Hewitt Jones, Thomas: The Night before Christmas. Vocal Score
£8.00
For SATB choir with piano and bass guitar and optional flute (or violin) and percussion.
From Thomas Hewitt Jones, the celebrated composer behind the viral sensation Funny Song, comes a vibrant and captivating choral arrangement of the beloved Christmas classic, The Night Before Christmas. Perfect for festive performances, this new setting brings colour and excitement to a timeless poem, making it a must-have addition for choirs this holiday season.
The Bass Guitar part is available as a free download (link and password in the vocal score), or as a printed copy to purchase.
The full score and parts are available here.
NOTE FROM THE COMPOSER
The Night Before Christmas was commissioned for December 2023 by Thomas Wilson & the School of Sacred Music and the General Theological Seminary, New York City. The commission arrived in August 2023, and I immediately set to work to complete it in time for its premiere at Christmas. The commission was connected to celebrations surrounding the induction of Clement Clarke Moore, the author of the text, into the New York Hall of Fame. Given the text’s status as a perennial favourite, I aimed from the outset to write the piece for a small ensemble of professional singers, rather than an amateur choir, and to create an entertaining, through-composed setting with soaring melodies, vibrancy, and an abundance of Christmas cheer. I was delighted when the opportunity to record it in January 2024 with the BBC Singers became possible, thanks to a certain viral global megahit! The piece was recorded in a single three-hour session during my BBC Singers sessions for Regards from Rochester at Henry Wood Hall, and I am thrilled that it has since been published by Stainer & Bell and released on the Vivum Music label.
I was particularly pleased to receive feedback from the initial premiere in New York: “The performance of your marvellous piece went off last night with great enthusiasm and was extremely well received. Everyone—singers, band, punters—could not have had broader smiles on their faces throughout. It’s a brilliant work, and I’m sure it will have a life of its own. I just wanted to tell you that everyone involved was so glad to have been able to share in a little of that THJ Christmas magic, and to thank you for writing such a fabulous piece. It has certainly made my Christmas.”
Thomas Hewitt Jones, October 2024
