Nativity Suite

ALEC WYTON (1921-2007) was born in London. He was educated at the Royal Academy of Music, London and Oxford University. After serving as Director of Music at the church of St. Matthew, Northampton, from 1946 to 1950 when he came to the USA, where he served as Organist and Choirmaster at Christ Church Cathedral, St. Louis, MO. Four years later he took a similar position at the Cathedrdal of St. John the Divine in NYC, where he remained for the next thirty years. After leaving the cathedral, he became Organist and Choirmaster of St. James' Church on Madison Avenue.

"Nativity Suite" dates from 1965 and is dedicated to his student, assistant, and close personal friend, Marilyn Keiser. It is in three movements: "Away in a manger", "The first Nowell" and "Little Jesus, sweetly sleep".

The first movement features the famous tune against a sort of "Lydian mode" accompaniment played in the upper registers on the Swell 8' flute, with the melody played on the Solo Clarinet - first in the left hand, and then in the pedal. The "B natural" removes any chance of "sentimentality" and gives the piece an unusual flavor.

The second movement feels like a sort of carillon, as the strong one to a bar and ostinato-type figurations give the feeling of bells swinging. Wyton calls for this to be played with principals and mixtures, adding the Full Swell towards the end. I took the liberty of doubling the melody on the Solo Tromba towards the end.

The third movement is based on the traditional Czech melody that appears with the title of "Rocking" in the Oxford Book of Carols. It begins on Swell strings, before the melody appears in the pedal played on the Solo 4' Flute with the strings gliding above. The flute than passes to the manuals, before the strings return, this time underpinned by long pedal points. The melody is hinted at again before the end.