Christmas Overture - Samuel Coleridge-Taylor

Samuel Coleridge-Taylor (1875 -1912) was an English composer, best known for his glorious Violin Concerto, the excellent 'Symphony in A minor' and the oratorio trilogy 'Hiawatha' but his 'Christmas Overture' appeared only in 1925 after being arranged by Sydney Baynes. The 'Christmas Overture' was originally conceived as incidental music for a 'charming poetical fairy drama' by Alfred Noyes -'The Forest of Wild Thyme'. It is a nicely put-together piece, being more than just a potpourri of Christmas tunes, but cleverly integrating some famous carols like 'Hark the herald angels sing' and 'God rest you, merry gentlemen' into a pleasantly coherent work.