In the Bleak Midwinter

Another arrangement that had its genesis as a vocal chart for Five By Design. However, this piece went on to be performed in our holiday show, "A Winter's Evening." I have always loved the Gustav Holst melody to Christina Rossetti's poem, subsequently it was that setting that I chose to arrange for our group. When I was selecting pieces for my second collection of Christmas Preludes, I knew this would be among them. The piece starts out quite gently, and in my mind's ear I hear a cello and oboe establishing a mood of utter serenity and calm as the snow gently falls outside the frost-covered window. Soon the oboe is joined by a clarinet as they play a duet while the cello continues the gentle sway of eighth notes. For the pianist, there must be great control of the left hand to keep it as calm as possible while the melody floats above, just as the snow falls to the earth. As the second verse begins, the right hand now plays a triplet pattern beneath the melody. It is a gentle breeze, stirred by the wings of angels and cherubim, upon which the crystalline flakes swirl and dance in the cold night air. All the while the left hand continues its steady motion of eighth notes. Halfway through the triplet pattern moves to the left hand and the right hand takes up the eighth notes while still keeping the melody above all. The verse comes to a close with a slowing of the tempo to emphasize the importance of what the poet states in the last lines of the poem: "Yet what I can I give a Give my heart." It is all that any of us can do, and all that we are asked to do.