Britten Thematic Catalogue

Beta Version

BTC963 CHORALE AFTER AN OLD FRENCH CAROL

For unaccompanied chorus (SSAATTBB)
Composition date: 15 Nov 1944
Genre: Choral (unaccompanied)
Text: W.H. Auden (1907-1973)
Duration: 4'

Notes

Written along with A shepherd's carol for a BBC feature programme, 'Poet's Christmas', produced by Edward Sackville-West. The chorus is one of the two portions of the 'Christmas oratorio' by W.H. Auden (the complete text of which was later published as For the time being) set by Britten. It was withdrawn by the composer after the first performance and not performed again until 1961.

The tune, entitled 'Romancero' in Tiersot's Mélodies popularies des provinces de France, appears in The English hymnal as 'Picardy'.

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