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In dulci iubilo
composer
old German melody
arranger
1836
author of text
Latin and German of unknown origin
translator of text
Robert Pearsall’s In dulci jubilo is a choral arrangement par excellence—indeed, it is perhaps the archetype for the countless subsequent arrangements of traditional melodies for SATB choir. Pearsall’s carol can be heard as an ‘Englishing’ (or Anglican-ization?) of a foreign tradition, not dissimilar perhaps to the adoption of German Christmas traditions such as the Christmas Tree into English life in the mid-nineteenth century. (Victoria and Albert married in 1840, four years after Pearsall wrote his setting.) The original tune, which in the hands of Praetorius or Scheidt dances boisterously, is rendered soft-edged and quietly grand by Pearsall’s smooth harmony and effortless part-writing. In the later verses, Pearsall’s counterpoint often seizes the foreground from the original melody; more than simply a straightforward harmonization, this is almost a carol-fantasia.
from notes by Robert Quinney © 2008
Recordings
 A Festival of Nine Lessons & Carols - The Centenary ServiceStudio Master: KGS0036-DDownload only NEWStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available  A moment of pure magic as the light fails on a midwinter’s day and the still, small voice of a solo treble is heard … this is a cherishable document of one of this country’s timeless musical traditions on its centenary.» More |
 Hyperion sampler - November 2019 Vol. 2FREE DOWNLOADHYP201911BDownload-only sampler NEW  |
 100 Years of Nine Lessons & CarolsStudio Master: KGS0033-DDownload onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available This album features new recordings by Stephen Cleobury and the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, and older recordings taken from the live BBC broadcasts of A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols. These historical recordings, most of which come fr ...» More |
 A Christmas Caroll from Westminster AbbeyCDA67716 Hyperion presents a delightful and unusual selection of music for Christmas from the Abbey Choir. It encompasses all the diverse themes of Christmas which have inspired composers across the ages: light shining in darkness; the tenderness of mother an ...» More |
 A Christmas CelebrationStudio Master: CDHLL7545Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available  An album celebrating the Manchester festive tradition when the whole Hallé musical family joins together for hugely popular annual Christmas concerts.» More |
 Adeste fidelesCDA66668 ‘An extremely well-sung traditional carol collection. The concert makes a great appeal by the quality of the singing and the beautiful digital recordi ... ‘A model of its kind’ (The Times)» More |
 Christmas NightCOLCD106Download only  The theme of this album is the birth of Christ, reflected in the words and music of twenty-two carols spanning more than six centuries. It includes some of the best and most-loved Christmas choral pieces of all time» More |
 Favourite Carols from King'sStudio Master: KGS0007Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available Favourite Carols from King’s is a collection of the most popular carols featured in the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols over the years, and a tribute to the King’s Christmas tradition.» More |
 Nine Lessons & CarolsStudio Master: KGS0001Download onlyStudio Master FLAC & ALAC downloads available An album recreating the magic of the famous Christmas Eve service, from a lone treble singing 'Once in royal David's city' to a rousing chorus of 'Hark! the herald angels sing' …» More |
 On Christmas nightSIGCD386Download only  A Ceremony of Carols, Benjamin Britten’s timeless work is interpreted by Armonico Consort, under the artistic direction of Christopher Monk for an aesthetically inspiring Christmas Night.» More |
Details
Track 10 on HYP201911B
[3'05]
Download-only sampler NEW
