De Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy

This popular West Indian carol probably originated in Trinidad. It became very well known when Harry Belafonte recorded it in 1958. Christmas celebrations in Trinidad usually take the form of having new curtains and drapes for the house. It is also a time for a fresh coat of paint to make the house look new and it is the best time of year for furniture sales! The arrangement is in 3 parts, TBB. Piano. Cat. no. 1589 - price code D - duration c. 2'20".

Good Night

The reason for the existence of this (new) song is in its subtitle “How to get off the stage at the end of the concert”. Quickly, one might suppose, but there is a more gracious way of doing it, designed to leave a warm glow in the hearts of the audience. By means of the alteration of one word, the song appears to be specially written for that particular concert! It is only in two parts. Piano. Cat.no.1585 price code B - duration c.2'15"

Jesus the Good Shepherd    Contralto Solo

Jesus the good shepherd was written by Gwyn Arch and Pat Rooke in 1976 for a TV programme which was part of the BBC’s long running series ‘Seeing and Believing’.  Piano/keyboard - English. - Cat no xxxx - price code C - duration c.2'49"

Juanita   SPAIN

An old, poignant, Spanish song of lost love, first published in 1855. The name is the feminine form of Juan, which in turn is the Spanish form of John. The song has been recorded may times, from Al Jolson to Jim Reeves.  Piano/keyboard - English. - Cat no 1575 - price code C - duration c.2'00"

Little Brown Jug

Another tribute to the Glenn Miller orchestra. The song was written in 1869, showing that an excessive interest in alcohol was the reason why "My wife and I lived all alone in a little log hut". However, since Miller's instrumental adaptation of this Victorian ditty, the number has become associated with the 'big band' era of the Thirties. This arrangement reflects his instrumental version more than the original song!  Piano - Roberton Publications 53175 (please order direct)- price code X - duration c.3'00"

The Little Drummer Boy

Ostensibly transcribed from a Czech carol, this Christmas song first appeared in 1941 under the title Carol of the Drum. The lyrics tell the story of a poor young boy who could not afford a gift for the infant Jesus, so he played his drum instead. The most successful recorded version was that of Boney M. It reached the top of the charts in 1981.  Piano - Roberton Publications 53174 (please order direct)- price code X - duration c.2'40"

O Holy Night   ADOLPHE ADAM

This increasingly popular Christmas carol was written in 1847 by the French composer Adolphe Adam. Adam was a successful composer for the stage, writing dozens of operas and ballet 'Oh, holy night' was the result of a co-operation between Adam and Placide Cappeau, a wine merchant and poet who had been asked by a parish priest to write a Christmas poem. The American music journalist John Sullivan Dwight translated the carol from French into English in 1855, and it is his version we use today. Piano with Tenor or Soprano soloist. Cat.no.1581. Price code D - duration c.3'55".

Oh Mary Where Is Your Baby?

The answer to the question in the title is "They took Him from the manger and carried Him to the throne". This Christmas spiritual from Louisiana invites us to "read in the gospel and learn the news how the little boy child was born".  Piano. Cat no 1565 - price code C - duration c.3'

Passing By

An old pop song dating from the Thirties. Often confused as being written by Henry Purcell, but actually from the somewhat obscure writer Edward Purcell. The song, which can be summed up in one of its lines 'I did but see her passing by, and yet I love her 'til I die' was extraordinarily popular in its time. Piano - Cat no 1571 - price code C - duration c.1'45"

This simple melody is Poland’s best known Christmas lullaby. It was even adapted by Chopin and incorporated into his Scherzo in B minor (op.20) as a subsidiary theme. In Polish it is called Lulajze Jezuniu, a lullaby for the baby Jesus. Unaccompanied – English. Cat.no 1572 – price code B – duration 2’.

Sing Praises Allelujah!

Written by Gwyn Arch to celebrate the 30th anniversary of the founding of Reading Male Voice Choir, this composition in calypso style has three objectives. 1) Use as few words as possible - in this case only the three words of the title; 2) Make it progressively more and more exciting rhythmically  as it works towards a big finish; 3) persuade the TTBB choir to clap now and then in the right places!  Piano (optional percussion). Cat no 1545 - price code C - duration c.2'30"