The Huron Carol

The Huron Carol — also known as ’Twas in the Moon of Wintertime — holds a singular place in the history of North American sacred music. Written in 1642 by French Jesuit missionary Jean de Brébeuf among the Wendat people of what is now Ontario, it is the oldest Christmas carol written in Canada, its text retelling the Nativity through the imagery and landscape of the Indigenous world: a lodge of broken bark, a manger of sweet grasses, chiefs from afar bearing gifts of fox and beaver pelt.

Andrew Wainwright’s string orchestra arrangement responds to the carol’s ethereal, wintry character with a setting that feels both timeless and quietly luminous. Drawing on what critic Paul Hindmarsh describes as a “Downie-Himes inspired landscape,” the arrangement builds through a magical layering of texture — voices entering gradually, harmonies shifting with the unhurried patience of a winter sky — before settling into a stillness that honors the carol’s ancient origins.

This is music that carries history in its melody and wonder in its sound — a distinctive and deeply moving addition to any Christmas concert program.

Performance Notes

• Scored for string orchestra (violins I & II, viola, cello, bass)
• Ideal for Christmas concerts, sacred seasonal services, and Canadian heritage programs
• Atmospheric and contemplative, with a gradual, layered texture throughout
• Instant PDF download — score and parts included

Arranged by Andrew Wainwright.