The Twelve Days of Christmas
for choir SATB
(2006)
duration: 4’
GRT • 124
audio sample
score
available from
Australian Music
Centre
program note
The Twelve
Days of Christmas is a new setting of the traditional
Christmas carol with the addition of some modern ‘pop’
commentary. It was written at the invitation of Hildy
Essex, conductor and director of Australian Contemporary
Chorale, for their performances at Melbourne's Federation
Square in December, 2006. Twelve composers associated with
the University of Melbourne were each invited to set one of
the 'Days' with some regard to the performance environment
– outside at the Square. The other composers included in
this project were Katy Abbott, Brenton Broadstock, Hildy
Essex, Raelene Howell, Tom Jones, Linda Kouvaras, Vaughan
McAlley, Mark Pollard, Kevin Purcell, Stephen Scholte and
Johanna Selleck.
It is suggested that any choir singing
this piece should ideally be aware of the pop songs that
are embedded within the texture, in order to perform them
idiomatically and authentically. The songs are:
Bay City Rollers: Rock,n,Roll Love
Letter
U2: Beautiful
Day
Abba: Dancing
Queen
Sting: Soul
Cages
The Beatles: And
Your Bird Can Sing
Tears for Fears: Sowing the Seeds of Love
text
On the twelfth
day of Christmas, my true love sent to me On the Twelfth
day
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me On
the Twelfth day
this is my
rock’n-roll love letter
Twelve drummers drumming, Eleven pipers piping, my true
love sent to me
in an arc of
love
On the twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me
bringing you
back home to me
On the
twelfth day
it’s a
beautiful day
Ten lords a-leaping, Nine ladies dancing,
you are the
dancing queen
Eight maids a-milking,
young and
sweet only seventeen
my true love
sent to me
Seven swans a-swimming,
Six geese a-laying,
Five golden rings,
these are the
soul cages
On the
twelfth day of Christmas, my true love sent to me On the
Twelfth day
this is my
rock’n-roll love letter
Four calling
birds,
and your bird
can sing, but you can’t have me
Three French
hens,
Two turtle doves,
And a partridge in a pear tree.
sowing the
seeds of love