Holst: In the Bleak Midwinter (5 verses with different instrumentation) - wind quintet

In the Bleak Midwinter

Arranged wind quintet.

A very straighforward arrangement of 5 verses from the the piano original.

BUT I have varied the instrumentation throughout.

(UNLIKE many arrangements you may find)

V1 Oboe melody (with full quintet)

V2 Clarinet (trio with horn and bassoon)

V3 Flute

V4 Oboe

V5 Melody flute and oboe in octaves, and bassoon in lower octave.

Harmony parts shared around as well.

Additional notes are included where necessary for all verses 

"In the Bleak Midwinter" is a poem by the English poet Christina Rossetti, commonly performed as a Christmas carol. The poem was published, under the title "A Christmas Carol", in the January 1872 issue of Scribner's Monthly, and was first collected in book form in Goblin Market, The Prince's Progress and Other Poems (Macmillan, 1875).

In 1906, the composer Gustav Holst composed a setting of Rossetti's words (titled "Cranham") in The English Hymnal which is sung throughout the world.

Sometimes written as "In the Bleak Mid Winter"

Check out my other Holst arrangements on this site

and my Christmas arrangements

Pieces arranged are:

1st and 2nd Suite for Concert Band

St Pauls’ Suite

Brook Green Suite

Two Songs without Words

In the Bleak Midwinter

I vow to thee my country (Thaxted)

Chrissemas Day in the Morning

Christmas Day ( A choral fantasy)

Personent Hodie

Somerset Rhapsody