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In
the Bleak Midwinter
1906 – English Hymnal
 
Lyrics:
Christina Rossetti (1872)
Music:
Gustav Holst (Cranham-1906)
Arr. Ruth Randle (2007)
In the Bleak Midwinter began as a
Christmas poem written by the prominent English poetess,
Christina Rossetti for publication in the Scribner’s Monthly magazine.
Ten years earlier, at age 31, she had published her
first work, Goblin
Market and Other Poems, whose
critical praise caused her acclaim as the natural
successor to Elizabeth Barrett Browning. A fuller
appreciation and understanding of the significance of
the lyrics of this month’s selection is given in the
first historical link listed below.
Gustav Holst (1874-1934) wrote nearly 200 musical
compositions in his lifetime, mostly in the classical
vein. He is best remembered for his orchestral suite, The
Planets. At one point in his life, he lived in the English village of Cranham, in
Gloucestershire
County, a
short distance northwest of London. While there, he
composed what is probably the best-known tune for what
is now the Christmas carol, In
the Bleak Midwinter.
Originally, his composition was simply titled Cranham,
but the carol retains the name of the poem. Two
lesser-known music composers for this carol were Harold
Edwin Darke and Thomas B. Strong. A detailed biography
of Gustav Holst appears in the third historical link
below.
♫♫♫
Reviewers of the works by Holst have commented
about its individuality, characterized by its
unconventional use of meter and “haunting melodies”.
The latter appears in this carol, with its minor and
dissonant chords. There have been other versions of this
music arranged for the dulcimer, using traditional
tunings. Here, Ruth has tried to capture the
“haunting” mood as Holst might have intended. Her
frequent use of B7sus4 and C#sus4 “tension” chords
seem to accomplish this. See if you don’t agree.
♫♫
Music files:
PDF file -
In the Bleak
Midwinter.pdf
TablEdit file -
In the Bleak
Midwinter.tef
MIDI file -
In the Bleak Midwinter.mid
♫♫♫
Historical
Links:
Lyrics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/In_the_bleak_midwinter
Lyricist:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christina_Rossetti
Composer:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gustav_Holst
Music:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cranham,_Gloucestershire
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