canasg choral music publishing - Villanelle de Noël

SG1004

Villanelle de Noël

Poem by Tom Scott (1918-1995)
Set to music by Michael Buck

SATB performance time approx 2m 00s

Composer's note

Tom Scott regarded poetry as 'verse that sings' and this poem, a fable of how the robin got the blood of Christ on its breast as it tried to help Christ on the cross, makes a beautiful Christmas song. As there are plenty of verses, feel free to vary the voicing between each one, switching between groups of soli and tutti sections.

Music

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Hear a MIDI file of the song

Words

Villanelle de Noël

The Robin owre aa birds is blest
At this time of the year, Nowel:
The bluid o Christ is on his breist.

[aa - all]
[bluid - blood; breist - breast]
Frae Sicily til Hammerfest
The bairns relate the sely tale,
That the Robin owre aa birds is blest.

[from Sicily to Hammerfest - i.e. far and wide]
[bairns - children; sely - holy]
[owre - over]

For on Calvarie he tried to wrest
Frae Yeshu's palm the cruel nail:
The bluid o Christ is on his breist.

[Yeshu - Jesus]
Sensyne he's been Yuill's dearest guest,
Nae ither sae welcome as himsel:
The Robin owre aa birds is blest.

[sensyne - since then]
[ither - other; sae - so]
He wears the Yuilltide like a vest,
And his sang's the peal o a ferlie bell:
The bluid o Christ is on his breist.

[ferlie - wondrous]
Nae starred and medalled hero's chest
Can eer wi greater merit swell:
The Robin owre aa birds is blest.
The bluid o Christ is on his breist.

[nae - no]
[eer - ever; wi - with]
Tom Scott

Thanks to Heather Scott and to Chapman Publications
for permission to use this poem.

Full pronunciation guide provided

Price

The price of this piece depends on the number of singers in your group. This is a single payment for a licence to make as many copies as you need for your group to rehearse and perform the song as often as you wish. Copies of the song must not be given, lent or sold to any other group.

Number of singers in your group
up to 12 singers	13 to 24 singers	25 singers or more
Ł5 (approx US$8.00)	Ł10 (approx US$16)	Ł15 (approx US$24)
Please note that your Paypal transaction will be in sterling but it should automatically be converted if your credit card draws on a different currency.

Companion pieces

Browse the Christmas section of the Canasg catalogue for more songs like this one. To go there now, click on the 'catalogue' box to the right.

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Villanelle de Noël

Composer's note

Music

Words

Price

Companion pieces

Canasg Music