Christopher Columbus
incidental music for the radio play by Louis MacNeice (1907–63)
General Information – Performing Forces – Manuscript – Publication – Arrangements – Recordings
Composition:
1942
First Performance:
Monday, 12 October 1942. Broadcast from Bedford by the BBC Home Service. BBC
Symphony Orchestra, BBC Chorus, Sir Adrian Boult conductor.
Duration:
About 10 minutes, total.
Text:
From the radio play by Louis MacNeice (1907–63)
Craggs Catalogue Number:
C46
Tenor and baritone soloists
Two speakers
Speaking chorus
3 flutes, piccolo, 2 oboes, cor anglais, 2 clarinets, bass clarinet, 2 bassoons, contrabassoon – 4 horns, 3 trumpets, 2 trombones, tuba – timpani, 3 percussion (side drum, bass drum, cymbal, guitar, castanets, tenor drum, tambourine, xylophone, maracas, rumba sticks) – harp – strings
Frederick R. Koch Collection. Beinecke Rare Book and Manuscript Library, Yale University. Manuscript FRKF 623. Autograph full score. 133 pages.
'Down in the Kingdom of Granada' is in the private collection of Heidi MacNeice.
Oxford University Press. Score and parts are available on hire.
Beatriz's Song, for contralto and string orchestra. This song has been published separately from the complete incidental music.
Christopher Columbus Suite, arranged by Christopher Palmer, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, 1987.
Christopher
Columbus Cantata,
arranged by Carl Davis, for soloists, chorus and orchestra, 1988.
Performing Forces: Alto, tenor and baritone soloists – mixed chorus –
orchestra
This cantata remains unpublished.
Christopher
Columbus: A Musical Journey,
arranged by Carl Davis, for speakers, soloists, chorus and orchestra, 2002.
Performing Forces: Soprano, alto, tenor and baritone soloists, with two
speakers – mixed chorus –
orchestra.
The complete incidental music has never been recorded commercially.
See recordings of the following arrangements or excerpts: