The Mother's Carol
This lovely Manx choral work was performed by Masterwork Chorus, conducted by Carol Walker, on December 7, 2014, in the spectacular Holy Family Chapel on the Campus of the College of St. Elizabeth, Morristown, New Jersey.
The photograph below was taken during our pre-concert warmup rehearsal. The recording was made during the performance in this same space which, an hour after the photograph was taken, was filled to capacity. This performance features Jocelyn Lieberfarb singing the soprano descant in the last verse, the women of Masterwork Camerata singing the second verse, and Carrie Stewart, our piano accompanist who improvised the lovely accompaniment.
The photograph below was taken during our pre-concert warmup rehearsal. The recording was made during the performance in this same space which, an hour after the photograph was taken, was filled to capacity. This performance features Jocelyn Lieberfarb singing the soprano descant in the last verse, the women of Masterwork Camerata singing the second verse, and Carrie Stewart, our piano accompanist who improvised the lovely accompaniment.
Program notes taken from Coraa - Manx Songs for Choirs, selected and edited by Chloë Woolley, ©2011 Manx Heritage Foundation. Permission to perform the song was granted by John Gelling's granddaughter, Rosemary Derbyshire, who is also the Manx Language Officer of the Manx Heritage Foundation.
"John W. Gelling (1886-1973) set this poem, 'Sing Soft and Low' by Manx poet Cushag (Josephine Kermode) and called it 'The Mother's Carol.' His setting was recently discovered as a hand-written manuscript (thought to date from the 1950s) in the Manx National Heritage Library and transcribed by [Dr.] Chloë Woolley."
The descant and SSA arrangement were added in 2010 by Frank Woolley, a prominent Manx musician, arranger, and composer, and also Chloë's father.
"John W. Gelling (1886-1973) set this poem, 'Sing Soft and Low' by Manx poet Cushag (Josephine Kermode) and called it 'The Mother's Carol.' His setting was recently discovered as a hand-written manuscript (thought to date from the 1950s) in the Manx National Heritage Library and transcribed by [Dr.] Chloë Woolley."
The descant and SSA arrangement were added in 2010 by Frank Woolley, a prominent Manx musician, arranger, and composer, and also Chloë's father.
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