C’est Noël!

The fourth piece in the concert is entitled C’est Noël! It is a medley of three traditional Christmas songs popular in French Canada which was arranged by André Jutras (see below) in 1985.

Subtitled “A French Canadian Yuletide Celebration”, C’est Noël! (It Is Christmas) opens with a brilliant introduction based on the first eight notes of “Je est Ne’ le Divin Enfant” (He Is Born, The Holy Child). The entire song is then “passed around” the band at varying tempi, with fragments of “Deck the Hall” and “Joy to the World” appearing here and there. The tempo slows and the brass choir of the band presents “Sainte Nuit” (Holy Night) which we Americans recognize as “Silent Night”. After the entire band gets a turn at the song, the tempo quickens to “Les Anges dans nos campagnes” (The Angels in Our Countryside) which we recognize as a slightly altered version of “Angels We Have Heard on High”, intermixed again with “Joy to the World”. That eight note fragment of “Je est Ne’ le Divin Enfant” appears again, leading to a rousing conclusion.

Born and raised in Quebec, André Jutras began his musical studies at age eight. He then graduated in oboe and chamber music from the Conservatoire de Musique de Montreal (1979) and went to l'Universite Laval (Quebec City) to study composition, analysis and orchestration with Francois Morel.

Between 1985 and 1991, he held the English Horn position with l'Orchestre symphonique de Quebec, while studying conducting with Simon Streatfeild (1985-1991) and Gabriel Chmura (1990).

In 1991, he became Staff Conductor with the Calgary Philharmonic Orchestra, a three-year residency that would lead him to conduct between 45 to 50 concerts a year and give him the opportunity to study with Maestro Mario Bernardi and many international guest conductors. In addition to Calgary, he has conducted orchestras in Winnipeg, Edmonton, Quebec, Vancouver, Windsor, Thunder Bay and performances of the Alberta Ballet Company.

Besides pursuing a “classical” career, Jutras also played saxophone in Jazz bands for many years and conducted Concert bands, Jazz ensembles and Pops orchestras, often performing his own arrangements or compositions (published by C. L. Barnhouse). He is a well-known clinician and adjudicator, giving conducting workshops and leading musical groups of all levels.

In 1992 and 1993, he received the “Jean-Marie Baudet Award” from the Canada Council for the Arts as one of Canada's most gifted young conductors.

Since April of 2000, Jutras has held the position of Music Officer with the Canada Council for the Arts, dealing with grants to professional orchestras, opera companies, professional choirs and residencies for conductors and composers.

The music for C’est Noël! was provided for the band

by Barbara and David Cotton.