A Christmas Carol

Arnold Bax's A Christmas Carol is a setting of a well-known anonymous fifteenth-century English text, exploring the mystery of the Incarnation. The antiphon Res miranda ('a wondrous thing') is woven throughout, alongside other Latin refrains. Bax's SSATB arrangement captures the devotional, contemplative spirit of the medieval lyrics, contrasting moments of quiet awe with exultant praise. The music reflects the text's journey from the unique virtue of Mary to the announcement of Christ's birth by the shepherds and the angels, culminating in a call to follow this joyous event. This sacred anthem offers a rich and evocative choral experience, drawing on both medieval poetry and a distinctive early twentieth-century harmonic language.