A Midnight Clear (A Cantata For Christmas): Choral Instrumental Pak
Item: 35-PK00422387
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Description
"A Midnight Clear" is a joyful collection of carols that beautifully and elegantly portray the Christmas story. Stylistic variety abounds, and the optional Chamber Orchestration will provide additional layers of texture and color to the work. Selections can be presented individually or as part of a full-length cantata, making this book an excellent choice for "Lessons and Carols" services or for concert presentations.
Songs include: "King Jesus Hath a Garden; Puer Natus in Bethlehem; Blessed Be That Maid Mary; All My Heart This Night Rejoices; It Came Upon the Midnight Clear; O Come, Little Children; In Dulci Jubilo; Carol for the Newborn King; Christmas Celebration."
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Additional Details
Publisher:
Hal Leonard
SKU:
35-PK00422387
More about this title
Why we love this
The stylistic range across nine carols means your singers won't settle into autopilot, even within a single rehearsal. The optional chamber orchestration lifts the work without requiring a full ensemble, and the flexibility to program selections individually or as a complete cantata adapts to everything from a formal Christmas Eve service to a casual seasonal concert.
What to expect
Moving from one carol to the next feels like turning pages in an illuminated manuscript. The collection breathes with both the reverence of sacred texts and the warmth of seasonal celebration, with instrumental coloring that can range from intimate to luminous depending on your orchestration choices.
Who it's for
Choirs wanting a coherent Christmas program that honors tradition without sacrificing variety will find nine distinct musical personalities here. This works equally well for a liturgical setting where selections fit into a service structure or for a standalone concert where the full cantata provides an evening's worth of programming.
How to get the most out of it
- Experiment with which pieces to orchestrate and which to keep as pure choral arrangements. This choice alone creates dramatic pacing shifts across the full cantata.
- Assign specific voice groups to lead individual selections based on the carol's melodic demands. Some pieces may highlight sopranos while others benefit from alto or tenor prominence.
- Balance the carol texts carefully during rehearsals. Even familiar melodies can feel fresh when singers understand the narrative arc of the Christmas story across all nine songs.
- Let the chamber orchestration rehearsals happen alongside choral work rather than waiting until late in the process. Singers lock in more securely when they've heard instrumental colors early.
How to use it
A Midnight Clear fits naturally into a Lessons and Carols format where carols intersperse with readings, or it can anchor a December concert entirely on its own. Consider placing it mid-season in your calendar so rehearsals have time to explore the chamber orchestration without rushing.
Skills your students will build
- Navigating multiple stylistic periods and arrangements within a single work
- Balancing English carol texts with Latin sacred texts
- Coordinate with chamber ensemble musicians and respond to instrumental cues
- Building interpretive ownership of carols beyond surface-level familiarity
- Sustained phrasing across longer choral narratives