Christmas choral music

Good King Wenceslas - an arrangement for 3-part choir (SABar), sung by the Mackintosh Choir, Glasgow, directed by Paul Keohone. 

If you'd like to order a copy for your own choir, you can see the score at http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2013/11/goodkingwenceslasSAB.pdf . The cost is £1.50 per copy, or £25 for a PDF to print your own copies (as many as you want) - email chris@hutchingsmusic.co.uk to place an order.

Good King Wenceslas, arr. Hutchings - sung by Mackintosh Choir, Glasgow

A new setting of "In The Bleak Midwinter" - this SATB version is sung here by the Edinburgh Singers, conducted by John Gormley. Score published by NoteNova: preview the full score or order copies at http://notenova.com/catalog/work/in-the-bleak-midwinter/ .

In The Bleak Midwinter - SATB

"Patapan" is a Christmas piece for female voices (SSA with some optional SSAA chords). My setting here is sung by the Carvetii Trio - http://www.carvetiitrio.co.uk/

If you'd like to order a copy for your own choir, or see the score, please visit my website: you can see this (and other music for female voices) at http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/scores-by-choir-type/female-voices/

Lyrics:

Tu-re-lu, patapan...

Willie, take your little drum, Robin take your flute and come,
And be merry while you play, on this joyous Christmas day.

When the men of olden days to the King of Kings gave praise,
On the fife and drum did play, so their hearts were glad and gay.

God and man today become more in tune than fife and drum.
So be merry while you play, sing and dance this Christmas day.

Patapan - Chris Hutchings, sung by the Carvetii Trio

Performed by Cantemus (George Watson's College girls' choir) directed by Steven Griffin
At St Giles' Cathedral, Edinburgh, 16th December 2015

A simple setting for SA and piano - English words by Lachlan MacBean, translated from the original Gaelic by Mary MacDonald (lyrics are public domain).

You can see a sample score at http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2015/08/citm1.pdf - if you'd like a copy for your choir (SA and piano, fairly easy) please email chris@hutchingsmusic.co.uk to place an order. A version in Gaelic is also available on request!

Child In The Manger (live)

"O Clavis David" for SSAATTBB choir - a challenging piece for Advent. The piece begins with dark, chromatic and constantly altering chords, before finally reaching a luminous white-note section to finish. 

 See the score: http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2016/02/oclavisdavid2016-watermarked.pdf 
To order a copy, please contact chris@hutchingsmusic.co.uk

O Clavis David

"Welcome Carol" was written in 2016 as part of #choirsagainstracism - you can get it FREE for your own choir at www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/choirsagainstracism . It's a carol that talks about welcoming everyone, no matter where they came from. It's a bit political and it's also great fun to sing, very easy, and can be picked up by any choir on just a short rehearsal. Words and music by Chris Hutchings - thank you to John Thomson and his children's choir in Inverness for recording this!

#choirsagainstracism

Download sheet music

Welcome Carol - John Thomson and Inverness Choir

"Adeste Fideles" was commissioned by Wimbledon Choral Society (with thanks to Ronnie and Sue Dunbar) - premiered 17th December, St Paul's Southfields, conducted by Neil Ferris, organist Michael Higgins. It's for SSAATBB choir and organ.

Score available at www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk - if you'd like to commission a piece of music for your own choir, see details at hutchingsmusic.co.uk/commission .

The choir and audience loved it:

"Congratulations on the piece, it's super. They loved singing it and the rehearsal tracks really helped... It has all you could want for a carol; jaunty rhythms, beautiful harmonies and a noisy finish!" - Neil Ferris, conductor

"The world premiere sounds stunning. It's got everything: joy, drama,
thoughtfulness." - Tilly, WCS choir member

"Tonight we sang our hearts out performing "Adeste Fideles" by
@hutchingsmusic, such a beautiful evocative carol. Thank you Chris, we love it" - WCS

"Making history involves looking forward. And how better at Christmas than with a great new carol: Adeste Fideles- thank you @hutchingsmusic" - HWSF_History

"Fabulous @WimbledonChoral concert last night with such beautiful new carols especially @hutchingsmusic amazing #AdesteFideles written for us" - Sarah Hendry, Chair of WCS

"Many congrats to @hutchingsmusic for his wonderful Adeste Fideles - and thanks to @WimbledonChoral for commissioning it" - @petermckean

"So fun singing last night @WimbledonChoral carols, esp @hutchingsmusic Adeste Fideles! Fab evening" - Hilary, WCS choir member"

Adeste Fideles - Wimbledon Choral Society

This is the world premiere of "Balulalow" (written in 2008), my setting of an old Scots text from "The Gude and Godlie Ballatis", a lullaby for the infant Christ. Performed at Advent 2011 by the University of Glasgow Chapel Choir, conducted by James Grossmith. The words are in old Scots, from the "Gude and Godlie Ballads", written in the 16th century.

If you liked this, please listen to more of my music at http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk (where you can also order copies of the score), and share this link with friends!

Balulalow - University of Glasgow Chapel Choir

A New Year Carol - Chris Hutchings
For SATB choir
Premiered 2nd Dec 2017 by Voces Inauditae, conducted by Caroline Leseman-Elliott, in St Vincent's Chapel, Stockbridge, Edinburgh.
Words: English traditional new year carol, 1600s
To order a copy, go to http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk .

A New Year Carol

"Be Still, My Blessed Babe" is a dark Christmas carol about the massacre of the innocents by Herod. For solo mezzo-soprano and piano; the score is available at http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/ (direct download link for demo score: http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/03/be-still-my-blessed-babe-watermarked.pdf )

Recorded by Ruth Carlyle (mezzo) with David Barton (piano): http://www.davidbartonmusic.co.uk

Be Still, My Blessed Babe

A carol based on a text by Isaac Watts, with music by Chris Hutchings.
Sung by the University of Hull Chapel Choir, conducted by Simon Debruslais. 
Recorded in Beverley Minster.
To see a score or order a copy for your choir, visit http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/scores-by-choir-type/satb-easy/

Chris Hutchings - demo recordings

Hush My Dear

A new setting of "In The Bleak Midwinter" - premiered by Madrigirls, directed by Katy Cooper, in Glasgow University Chapel, 2nd December 2012.
A score can be found at http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2012/10/inthebleakwatermarked.pdf
The arrangement you're hearing here is for three female parts and one male part (SMezABar), transposed up by a minor third - the score above has the SATB arrangement. Harmonies are mostly the same, with some phrases moved between parts. Could also be performed by SSAB, SAAB, SSAT or SAAT.
You can watch and hear the Edinburgh Singers performing the SATB version at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrLNHO9_j_M
If you'd like to place an order for either version, please email me: chris@hutchingsmusic.co.uk .

In The Bleak Midwinter - Madrigirls

Arrangement of the carol by J.M. Hopkins, for SATB choir.
Sung by Muldoon's Picnic - https://soundcloud.com/muldoonspicnic
Also sung by Cappella Nova in their Christmas concerts in 2011.
http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk/scores/scores-for-sale/ - order a copy for your choir (single copies £1/$2, or a PDF to print as many copies as you want for £15/$25).

We Three Kings - arr. Chris Hutchings, sung by Muldoon's Picnic

Chris Hutchings is a Scottish composer based in Edinburgh, specialising in works for choir. His works have been performed by the National Youth Choir of Scotland, New London Singers, Cappella Nova, Scottish Voices, the Edinburgh Quartet, Daniel's Beard, Pure Brass, and a wide variety of professional and amateur groups around the world. He has received commissions from several groups in the UK and USA. Recent prizes include the Murau Music Festival Composition prize in 2019, Kantos Choir's composition prize in 2021, and winning the City of Oxford Choir's  "Breaking Ground" competition in 2025.

For more details, see http://www.hutchingsmusic.co.uk for details of upcoming performances, score samples, free arrangements, and more recordings.

Videos, many with scores, at https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCx7ao4fKMuVXVz0la0r0VrQ/