Peter Lawson

Shepherds' Carol

A BED OF HAY is a set of Seven Carols for Christmas for choir and orchestra or piano with words by Katherine Hayes.
They are: A Bed of Hay; Shepherds' Carol; Domine, Adoro Te; Christ is here, Holy Year; This Happy Night; The Night Wind is Cold; Hodie! Christus Natus est
This sequence of carols can be performed as a whole or separately, either with orchestral accompaniment or with piano (or organ). It is available as a complete Vocal Score with Piano (or organ) accompaniment in four different versions: Mixed Voice Choir (SATB), Mixed Voice Choir (SA+Men) with one stave of male voices for choirs with a shortage of men, with the male voices in the baritone range, Upper Voice Choir (SSA) or Male Voice Choir (TTBB).
All seven carols are also available singly in each of the different voice versions.
The orchestral score and parts (covering all seven carols) is the same for all versions.
Orchestration: 2 Flutes (2nd db. Piccolo), 2 Oboes, 2 Clarinets in Bb, 2 Bassoons, 2 Horns in F, 2 Trumpets in Bb, 3 Trombones, Tuba, Timpani, Percussion (2 players: Triangle, Sleigh Bells, Claves, Tambourine, Snare Drum, Glockenspiel, Tubular Bells, Cymbals), Harp (or Keyboard),
Strings (Violin 1, Violin 2, Viola, Cello, Bass) & Choir (SATB or SA+Men or SSA or TTBB).

In the early 1980s, I was teaching at the Guildhall School of Music, a comprehensive school in South-West London and a junior school in Stepney, all in the same week. At the junior school Katherine Hayes was teaching Drama and Poetry. We collaborated on many productions of musicals and Kath also wrote a few carols for the children to perform, with the music hurriedly scribbled down by me in spare moments and elaborated upon at a later date. The carols were put into storage and half-remembered (with affection!) by me until 2019 when I decided to arrange them for different choir combinations. These seven 'new' carols are all approachable and memorable. I don't take the credit for that: Kath's lyrics always had the habit of immediately suggesting a tune to me. Her love of people and animals comes out warmly, the animals sometimes anthropomorphised into song! Peter Lawson

Duration 2½ minutes