by Christopher Norton
Intermediate Piano Duets
This Christmas Suite is for intermediate players and features 4 pieces, three of them well-known carols and the fourth piece an original composition by Christopher Norton.
Carol of the Bells is a popular Christmas carol composed by Ukrainian composer Mykola Leontovych in 1914. It features a distinctive ostinato figure and has been arranged and recorded many times. This version stays true to the original, except there is a swung 5/4 middle section added!
I Wonder As I Wander is a Christian folk hymn, typically performed as a Christmas carol, written by American folklorist and singer John Jacob Niles in 1933. This arrangement by Christopher Norton takes an ethereal folk-influenced approach to the melody, with a striking move from a plangent F minor to a sunnier D minor (and back again)
Christmas Cheer is an original piece, very up-beat and extrovert, with a distinctive syncopated figure that is tossed between hands and between primo and secondo parts and a middle section that quotes Deck the halls.
Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella is a 17th century Christmas carol which originally came from the Provence region of France. On Christmas Eve in Provence, children dressed as shepherds and milkmaids still carry torches and candles while singing this carol.
The Suite was first performed by Angela Turner and Suzanna Hlinka at the 4MBS Festival of Classics, Brisbane, Australia on 18 June 2017.
