Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day SATB A Cappella (Octavo) Book

Shane MacGowans laid-back crooning of the Pogues Irish folk ballad Fairytale of New York provided the inspiration for the melody to Tomorrow shall be my dancing day, devised as a choral Christmas waltz. Homage should also be paid to John Gardners setting, particularly in his use of dance sing‚¬ï¿½ to evoke dancing‚¬ï¿½. The work is structured in the manner of a hymn that becomes increasingly complex via different vocal textures. In the opening verse and chorus, the tune is introduced by the Bass section, later augmented in unison by the Tenors, accompanied by a Soprano/Alto duet. The second verse sees the same duet take over in harmony with the Tenors accompanying them with a counter-melody, which leads to a fully realised SATB chorus. The third verse portrays Mary singing the baby Jesus to sleep amid a perpetual angelic ATB lullaby. The SATB chorus returns, only now fully evolved into a joyful cacophony of florid decorations anchored by the Basses fourth verse. The final chorus sees the Tenors and Sopranos swap roles: the Tenor section sings the melody while their previously established choral harmonies are incorporated into a Soprano descant. The work concludes with the Tenors and Basses sharing the melody before the Soprano descant ascends to the heavens to represent Jesus ultimate Ascension.