carefully matched to the London Philharmonic Orchestra recording.
C
Movement 17 from Handel's Messiah, this is a joyous SATB chorus, complete with trumpets, woodwinds, strings, and harpsichord. The text of "peace on Earth, goodwill towards men" is perfect for Christmas. Orchestral direction reflects the London Philharmonic Orchestra recording. Includes mvmnt. 16 (an 8-measure soprano recitative) as an introduction.
D
Movement 18 of Handel's Messiah is a dramatic and involved aria for soprano. A fast major-key beginning and end require virtuosic singing, and the slow minor-key middle section gives the singer lots of room to be expressive. Orchestral direction reflects the London Philharmonic Orchestra recording.
Bb
Movement 19 of Handel's Messiah is a brief alto recitative, reciting the miracles that will occur when Jesus is born. Accompanied by bass, cello, and harpsichord.
Am
This grand and peaceful SATB chorus is movement 21 of Handel's Messiah. The last movement in Part 1, it is usually the last song before intermission in performances of the full work. Gentle and easy to sing with a triumphant ending, with a text simple enough for anyone to understand.
Bb
A slow, moving aria for alto, Movement 23 of Handel's Messiah, describing Christ's sorrows. Strings gently weep in the accompaniment. As the A section is over five minutes in length, Handel's instructions to continue with a bridge and then repeat the A section in its entirety are rarely followed. This recording ends, like most, at the end of the A section; the bridge is available separately as Spiritrax 1209, "He Gave His Back to the Smiters".
Eb
This quiet alto aria about Christ's generosity towards his abusers is the B section of movement 23 of the Messiah. It was recorded separately so that it can be used alone, as a short and simple aria, or as a bridge to "He Was Despised" (Spiritrax 1208) as per Handel's original instructions.
Cm
A powerful, strong SATB choral work, movement 24 of Handel's Messiah. In only 19 measures, the choir sings powerful unison rhythms, soft contrapuntal entrances, and a forceful antiphonal ending. Beautiful and recognizable.
Fm
A very brief accompanied recitative from Handel's Messiah for tenor (or soprano). Only 30 seconds long, movement 31 forms a bridge between two short tenor arias, "Behold, and See if There Be Any Sorrow" and "But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell", so a recital soloist might perform all three as a set. Very slow and rubato, with tempos following the London Philharmonic recording with Walter Susskind conducting.
E
M ovement 41 of Handel's Messiah is a lively, energetic SATB chorus. Imitative parts and frequent modulations present an interesting challenge for any choir. One measure has been added to the beginning to establish tempo and key.
C
A flowing duet for alto and tenor leads into a glorious SATB chorus thanking God. This track comprises movements 50 and 51 of the Messiah. Orchestral accompaniment is from Handel's original score.
Eb
