A Song For Christmas was written in 1958. It is a setting of a 15th century Scottish poem, sometimes attributed to William Dunbar, scored for Soprano or Tenor solo with Piano accompaniment. It wascommissionedby BBC Scotland, and is one of the few pieces to date from the composer's brief phase of total serialism, as testified to by the angular melody and declamatory texture.
Thea Musgrave (b. 1928) is aScottish-Americancomposer. Over a career spanning more than 60 years, she has established herself as one of the leading contemporary composers on both sides of the Atlantic.