SKU: BT.GOB-000567-130

‘God rest ye merry, Gentlemen’ is an ancient English carol. It was first published in 1833, but it can be traced as far back as the 15th century, which makes it one of the oldest carols known.

‘God rest ye merry’ is a Middle English salutation. In this manner, people wished one another greatness and might.
In modern English, the first line of this carol would read ‘May God keep you mighty, gentlemen’.

Andrew R. Mackereth has not kept to the original words in his up-tempo arrangement of the carol. It is still clearly recognizable, but the arranger has taken a good many liberties. Sometimes a particular note is held longer, at times motifs follow oneanother in various parts. If you listen carefully, you may even be able to detect a motif from another well-known song.

‘God rest ye merry Gentleman’ is een oude Engelse carol. De eerste officiële publicatie was in 1833, maar de sporen leiden tot ergens in de 15e eeuw. God rest ye merry Gentleman is daarmee één van de oudste carols.

‘God restye merry’ is een oude groet. Men wenste elkaar kracht toe.
Wanneer we de titel naar ‘onze’ tijd zouden vertalen, dan luidt die ‘May God keep you gentleman strong’.

Andrew R. Mackereth heeft zich in dit ‘up-tempo’arrangement niet aan de tekst gehouden. Het lied komt wel zeer duidelijk naar voren maar de arrangeur heeft zich de nodige vrijheid gegund. De ene keer wordt een noot langer aangehouden, een andere keer zijn het motieven die elkaarin diverse stemmen opvolgen. Als u goed luistert kunt u zelfs een motiefje uit een ander zeer bekend lied herkennen.

SKU: BT.GOB-000149-130

This piece was commissioned by Nordhordland Brass Seminar in 1990 and written for a youth band.

The title referes to a story from norse mythology.
“The Binding of the Wolf” is not a programmatic piece of music, but I felt that there was a kind of coherence between the music and the dramatic story:

“...The wolf Fenrir was one of the demonic offspring of Loki, and as he grew up in Asgard among the gods, he became so huge and fierce that only Tyr was willing to feed him. It was decided that he must be bound, and Odin in his wisdom caused the cunning dwarfs to forge a chain which could not be broken.
It was made from the invisible and yet potent powers ofthe world, such as the roots of a mountain, the noise of a moving cat, the breath of a fish.
When completed, this chain seemed to be no more than a silken cord, but the wolf refused to let it be laid upon him unless one of the gods would put a hand between his jaws as a pledge that it was harmless.
Only Tyr was prepared to do this, and when the wolf found that the chain was unbreakable, the gods rejoiced, but Tyr lost his hand.
The binding of the wolf may be seen as a means of protecting the world of men, as well as that of the gods, from destruction.
The story of the god losing his hand appears to be one of the fundamental myths of nothern Europe...”.

SKU: BT.GOB-000822-030

David Well composed 'Frida's Whiskers' in commemoration of his own cat, who met an untimely end.
Frida (whose real name was 'Godefrida van Coopersburg thoe Nieuwenhuys') was a lively creature, who led a playful and uncomplicated life.
She used to sleep in her basket for hours, but when she woke up she upset the entire house and its furnishing.
Curtains were inspected from top to bottom and flower pots fell from window-sills just like that!
Outside, in the open air she was in her element. She used to frolic, bouncing into the air.
After such playful moods she would return to her basket tired but satisfied where, being the cleanly cat that shewas, she subjected her entire body, whiskers included, to a thorough wash.

David Well componeerde 'Frida's Whiskers' ter nagedachtenis aan zijn erg jong gestorven kat.
Frida (haar volledige naam luidde 'Godefrida van Coopersburg thoe Nieuwenhuys') was een levenslustig beestje dat een speels en onbekommerdleven leidde.
Zo kon ze vaak urenlang in haar mand liggen te slapen tot op zeker moment het complete huis en haar inrichting onveilig gemaakt werden.
Gordijnen werden van onder tot boven ge?nspecteerd en bloempottenvielen pardoes uit de vensterbank.
In de buitenlucht was ze in haar element. Ze sprong soms met alle poten tegelijk de lucht in.
Na een speelse bui keerde ze moe maar voldaan terug in haar mand waar, zo proper alsze was, het hele lichaam, inclusief snorharen, aan een grondige wasbeurt werden onderworpen.