Christmas with The Singers: Carols by Matthew Culloton Monday, November 16, 2020
Matthew Culloton (b. 1976) is the Founding Artistic Director and Conductor of The Singers – Minnesota Choral Artists. In August 2010, Matthew became Choirmaster at The House of Hope Presbyterian Church in St. Paul. He holds degrees from Concordia College, Moorhead (B.M. in Music Education) and the University of Minnesota (M.M. in Choral Conducting, D.M.A. in Conducting).
As a composer, Matthew has been commissioned by The Singers, the Dale Warland Singers, Choral Arts Ensemble of Rochester (MN), Ames Chamber Artists, Chanson, the Minnesota MMEA All-State Choir, and numerous high school, collegiate, and church choirs. He is the editor of the “Christmas with The Singers Choral Series” published by MorningStar Music Publishers, which is an excellent source for beautiful carol arrangements for the Christmas season. Titles in this series recommended by our School Choral Music Specialists include:
In the Bleak Midwinter arr. Matthew Culloton, SATB divisi a cappella
Beautiful textural and harmonic touches, sometimes very simple and sometimes more complex, illumine and elevate the text. The descant functions as a lone voice just as the text becomes the most personal, “What can I give him?” The thought, beauty, and emotion in this setting are not to be missed.
The Holly and the Ivy arr. Matthew Culloton, SATB divisi a cappella
Many of the Christmas with The Singers series pieces started with the intention of preserving what the audience cherishes about a particular carol while surrounding it with an a cappella choral arrangement that is fresh (and sometimes astounding). For SATB with multiple divisi, this carol is rewarding and fun for any accomplished choir.
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly arr. Matthew Culloton, SATB divisi a cappella
The familiar melody of this Polish carol appears in each of the voice parts while the rest of the parts sing a beautiful vocal accompaniment.
Still, Still, Still arr. Matthew Culloton, SATB divisi a cappella
Set against a gentle rocking syncopation, this familiar Austrian carol takes on new life. A baritone soloist is used on the middle verse. All parts divide except the alto. A beautiful arrangement for a cappella use.
Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day arr. Matthew Culloton, SSATBB a cappella
A lilting choral accompaniment evokes pizzicato sounds surrounding the tenor melody in verse one. The other verses are set more conventionally but still reflect the goals of our Christmas with The Singers series: that the audience will enjoy the familiarity of the carol but be enchanted by the creativity of the arrangement. Challenging, but masterful in how Matthew Culloton treats the ensemble as a self-sufficient choral idiom.
We Three Kings arr. Matthew Culloton, SATB divisi a cappella with oboe
This unaccompanied setting of the well-known carol uses three male soloists (one baritone, two bass) as the kings’ voices. The oboe reinforces the melody, dances around it, and even quotes “Greensleeves.” The divisi chorus sings backup to the kings and all the refrains, which are set differently. Five full verses are used, but due to the fun and creativity present in the writing, the piece unfolds in a very fulfilling way.
Find more from Matthew Culloton on our website, and shop Stanton’s for all your sheet music needs!