11th December, 2023
Angels' Carol
words and music by John Rutter (1945-)
arranged for flute and harp and performed by Timothy Kipling and Danielle Perrett
Angels’ Carol was written during the 1980s intended for a chorister competition which no longer exists. Later, he arranged it for SATB with harp, piano or orchestra consisting of the slightly unusual combination of 2 flutes, oboe, 2 clarinets, bassoon, 2 horns, harp and strings. Other versions exist in German, for treble or upper voices, and for sopranos, altos and unison men.
John Rutter said of composing both words and music of a musical work: ‘often the words and the music evolve together in a way I can’t quite explain even to myself.’
Like others we have recorded on the past three Advent calendars, this carol is Macaronic which means that there is a mixture of languages in the text, not that it involves my favourite patisserie! Here, English is mixed with the Latin refrain ‘Gloria in excelsis Deo!’ which is found in St Luke’s version of the nativity story when angels announced the birth of Jesus to the shepherds and this is indeed what the carol describes.
Have you heard the sounds of the angel voices
Ringing out so sweetly, ringing out so clear?
Have you seen the star shining out so brightly
As a sign from God that Christ the Lord is here?
Have you heard the news that they bring from Heaven
To the humble shepherds who have waited long?
Gloria in excelsis, Deo
Gloria in excelsis, Deo
Hear the angels sing their joyful song
He is come in peace in the winter’s stillness
Like a gentle snowfall in the gentle night
He is come in joy like the sun at morning
Filling all the world with radiance and with light
He is come in love as the child of Mary
In a simple stable, we have seen his birth
Gloria in excelsis, Deo
Gloria in excelsis, Deo
Hear the angels singing ‘Peace on Earth’
He will bring new light
(He will bring new light) to a world in darkness
Like a bright star shining in the skies above
He will bring new hope
(He will bring new hope) to the waiting nations
When he comes to reign in purity and love
Let the Earth rejoice
(Let the Earth rejoice) at the Saviour’s coming
Let the Heavens answer
(Let the Heavens answer) with the joyful mourn
Gloria in excelsis, Deo
Gloria in excelsis, Deo
Hear the angels singing, ‘Christ is born’
Hear the angels singing, ‘Christ is born’.
Various recordings of this carol exist, including that by Rutter himself with the Cambridge Singers (the choir which he formed himself) in 2001.
Tim and I have performed together since meeting at the National Centre for Orchestral Studies in the 1980s and are great friends! Tim has helped me to carry the harp up and down the stairs of probably most notable buildings in London! But the real pleasure was in the music which we made together once we got there …A real favourite was John Rutter’s Suite Antique and the way he plays flute favourites like Tambourin would give even Sir James Galway a run for his money! Actually, it would be hard to find others with the breath control that Tim’s playing displays – even after lugging the harp up all those stairs!
Performed on Brannen-Cooper flute with a 14K gold Nagahara headjoint,
and David Opera model concert harp, 2000