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Wassail!Carols of comfort and joy

Alexander L'Estrange

Performing Wassail! Carols of Comfort and Joy with your choir

All the pieces on this recording are published by Faber Music Ltd and are available to buy as sheet music or as digital downloads from www.alexanderlestrange.comAlexander L’Estrange is delighted to offer assistance with any aspect of putting on a performance of Wassail! including booking The Call Me Al Quintet, leading rehearsals/workshops & supplying part-learning CDs for each vocal line: jane@alexanderlestrange.comVocal score: sales@fabermusic.com Full score & band parts: hire@fabermusic.com

CD recordings of compositions & arrangements by Alexander L'Estrange are available on iTunes and from the andagio & SIGNUM record labels

Large-scale choral for SATB choir, unison children's choir & quintet: all on the andagio label

Jazz New things to say andagio002 & (recorded by The King's Singers) Great American Songbook SIGCD341

"Alexander L'Estrange's delicious arrangements go naughtily off-piste and the CD, all a cappella, is superb."The Times

"Beautifully performed, produced, interpreted and arranged and (unsurprisingly) utterly musical at every turn. Joanna's voice is stunning."Howard Goodall, composer

Sacred choral On Eagles' Wings SIGCD454 recorded by Tenebrae, conducted by Nigel Short

"Alexander L'Estrange is a many-sided composer of prodigious gifts and this is an album I will return to again and again....one gorgeous piece after another." John Rutter, composer

"L'Estrange's sacred works add a jazz-infused choral depth. It's attractive, approachable music. This is sacred music written to be used." Gramophone Magazine

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1-12 Wassail! carols of comfort and joyby Alexander L’Estrange

*Spring will come again: words & music by Joanna and Alexander L’Estrangerecorded by The Wassail! Singers, conducted by Joanna L’Estrange,

children from United Learning schools & The Call Me Al Quintet, led by Alexander L’Estrange

1 What sweeter music can we bring? Solos Toby & Harry L'Estrange 0’36 2 The Sussex carol 2’25

3 Drive the cold winter away 4’22

4 The holly and the ivy 3’27

5 Gaudete! 2’29

6 The first tree in the greenwood 4’33

7 Spring will come again* 3’28

8 The Wexford carol Solo Joanna L'Estrange 5’19

9 Angelus ad virginem/Gabriel’s message 3’13

10 I saw three ships (The Furry Dance) 2’20

11 While shepherds watched (three ways) 3’55

12 Wassail! (medley) 4’26

total duration of Wassail! 40'33

13 Love came down at Christmas 2'10

words by Christina Rossetti, music by Alexander L’Estrange, recorded by The Swingles

14-17 The Twyford Carolswords & music by Joanna and Alexander L’Estrange

recorded by Twyford School Senior Choir, conducted by David Hall, & Alexander L’Estrange (piano)

14 Rejoice, rejoice! 2'09

15 Save the world 2’37

16 Come and see 3'05

17 Rejoice, rejoice! (reprise) 2'10

total duration of The Twyford Carols 10'00

18 Song of the Angels 4'57

words by George Wither and Anon, music by Alexander L’Estrange, recorded by The Swingles

total duration of CD 57'41

Artist creditsThe Wassail! Singers (tracks 1-12)

conducted by Joanna L’Estrange, recorded & engineered by Al Forbes, produced by Alexander L’Estrange

The Call Me Al Quintet (tracks 1-12)directed, recorded & engineered by Alexander L’Estrange

Deborah Willson • recorders; Kevin Street • piano accordion Alexander L’Estrange • guitar & double bass; Felix Higginbottom • percussion

Children from United Learning schools (tracks 1-12)conducted & produced by Alexander L’Estrange, recorded & engineered by Al Forbes

The Swingles (tracks 13 & 18)recorded & engineered by Alexander L’Estrange

Sara Davey, Joanna Goldsmith-Eteson, Joanna L’Estrange (standing in for Clare Wheeler)Oliver Griffiths, Jon Smith, Kevin Fox, Edward Randell

Twyford School Senior Choir (tracks 14-17)conducted by David Hall, recorded & engineered by Al Forbes, piano accompaniment Alexander L’Estrange

Production creditsEdited & mixed by Al Forbes & Alexander L’Estrange

Produced by Joanna and Alexander L’EstrangeBooklet design by Joanna L’Estrange, assisted by Hugh & Susan L'Estrange

Mastered & manufactured by Sound Performance Ltd.

Thanks toCatherine Barker & United Learning for commissioning Wassail! and making it possible to record at Dunottar School

United Learning school choirs and their directors for teaching the Wassail! songs to the childrenPupils of Kettering Buccleuch Academy for the fabulous Wassail! artwork

The Wassail! singers for giving up a hot summer's day to record Christmas songs in a school hall!Alison & Michael Smedley for providing the delicious lunch for the Wassail! singers

Debs Willson, Kevin Street & Felix Higginbottom for their fabulous playing

The Swingles for their divine singing & lots of laughs in the studio

David Hall and Twyford School in Hampshire for commissioning & recording The Twyford CarolsJane Underwood for her invaluable organisational skills behind the scenes

Hugh & Susan L’Estrange for all their help & encouragement

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Wassail! carols of comfort and joy is a sequence of twelve uplifting folk-inspired Christmas songs, skilfully arranged by Alexander L’Estrange for SATB choir, unison children's choir and instrumental quintet. Exploring both sacred and secular aspects of the festive season, it was written with the purpose of bringing schools and communities together at Christmas. Wassail! continues the highly popular series by Alexander L'Estrange of 40-minute community choral works.

"Every year, on a cold December night, I find myself strumming my guitar in our lovely, medieval, village church, surrounded by a band of recorders, violins, cajóns (we even had a shawm one year!) and hundreds of local people making merry and singing songs together. We call it 'Carols and Capers’ – the name is borrowed from a wonderful album by Maddy Prior and The Carnival Band – and I can’t imagine Christmas without it. When United Learning approached me with a commission for a piece which would bring communities together at Christmas, I seized my chance to incorporate many of the songs we sing on those evenings and to explore the folk heritage of Christmas music, pre organs-in-churches and ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’.

I'm excited to be introducing a new generation of school children to this rich tapestry of Christmas and midwinter carols as well as to a brand new song composed by my wife Joanna, entitled ‘Spring will come again’. I hope that the spirit of joy, reflection and celebration will bring pleasure to singers and listeners alike, this Christmas and in Christmases to come. Happy wassailing!"

Alexander L’Estrange

Love came down at Christmas was commissioned by the BBC Music Magazine in 2016 as a free 'Christmas present' for its readers and their choirs. For unaccompanied SATB choir, it sets a text by Christina Rossetti and is recorded here by the five-time Grammy® Award-winning a cappella group The Swingles.

The Twyford Carols was commissioned by David Hall and Twyford School, Hampshire, and received its world premiere in December 2016. Composed by Joanna and Alexander L’Estrange, the four jazzy songs are scored for two-part children’s choir, piano and simple percussion (to be performed by the children). Rejoice, rejoice! is uplifting and joyous, with words about Advent; Save the world is a compound-time conversation between Mary and the Angel Gabriel; Come and see* is a gentle jazz waltz, the words an invitation to visit the baby Jesus; finally, Rejoice, rejoice! is reprised with new lyrics. *Come and see has signings which have been specially devised by Paul Whittaker OBE (see YouTube video).

Song of the Angels was commissioned by the John Lewis Partnership Music Society in 2015 for its annual Service of Nine Lessons and Carols at Westminster Cathedral. For unaccompanied SATB choir with optional organ, it sets a 17th-century text by poet and satirist, George Wither. The music is inspired by the Renaissance English composer Orlando Gibbons, juxtaposing segments of one of his hymns with L'Estrange's dramatic passages. It is recorded here by The Swingles.

Joanna and Alexander L’Estrange have been a musical partnership since the early 1990s when they met as music undergraduates at Oxford University and formed their jazz duo L’Estranges in the Night.

With their choral workshop ‘You can sing…but can you swing?!’, they coach choirs in the art of singing non-classical styles of music. This is the fifth album to be released on their record label andagio.

Alexander L'Estrange is an English choral composer, arranger, multi-instrumentalist and workshop leader of international acclaim, whose music combines his background in the English choral tradition with his love for jazz harmonies and groove. He is best known for his series of large-scale choral fusion works which draw together singers of all ages. The first of these was Zimbe! Come, sing the songs of Africa! which received over 150 performances worldwide within its first five years and quickly established his reputation as one of Britain’s most popular living composers.

Joanna L'Estrange is an English singer, songwriter, choral coach and adjudicator. She first toured the world with the five-time Grammy® winning a cappella group The Swingle Singers and was their Musical Director for seven years. As a soloist, Joanna sings jazz and specialises in

modern amplified music, performing with the world’s leading orchestras and contemporary music ensembles. One of the UK’s busiest studio session singers, she works at the famous Abbey Road Studios, recording soundtracks for video games, television and Hollywood films.

Joanna and Alexander L’Estrange compose and arrange music for choirs, a cappella groups and television. Recent collaborations include Song Cycle: vive la vélorution!, An Irish Blessing and

Epiphany Carol (recorded by Tenebrae on their On Eagles’ Wings album), a new piece for The King’s Singers’ 50th anniversary entitled Quintessentially, We will remember them for the

Military Wives Choirs’ commemoration of the centenary of the end of World War I and The Twyford Carols, recorded on this album. They have also written pieces for SingUp (This is our world)

and have arranged dozens more for Faber Music’s popular Choral Basics series.

For more information follow Alexander and Joanna on Twitter @ALEstrangeMusic @JoannaLEstrange www.alexanderlestrange.com

www.joannaforbeslestrange.com

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SopranosBarbara ChristopherEmily CoatsworthMarianna FreemanFelicity HillSandra JanmanSusan LeeHarry L’EstrangeJoanna L'EstrangeToby L’EstrangeJemma NunnTessa RobertsJenny SherwoodKatie SmithTina Turpin Vikki TurpinSally VarleyPenny Ward

Tenor sSteve CookSebastian ForbesAndy GillNigel GreenJack HalseyMatt HornerMike OverendBill PayneEd VarleyJames WebbGeoff WhiffinSimon Winter

BassesPeter AllwoodAndrew CoxTony CoupeIain DonaldBarry FlutterHarry FradleyHugh L’EstrangePaul MaddrenChris MayJulian McEvoyMartin RobertsJulian RoltonGraham WebbJulian WinnChristopher Wray

AltosRos AllwoodCatherine BarkerKirsty BarryNatasha ChongSarah CoatsworthCathy DaviesTessa ForbesKaty JaquesSusan L’EstrangeMiriam McKayChristine ParrottBen SawyerSue ScarrottKate Webb

The Call Me Al Quintetled by Alexander L'Estrange

Deborah Willson • recordersKevin Street • piano accordionAlexander L’Estrange • guitarAlexander L’Estrange • double bassFelix Higginbottom • percussion

Alexander L’Estrange formed his professional quintet in 2008 for the world premiere of Zimbe! Come, sing the songs of Africa!, naming it after Paul Simon’s song on his African-inspired album Gracelands. The quintet has since performed L’Estrange’s large-scale choral works in hundreds of concerts all over the UK.At its core is a 'rhythm section' of piano/guitar, double bass and drums, with the two other instruments changing according to the piece being performed:

Zimbe! Come, sing the songs of Africa!saxophone & percussion

Ahoy! Sing for the Mary Rose nautical fiddle & piano accordion

Song Cycle: vive la vélorution!flute & trumpet/flugelhorn

Wassail! Carols of Comfort and Joyrecorder & piano accordion

The Wassail! Singersconducted by Joanna L'Estrange

For more than half a century, The Swingles have pushed the boundaries of vocal music. The seven young singers who make up today’s London-based group are driven by the same innovative spirit that has defined the five-time Grammy® winners since they first made waves in the 1960s. At a time when a cappella music is more popular than ever, The Swingles are recognised worldwide as masters of their craft.

Jack BristoweWilla CarterAlexander ClaisseAlice CleggAlistair CliffAnthony Cloke BrowneLara CrorieTheo CulshawAlice DenbyJazzy FinneyTommy FinneyBonnie FisherAmelia FrostWilliam FrostAlicia GoldPoppy Greville CollinsLucas HallMilly HartPoppy HarveyLottie HeymanDom JacksonHolly JanawayCecilia Kime

Isla KnatchbullPoppy de LaszloThomas Lineker BennettAmelia LottNina LoudonBen MercerJemima PaganuzziMegan Palser

Hugo PatersonLouisa PatersonLucy PerkinsCharlotte PfiffnerEmma PhippsPatrick RitchieJack RobinsonClemmie Rydon

Finn RydonBella SankeyKitty ShropshireEvie SmitherClara StannahMaisie SteelJack StoneRobbie Stone

Felix SynnottHector TaggartAlexander TimmisTed UmbersAlice WilsonOwen WisemanNed Wolfe

The Swingles

Joanna Goldsmith-Eteson

Joanna L’Estrange (standing in for Clare Wheeler)

Sara Davey

Kevin Fox

Oliver Griffiths

Jon Smith

Edward Randell

www.theswingles.co.uk

Children from

United Learning schoolsGrange Primary Academy Kettering

Lincoln Minster School Lincoln

The Hurlingham Academy London

Wilberforce Primary School London

William Hulme’s Grammar School Manchester

with Toby & Harry L'Estrange

Twyford School Senior Choir conducted by David Hall