In the bleak mid-winter
04:50 duration|Composed in 1985|Difficulty: Moderate|First performed: December 1985
This lovely Christmas poem by Christina Rossetti (1830–1894) has attracted many composers to set it to music over the years. Possibly the most famous musical versions here in the UK are the hymn tune setting written by Gustav Holst for the English Hymnal of 1906 and the lyrical setting for choir and organ by Harold Darke from 1909.
My setting was written at the encouragement of David Wilson, the Head of Music at Ranelagh School in Bracknell, where I was studying for my A levels. It was first performed at the school carol concert in December 1985 by the Senior Choir under the direction of Mr Wilson. This was my first publicly performed composition!
This original version was a simple strophic setting in four-part harmony. I revised and expanded this setting in 2006 to give different harmonic treatment to each of the five verses and also added a short coda.
