Christmas Musicals for Church
Issue link: https://read.jwpepper.com/i/111806
Program Notes Down In Yon Forest has origins that go back to the Middle-Ages. A good deal of debate still surrounds the many versions of texts that have been sung to its melody. But one thing is sure: the hauntingly beautiful nature of this tune has made it a popular selecion for choirs and folk-singers for over five hundred years. The first notable attention to this ancient song came from the English composer and folksong collector Ralph Vaughan-Williams who heard it sung by a Mr. Hall of Castleton in Derbyshire, England between 1906 and 1907. Vaughan-Williams arranged a choral setting of it in 1919 as a Christmas carol. Throughout the text is a vivid collection of mysterious images which scholars debate regularly, but in verse six we find: ���Over that bed the moon shines bright The bells of Paradise I heard them ring Denoting our Savior was born this night And I love my Lord Jesus above anything.��� In this setting the composer has tried to get away from the medieval flavor of the text and focus on the color and angle of this beautiful melody, supplementing with rhythmic decorations in the accompaniment. Though the song is most often heard in December, this arrangement is appropriate for concert presentations throughout the year. About the Arranger Brendan McBrien grew up in Sunnyvale, California, where he began his musical training on the horn at age 10. Brendan is an active adjudicator, clinician, and frequent honor group conductor. He has served two terms as Vice President of Membership for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA). He has been the recipient of the Middle School Teacher of the Year award in the Irvine Unified School District, Secondary Teacher of the Year from the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Association, and has multiple listings in Who���s Who Among America���s Teachers. Brendan is an active adjudicator, clinician, and frequent honor group conductor. He has served two terms as Vice President of Membership for the Southern California School Band and Orchestra Association (SCSBOA). He has presented workshops at both the California Band Director���s Association and the California Music Educator���s Association state conventions as well as numerous presentations for the SCSBOA. He has been the recipient of the Middle School Teacher of the Year award in the Irvine Unified School District, Secondary Teacher of the Year from the Orange County Music and Arts Administrators Association, and has multiple listings in Who���s Who Among America���s Teachers