A Ceremony of Carols is an 11-movement work by the British composer Benjamin Britten (1913-76).
Britten wrote Ceremony during March and April of 1942 while returning to Great Britain after three years in America. He made the perilous wartime voyage aboard the Swedish cargo ship Axel Johnson. They briefly docked in Halifax, Nova Scotia to join a convoy of merchant ships. During the wait, Britten visited a Halifax bookstore and found a copy of The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems, compiled by Gerald Bullett. These poems inspired him to write a Christmas work.
The poems Britten selected form an eclectic collection of medieval verse and later compositions, mostly from the 15th and 16th centuries. Principally sung in Middle English, Ceremony includes some Latin and Early Modern English verse. The emotional range is similarly broad, from the angelic bliss of the harp solo to the joyful "Wolcum Yole!" to the darker and dramatic "This Little Babe." The latter verse was written by Robert Southwell, a Roman Catholic cleric sentenced to death during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Much of Southwell's poetry was composed during his imprisonment.
(While there may be no direct connection, it's interesting to note that Britten's Ceremony of Carols (1942) and his cantata Rejoice in the Lamb (1943) (performed by the Providence Singers in March, 2024) are both based on verses written during the poets' confinements; respectively, Robert Southwell's imprisonment for religious "treason" and Christopher Smart, who was confined to an asylum. Britten was introduced to the 1939 edition of Smart's Jubilate Agno during his three-year stay in America, shortly before he came across The English Galaxy of Shorter Poems.)
Britten composed the music for Ceremony of Carols in March to April 1942 during his Atlantic Crossing. The voyage took place in the thick of WWII, leaving the ship vulnerable to attack by German U-boats. In addition to the danger, the conditions aboard the cargo ship were less than pleasant. According to Britten's partner, Peter Pears, their cabins were hot and stuffy, and their fellow travelers were "callow, foul-mouthed and witless." The voyage, fortunately, was calm and uneventful.
Britten set seven poems while at sea. He originally thought of these compositions as unrelated works, even though all were set for 3-part women's choir and harp. (Britten had brought a small harp with him, as he was currently studiying the instrument with the intention of writing a harp concerto.) After returning home, he added a "Spring carol," and united the individual compositions into a single work, framed with a processional and recessional chant based on the Gregorian antiphone "Hodie Christus natus est."
The work was performed by the Fleet Street Choir in December, 1942. After the premiere, Britten added a new piece, "That yongë child," and a harp interlude. He also decided that he might prefer the sound of a boy's choir. The following December, Ceremony was Performed by the Morriston Boy's Choir. The work became so popular that the publisher, Boosey & Hawkes, suggested that composer Julius Harrison arrange it for mixed voices (SATB). Approved by Britten and completed in 1955, Harrison's arrangement is the version most frequently performed. It is not, however, as frequently recorded as the SSA original.
The Providence Singers will be singing the SATB arrangement and recording the November 10 performance at Grace Episcopal Church in Providence, Rhode Island. This recording will be posted to our YouTube channel in early 2025.
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