A Winter’s Spell (John Williams)

I know there are a bunch of Azkaban threads out there, but I’d like to start a discussion focusing on this particular Christmas carol.

I am not the biggest Williams lover, but I’d actually be really interested to have a clean version of this carol. YES, it’s on the Azkaban sessions but Mr Williams has no mind to share those with us, thanks very much for that John, so…

I am told there is no sheet music of this carol available in full, yet I distinctly remember my music teacher playing it for me on the piano years ago. I did find the lyrics online, but the only clean versions I find on YouTube are a solo violin and the most awful choir I ever heard in my life. The violin is always restricted to playing one note at a time, yet this lovely carol is sung by three females, if I’m not mistaken.

So, is there sheet music available for this whole carol? Are there choir people on here who would consider singing it because we really need something better than the horrible version on the DVD.

Is this the carol the small wizards and witches are singing in Hogsmeade before Harry knocks them over?

Yes, but it plays also earlier. It actually starts in the background when Ron says ‘Never told me about any marauder’s map!’ just after the snowball fight.

Yes, I remember now. Also some youtube vids were of service, though I must agree that the choir was a little off – I think it more so that the recording of the vids and the open spaces the choir had to project out to greatly hindered the song. I really hope it’s on the sessions.

It probably is…

Well the eerie christmas song was on the sessions for HP1, so I’m hopeful. Still, I wonder if there are suites like the children’s suites for Akaban? Witches, Wands and Wizards is the only concert suite I know of.

I honestly don’t understand why that creepy Christmas music was composed in the first place. I preferred Christmas Music Box.

Withces, Wizards and Wands actually exists? It’s nothing new though, ,is it? Just a part of Quidditch, irds Flight and Snowball Fight according to the recording made by the City of Prague Orchestra. As far as I know, no other suites exist… What intrigues me most is whether some of the original cues were recorded that were later revised. There are for instance two versions of Remembering Mother and A New Broomstick.

Unfortunately there’s nothing out better than what we have. I like this ”unobserved”song.

So I take it we don’t have complete sheet music for this carol? Were the YouTube versions recorded by pure memorising of the notes heard on the DVD? I’ve tried to mix the piano and viola version (JW collection) together but that doesn’t work because the piano player plays very irregularly.

In the end, the ones on JW-collection were a fan performance, but still better than nothing!

John Williams: A Winter’s Spell printable sheet music for choir (http://www.virtualsheetmusic.com/score/AL-115651.html?tab=legato)

Cool! I hope someone does a better performance one day. Now THAT would be a good Christmas present.

It appears Classic FM broadacsted the carol when the OST came out. Any hardcore fans on here who recorded it?