Concert Band
Noël Provençal
Noel Provencal
Christmas in France
Weihnachten in Frankreich
Info
As Christmas in France sounds, Michel Carros reveals in “Noël Provençal”. His varied composition for the Explora youth band series combines three well-known French Christmas carols. Solemn, almost sublime, for the opening “La marche des Rois”. This carol, whose roots are believed to be 14th century, has become internationally known by Georges Bizet, who has used it as one of the main themes in his “L'Arlésienne” (1872). First, as a dialogue between woodwinds and brass, the two groups finally unite in an impressive Tutti. In contrast, a chamber music-inspired interlude leads to “Noël Nouvelet”, a traditional carol dating to the turn of the 15th and 16th centuries that tells the story of the birth of the baby Jesus. Cheerful and with slightly medieval touches, this musical Christmas excursion concludes with a detour to the French composer, poet and choirmaster Nicolas Saboly, who left many carols in the Provençal dialect. The cheerful melody of “Touro-Louro-Louro” forms a rich conclusion to the French Christmas fantasy “Noël Provençal” not only through the interacting motifs, but also through the tutti passages.
eXplora Grade 3
eXplora disc 20