Britten: Saint Nicolas & a Ceremony of Carols

Featuring

David Temple
Mark Le Brocq
Zachary Almeida-Rosser
Mariana Rosas
Sally Pryce
BBC Concert Orchestra

Coldfall Primary School Choir
Crouch End Festival Chorus
Hannah Brine Choirs
Benjamin Britten

Did you know?

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Composer's Artistic Vision

Britten, a cultured and sophisticated artist, loved the sound of the natural human voice, especially children's voices, and sought to capture their freshness and innocence in his works.

Compositional Technique

Both "A Ceremony of Carols" and "Saint Nicolas" are among the earliest works Britten composed primarily for boys' voices, though they are often performed by adult choirs and girls' choirs.

Recording & Production

This recording of "Saint Nicolas" was made in the recently restored Victorian Theatre at Alexandra Palace in north London, chosen for its wonderful acoustics.

Compositional Technique

Britten's "Saint Nicolas" is scored for tenor solo, main chorus, gallery choir, piano duet, organ, strings, and percussion, with specific advice for amateur and professional performers.

Composition History

Benjamin Britten composed "A Ceremony of Carols" and "Saint Nicolas" after returning to the UK from America in 1942, with "A Ceremony of Carols" being written during the voyage itself.

Interpretation

This recording of "Saint Nicolas" aimed to recreate the community project idea of the original commission, featuring over 200 singers with only the tenor soloist being a professional.

Composition History

Britten's "Saint Nicolas" was commissioned in 1947 for £100 as a community project for amateur musicians, celebrating the centenary of Lancing College, a school Peter Pears attended.