Between the Lines: French Carol Duet by Mary Donnelly & George L. O. Strid

French Carol Duet

Seasoned directors know they can count on the writing team of Mary Donnelly and George L. O. Strid for quality developmental literature, such as this piece—a perfect pairing for holiday concerts: "Il Est Né" and "Angels We Have Heard On High." Sing in English throughout, or include some French text using the included pronunciation guide. The optional glockenspiel part will add some sparkle to two classic Christmas carols.

What inspired you to write this piece?

We wanted to write a Christmas piece that was bright and cheerful and just fun to sing. We also wanted to broaden the cultural horizons of young singers. For that reason, we have combined two of our favorite French carols.

How will this piece encourage musical growth?

The first song, “Il Est Né,” uses an original text in English based loosely on the French. For an added challenge, the traditional French text with a pronunciation guide is included. The voicing in both the 2-Part and 3-Part Mixed versions is highly suitable for beginning choirs.

The second song, “Angels We Have Heard on High,” is likely to be familiar to most students, but they may not know that the song is from the French “Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes.” The melismatic “Gloria” chorus of this piece offers the opportunity to teach about melisma and sequence. Sopranos sing the familiar descending sequential melody while altos sing a complimentary ascending sequence.

The baritone part of the 3-Part Mixed version is very “singer-friendly” giving these students a chance to sing the melody in certain sections.

What performance suggestions do you have?

In teaching the song, encourage students to keep a light tone, especially on the “Gloria” chorus. Strive to keep from slurring the tones together. The optional Glockenspiel part can be the sparkling icing on the cake of this fun Christmas arrangement!

View the Score & Sound

Mary Donnelly

Mary Donnelly was born and raised in Reno, Nevada. She earned a Bachelor of Arts Degree from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a double major in English and French. While still a college student, she helped organize two children's choruses and enjoyed it so much that she decided to go back to school and become certified in teaching music. Mary is currently retired, having taught general music and choir in elementary and middle school for thirty years in the Washoe County School District (Reno, Nevada). She is a member of ACDA, NEA, and ASCAP.

In 1985, Mary met George Strid while team-teaching a sixth-grade general music class. They have been working together ever since and have written over two hundred songs and twenty-five musicals.

Learn more about Mary and see a full list of her Alfred Music publications here .

George L. O. Strid

George L. O. Strid was born and raised in Oregon. He graduated from Oregon College of Education and then went on to obtain master’s degrees in composition and music education from Western Oregon State College. George is currently retired after teaching vocal music at the middle school level for 38 years. He is a member of ASCAP, ACDA, NEA, and MENC. George has been writing songs and musicals for over 30 years with his writing partner, Mary Donnelly.

Learn more about George and see a full list of his Alfred Music publications here .