for SATB, optional baritone solo, cello, & organ or string orchestra This is a tuneful epiphany carol, setting a text by the composer. Underpinned by a beautiful cello solo, the vocal lines are rich and flowing, and the organ supports the choir with warm harmonies. The carol was written at the invitation of Red Balloon, a Cambridge-based UK-wide organization dedicated to the recovery of bullied children. The cello part is published separately and an accompaniment for strings is available on hire.
John Rutter (b.1945)
"If you have a tame cellist at your disposal, this lyrical Carol of the Magi - pure Rutter - is sure to be appreciated. You will need strong tenor and bass lines since the spotlight is on the men. The music begins in E flat, moves up to F and then G before dropping into radiant E major for the final verse. Apart from these modulations and some flattened leading-notes, there are few chromatic notes here: the essentially diatonic language helps the music to be within the scope of many choirs." - Christopher Maxim, Sunday by Sunday, December 2012
