On the 23 December, we will bring together choirs and music groups from across the diocese for a digital service of Nine Lessons and Carols - and we want you to get involved!
We are looking for singers to contribute a vocal track to a communal version of 'O Come All Ye Faithful'. Whether you want to sing the tune or could contribute a harmony line - we want to hear from you!
Follow these instructions to take part:
- We are using the David Willcocks arrangement of the carol, which can be found in Carols for Choirs (white book, page 226) or Carols for Choirs, Book One (green book, page 88). If you don't have a copy of the music, you can order a copy here or do a quick google search to find a copy online.
- We are singing verses 1, 2, 5 and 6 - find the lyrics at the bottom of this page.
- Verse one - union (everyone sing the tune!), verse two and three - harmony (tune for sopranos and anyone who doesn't know the harmony), verse 4 - unison, sopranos descant (if you know it!)
- Listen to the track a few times! You can download it here or watch the Youtube video below.
- Sing it through without recording yourself
- If you want to be part of the virtual choir, you will need two devices - one to listen to the track on and one to record yourself
- Plug in some headphones to the device playing the backing track so that you can hear the organ accompaniment but we can’t hear it in your recording
- Record yourself with your phone in landscape so that we can edit you into the final video. Watch this video for tips on how to frame and light yourself well.
- For the sound to be right, it's best to have one person per recording - but if you and someone else in your household are singing the same part, you could record together.
- Send your best recording to evepowers@manchester.anglican.org using wetransfer.com by FRIDAY 18 DECEMBER.
- Join us on December 23 for Nine Lessons and Carols on Facebook or Youtube to see the final result!
Performance notes from the organist:
If you're singing unison (the tune), that's great and just sing the normal tune all the way through. If you're a soprano/treble and can provide the descant for verse 4 'Sing choirs of angels', even better! However if you do sing that, it will be helpful if you can also provide a second recording with yourself singing the normal melody for verse 4. Without that, we might suddenly lose most of the evidence of the tune!
There is a short organ play-over at the start and the gap between that and between each verse is kept in strict time. The last note of each verse has exactly four beats, then there's a two beat rest, then the next verse begins. You'll notice the only place there is any slowing down is a slight one at the end of the last verse.
If you're a choir singer, you'll know that the "d" of Lord at the end of each verse comes exactly at the end of the four beats. If you're thinking 1-2-3-4 to yourself, the "d" is sounded when you would have got to five. 1-2-3-4-"d".
Lyrics: O Come All Ye Faithful
DOWNLOAD BACKING TRACK
V1: O come, all ye faithful
Joyful and triumphant
O come ye, o come ye to Bethlehem
Come and behold Him
Born the King of Angels!
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!
V2: God of God, Light of Light
Lo, He abhors not the Virgin's womb
Very God
Begotten, not created
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!
V3: Child for us sinners, Poor and in the manger,
Fain we embrace thee, with awe and love;
Who would not love thee,
Loving us so dearly?
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!
V4: Sing, choirs of angels, sing in exultation
Sing, all ye citizens of heaven above!
Glory to God,
In the highest.
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
O come, let us adore Him
Christ the Lord!