Choir music – for Christmas

These Christmas pieces are arranged in order of difficulty, easiest first. Most of them are available at MusicSpoke.

Click here for my playlist of Christmas pieces with scores on YouTube – #12DaysOfChrisHutchingsMas. Includes pretty much every Christmas piece I’ve written, and more are being added throughout January – get your music for Christmas 2022 sorted now! Subscribe to my YouTube channel if you want to get updates.

Rough guide to difficulty: “easy” pieces can be learnt by ear, suitable for beginners, simple rhythms, few accidentals. “Medium” will be approachable for any auditioned choir and for some unauditioned groups; might include some key changes or discords. “Hard” pieces are more suitable for groups where everyone can read music fairly well.

Welcome Carol (unison voices, with piano and/or guitar)
A simple, gorgeous carol, showing how Jesus and his family gave welcome to strangers, were welcomed as refugees, and how we should do the same. Creative Commons licensed as part of #choirsagainstracism.
Difficulty level: very easy. Could be learned in a few minutes by ear. Piano part is slightly trickier.
Version with piano accompaniment, 2 pages
Version with tune and guitar chords only, 1 page
Lyrics alone
Hear a recording by John Thomson and his young choir from Inverness!

Hush My Dear – SATB choir, easy, 2′. Lyrics are a Christmas carol (lullaby for the Christ Child) adapted from Isaac Watts. Purchase from MusicSpoke. In 2018, this was sung by choirs in Edinburgh, the Cairngorms, Kettering and Finedon, and at least 16 (!) other choirs will be singing it at Christmas 2019. The University of Hull Chapel Choir made the recording below:

A 2-part setting of Adam Lay Ybounden for your next service of 9 Lessons & Carols. Suitable for SA, TB or mixed choirs. Recording coming soon hopefully!

Child In The Manger – for SA and piano (no divisi), 3′, fairly easy. An old Scots carol translated from Gaelic. Version in Gaelic also available if you fancy a challenge! Purchase from MusicSpoke.

Good King Wenceslas, arranged for three-part choir (soprano, alto, and bass/baritone). Hear a recording from the Mackintosh Choir, Glasgow. Moderate difficulty, 2’30”. Text in English.

We Three Kings (arrangement) – for SATB choir, medium difficulty, 2’30”. Order from SheetMusicDirect.

In The Bleak Midwinter (a new setting, not an arrangement),- for SATB choir, fairly easy, 4′. SMezABar version also available. Hear Glasgow University Madrigirls (SMezABar version) – or watch the Edinburgh Singers perform it (SATB version). Featured on Harmonia Sacra‘s CD “In Dulci Jubilo”, December 2019. Available on SheetMusicDirect.

*Come Christmas: for unison choir with accompaniment, words by R.G. Huff. The accompaniment part is in three lines; this can be played on organ or piano, or by any three instruments you have available, preferably from the same family, e.g. violin/viola/cello or flute/clarinet/bassoon. Transposed individual parts available on request. Email for copies.

White Christmas: an SABar or SAT a cappella arrangement of Irving Berlin’s classic. Available from SheetMusicDirect.

*I Want An Octopus For Christmas: voice and piano, with my own words plus some help from friends and family, inspired by my young daughter’s Christmas request, and in the style of classic 50s songs. Currently only available as a lead sheet but piano arrangement hopefully coming soon. Email for copies.

A New Year Carol – SATB with a few bars of soprano divisi. Would make a good closer or encore for a concert near Christmas, or (ideally!) for a concert around the start of the year. Download a sample score and hear an audio demo. Order from MusicSpoke.

Anna, Surprised – for SATB choir with some divisi, a new piece for Candlemas but could also be sung at Christmas.

Balulalow – choir only version or with a piano reduction. For SATB choir with soprano and baritone soli, fairly easy, 6′. Text in Scots – a pronunciation guide is provided. Hear a recording. Purchase from MusicSpoke.

Patapan – for SSA choir (2 chords with optional divisi to SSAA), moderate difficulty, 3′. Text in English. Hear a recording on Soundcloud. Buy it from MusicSpoke.

Be Still, My Blessed Babe: mezzo solo (range A3-A4) and piano. Email for copies.

We Three Kings (arrangement): SATB. Available on SheetMusicDirect.

*Ring Out, Ye Bells: for SATB choir and organ. Email for copies.

*I Sing Of A Maiden: SATB choir a cappella (divisi to SSAATTBB). Email for copies.

Wimbledon Choral Society commissioned “Adeste Fideles” in 2016, and gave the premiere in St Paul’s Southfields, London; they’ll be performing the piece again at Christmas 2018. See the score here (it’s for SSAATBB and organ, could be rearranged on request). Order from MusicSpoke. Listen below!

O Clavis David – for SSAATTBB (could be done by 8 soloists, but would work much better with a larger choir). Quite challenging but rewarding. A setting of one of the O Antiphons. Commissioned by the Quodlibet Chorale and premiered in Edinburgh, November 2015 (alongside settings by Gjeilo, Esenvalds, MacMillan, Rubbra and Lukaszewski). Purchase from MusicSpoke.

Videntes Stellam for SSATTB or AATTBB choir, moderate difficulty, 3′. Version with piano reduction also available for perusal. Contact me for enquiries – happy to provide free copies in exchange for a recording.

When The Snow Came: for SSAATTBB choir and speaking chorus (ideally about half the size of the main choir). Winner of Kantos Choir’s 2021 competition. Email for copies.

Rorate Coeli De Super Double SATB choir and organ, hard with lots of fast irregular rhythms, 8′. Text is mainly in old Scots with some Latin. Hear a recording. Single copies £2.50, PDF £30.