First Performance: Wren Orchestra / Cantamus / Howard Blake, Barbican Centre, London, 8 December 1991.
To celebrate their first Christmas on air in 1990 Classic FM commissioned the composer Howard Blake to write a seasonal duet to be performed on Christmas Eve. Howard wrote both music and lyrics and the performance was broadcast from The Duke’s Hall of The Royal Academy by Emma Bell (soprano), Helen Lloyd (mezzo soprano) and an RAM ensemble of flute, clarinet and strings which was conducted by the composer.
Later, in 1993 when Howard was creating the Snowman Stage Show at the Birmighham Rep he decided to create a scene with carol singers and adapted this ‘Christmss Lullaby’ to be used as the carol. It has been sung in the long-running Christmas show of The Snowman at Sadlers Wells’ Peacock Theatre ever since and been heard by more than a million people.