Orchestration: Lloyd Larson.

Filled with charm and warmth, this traditional service is thoughtfully designed for performance by choirs of all sizes with a minimum of preparation and cost. Beloved traditional scripture readings are tightly interwoven with twenty-six carols that include just a touch of Handel and Bach! A continuous flow of carols both accompanies the scripture readings and flows seamlessly into simple arrangements for choir, choir with vocal solo or duet, and choir with congregation. One unique feature is an optional four-hand piano score that adds budget-friendly sparkle! Another welcome option is a simple handbell and percussion score with synth strings and two-hand piano. Flexibly conceived, this program can be performed in its entirety, lasting approximately 30-35 minutes, or shortened to conform to your particular Christmas needs.

I composed the orchestral piece Melodien in 1971. I tried to loosen up the dense micropolyphony of my musical language, to make it more transparent. Basically, I stayed true to my earlier style: the musical form unfolds like a stretched fabric in the continuously flowing time, but the individual voices no longer merge (as in my earlier music), rather they can be heard individually in their overlapping and interweaving . The voices become individual melodies, with their own style, their own tempo, rhythm and interval structure. If you listen to the work for the first time, it appears as a chaos of discrepant melodies - but if you know the music better, the internal connections become tangible, the hidden harmonic skeleton of the form becomes tangible. (Gyorgy Ligeti)

This facsimile edition offers an impressive access to the composer's work. A study score in modern notation is also available.