With a quartet: Song of the Pines (mp3, 4:14, 2.5 MB)
Performed by "The MPR Carolers" (Melissa Morey, Abbie Betinis, Justin Karch, Michael Meyer)

With a chorus:
Performed by Utah Chamber Artists (Barlow Bradford, conductor)

My Christmas carols are written as a continuation of a family tradition. In 1922, my great-grandfather, Bates Burt, began writing original carols and sending them annually to friends and family in his Christmas cards. His son, Alfred Burt, carried on the tradition, writing 15 now famous carols which include “Caroling, Caroling,” “Some Children See Him,” and “This is Christmas.” In 2001, when I re-started this family tradition, it caught the eye of Minnesota Public Radio who now donates recording space and airtime to my carols annually, in the form of a broadcast premiere and interview. I collect a few other singers and we have a great time chatting with the MPR hosts and singing into nice microphones.

The inspiration for this fifth annual Burt family carol, Song of the Pines, came this year from my mother, Emily Burt Betinis, a visual artist who designs our annual card. This year she came up with the design while I was still searching for a text for the carol. For the card, she has placed a simple pinecone image on white and silver paper mounted on dappled lightblue cardstock. The theme is most appropriate: The shores of Lake Superior, where Bates Burt built is home and raised his family, are covered with pine groves, and I myself have many childhood memories of walking alone among the trees during Christmas, while visiting my grandparents.

More information on the Burt Family Carols here.

This piece was first published under catalog number AB-041-C5. If you purchased these scores before the most current version (AB-041-C5.2), please contact Abbie Betinis Music Co. for details on the corrections made to the older score, and a discount on replacement scores.

You can find your catalog number in the upper right corner of your score.

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