In The Bleak Midwinter
There are two well known melodies associated with the Christmas Carol ‘In The Bleak Midwinter’ - one is by Harold Darke and the other is by Gustav Holst. On our carol disc, I opted to arrange based on the Holst melody but would certainly like to write an arrangement on the Harold Darke piece at some point in the future.
The Holst version was written in 1909 as music to accompany the poem by Christina Rossetti and it is a well loved seasonal tune which has always been immensely popular at our Christmas concerts. When I began arranging this carol for string quartet I wanted to bring out the simple beauty of the tune and illuminate the melody with gentle strings rather than do very much with it. A simple counter melody emerges in the first violin part and later on there follows a soft pizzicato section with the tune remaining bowed.
« Once in Royal David’s City | Home | Christmas Concert - I Saw Three Ships, St Giles, Cheddington »
