Product Description
In Old English, the term 'wassail' has a variety of meanings regarding secular festivities and salutations at New Year. Similarly, the traditional wassail folk-song or carol exists in many versions, from various counties right across England, with differing lyrics and (numbers of) verses, dating back as far as at least the 12th century. My own setting uses an original folk-style melody, here presented in a version for unaccompanied SATB choir. The words are adapted from a version of the Yorkshire Wassail (courtesy of the Yorkshire Wassail Group) from Todmorden (where the Town Hall sits on the traditional Lancashire/Yorkshire border). The work presents the main melody in a set of 5-verse variations: initially on (optional) solo voice, then in groups of unison singing, then in four-part harmony, then in a two-part canon by one bar between upper and lower voices, and finally in a closer, circular canon between mixed voices by half a bar, follwed by a coda. The piece is highly accessible for the listener, and is very singable for most standards of a capella mixed choir. The work is also available in versions for solo/unison voices, SA choir & piano/organ, and for SATB choir & piano/organ, also from Sheet Music Plus.
Duration: 3 minutes.
Registered with PRS (Performing Rights Society, UK).
Composer's website: www.roberthowardmusic.co.uk
This product was created by a member of ArrangeMe, Hal Leonard's global self-publishing community of independent composers, arrangers, and songwriters. ArrangeMe allows for the publication of unique arrangements of both popular titles and original compositions from a wide variety of voices and backgrounds.