The third is a slow movement loosely based on both the Coventry Carol and The First Noel. The second is a scherzo on God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen. The first movement is based on O Come All Ye Faithful. His best known work is his Carol Symphony – a four movement work that incorporates several well-known Christmas carols. Victor Hely-Hutchinson was a British composer born in Cape Town, Cape Colony (now South Africa). The title translates as “Rejoice, rejoice! Christ has born”. When it was published, no music was given for the verses, but it is typically sung to a tune that comes from older liturgical books. In it, you’ll hear familiar tunes like “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, “Good King Wenceslaus”, and “Hark the Herald Angels Sing”.Īnother medieval carol, Gaudete or Gaudete, Christus est natus is a sacred Christmas song that was published in 1582. His Christmas Overture was derived from The Forest of Wild Thyme and arranged by Sydney Barnes after Coleridge-Taylor’s death. He became fairly well-known in England as well as in the US where he was dubbed the “African Mahler”. He showed promise at an early age as a violinist and then as a composer. His father was a Sierra Leone Creole physician. Samuel Coleridge-Taylor was a British composer of African descent. The words “ríu ríu chíu” are nonsense syllables that represent the call of the kingfisher.Ĭhristmas Overture – Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Sometimes attributed to Mateo Flecha the Elder who died in 1553, the basic theme of the song is the nativity of Christ and the immaculate Conception. Like his other works, it has hints of inspiration from other British composers like Elgar and Vaughan Williams.Īlthough it has crossed into some popular music recordings, Riu Riu Chiu remains relatively unknown by most.

Finzi explained that the work is the Nativity story becoming a vision seen by “a wanderer on a dark and frosty Christmas Eve in our own familiar landscape”. It was composed in 1954 and was set to the words of a poem entitled “Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913” by Robert Bridges. In Terra Pax was one of the last pieces British composer Gerald Finzi wrote. Although it has been recorded by a number of choirs including the Choir of King’s College and Cambridge, it doesn’t typically make the cut among popular music artists. It was written by George Ratcliffe Woodward and published in 1924. Past Three O’Clock is loosely based on the traditional cry of the city night watchman. Tired of the usual Christmas carols on the radio? Have you heard Sleigh Ride or Winter Wonderland one too many times this season? Then check out our list of uncommon classical Christmas music including rare choral pieces and obscure symphonic compositions.

Dark symphonic orchestra music