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Alexander L'Estrange's Wassail! Carols of Comfort and Joy Debuts in the UK and US

Nov. 01, 2017

Alexander L'Estrange's <em>Wassail! Carols of Comfort and Joy</em> Debuts in the UK and US

Wassail! Carols of Comfort and Joy, the latest large-scale community choral work by renowned British composer and arranger Alexander L'Estrange, receives its world premiere on November 27 at Southwark Cathedral in London with United Learning. The performance is immediately followed by the work's US premiere on November 29 with the Vanguarde Chorale in Allen Park. MI. 

L’Estrange’s Wassail!, which was commissioned by United Learning, is a collection of twelve uplifting folk-inspired Christmas songs exploring the sacred and secular aspects of the festive season.


Wassail! follows several well-established community works by L’Estrange, including Zimbe! Come, Sing the Songs of Africa (which has received over 200 performances worldwide), Ahoy! Sing for the Mary Rose and Zadok Rules – Hallelujah!.

In each of his works, L’Estrange aims to bring together schools and communities through song. “One of the great joys of writing [these works],” L’Estrange comments, “has been to see choral societies, schools and choirs of all ages fostering links with other community groups in their area and growing their concert audiences.”


View the vocal score for Wassail! here.

For more information on Alexander L’Estrange, visit fabermusic.com.

Alexander L’Estrange
Wassail! (2017)
Carols of Comfort and Joy
for unison children’s choir, SATB choir and band
text (Eng, Latin) by Robert Herrick, Joanna L’Estrange, Nahum Tate, and others
descant recorder(treble, sopranino), piano accordion, pno (or gtr), percussion, and double bass
40’

Zimbe! Come, Sing the Songs of Africa (2008)
for SATB chorus, unison children’s choir and jazz quintet
text (Akan, Shona, South African, Swahili, Xhosa, Zulu, Eng) traditional
asax-2perc-pno-db
40’

Ahoy! Sing for the Mary Rose (2013)
canatata for SATB chorus, children’s choir and band (5 players)
text (Eng) traditional, Joanna Forbes L’Estrange, Henry VIII, William Shakespeare
piano, drum kit, piano accordion, violin, amplified double bass (or electric bass)
45’

Zadok Rules – Hallelujah! (2013)
Inspired by royal music through the ages and the works of G.F. Handel
a musical celebration for children’s choir and/or SATB chorus, with chamber orchestra or piano
text (Eng) by Alexander L’Estrange
0.2.0.1-0.3.0.0-timp.2perc-hpd-str
8’

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