In seeking to give this carol a swing recharge, I chose to recall the drumming of Gene Krupa. It is his drumming that is featured in his very own distinctive way in the hit Sing, Sing, Sing by the Benny Goodman Orchestra of 1936 and still popular to this day.
Masters (Sing, Sing, Singing) in this Hall or its alternative title - Nowell, Sing We Clear, is a French Christmas carol with words written around 1860 by the English poet and artist William Morris to an old French dance tune. The carol is moderately popular around the world but has not yet entered the canon of most popular carols.
Gustav Holst incorporated the carol into his work Three Carols (1916–17) along with Christmas Song: On this Day and I Saw Three Ships. Masters in this Hall is said to have a sixteenth-century feel, harking back to a simpler society, in line with William Morris's own romanticism. It also has elements of Morris's socialist beliefs, with the poor bringing news of Christ's birth to the Masters in this Hall.
The carol describes a poor man, emphasised by his rural dialect, drawing his master's attention to the birth of Christ by describing how he had met shepherds travelling to Bethlehem in solemn mood where, joining them, he had seen the Christ child in his mother's arms. The chorus repeats how the birth of Christ has raised up the poor and cast down the proud.
Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. Since 1987 Jock has based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Currently Jock holds the position of Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and is the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an "Honary Fellowship of the University of Winchester" for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for the Brass Teaching Module. In 2024 Jock was given the award for "Services to Youth" by Brass Bands England.
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