Down Came an Angel

Appalachian Carols
Appalachian Carols was written in celebration of the Capitol Hill Chorale’s 25th anniversary. The work is a tribute to the musical legacy of Jean Ritchie (1922-2015), perhaps the best known and most respected singer of traditional ballads in the United States. The youngest daughter of one of the most famous American ballad-singing families—the Ritchie family of Perry County, Kentucky—Jean Ritchie is often referred to as the “Mother of Folk.” Music had come to her by tradition, and she maintained an impeccable but down-to-earth authenticity throughout her storied career.

The five movements of Appalachian Carols are drawn from Ritchie’s repertoire for the Christmas season. I began by transcribing the melodies from Ritchie’s recordings to capture her unique interpretations as closely as possible. Adding choral harmonies to the original melodies, I tried to stay true to the essence of the tunes as she performed them. Throughout the five movements of Appalachian Carols, echoes and reverberations of the Appalachian folk style abound: unison singing, the use of drones, open sonorities evoking the mountain dulcimer, and allusions to the three-part vocal harmony of 19th-century American tunebooks. The resulting work is a meditation on the interweaving themes of winter, Christmas, family, music, and nature.

Down Came an Angel
The tune and first verse of Down Came an Angel derive from an Appalachian Easter Carol that Jean learned from her sister Jewel. After the first verse, the traditional song tells the Easter story. Jean wrote a new set of words for the song so it could be used during the Christmas season.

Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Christ was born in Bethlehem,
Christ was born in Bethlehem
and in a manger lay.
And in a manger lay,
and in a manger lay,
Christ was born in Bethlehem
and in a manger lay.

Joseph stood anigh them
to keep them from all harm. etc.

Sheep and cattle by him
to keep the baby warm. etc.

Kings and shepherds kneeling
to welcome in his birth. etc.

Angels sang his lullaby,
it rang around the earth. etc.