Jesous Ahatonhia (The Huron Carol) for 8 horns [Digital Download]

Jesous Ahatonhia is possibly the first Christmas carol that is truly Canadian in origin, and its story embodies the fusion of French, Indigenous, and English cultures that the country is so well known for today. It also asks us to contend with another quintessentially Canadian thing, the destructive legacy of colonialism.

The song goes by many names; written by Jesuit missionary Jean de Brébeuf in the 17th century and set to an old French folk song, the lyrics were first penned in the local Wendat language at a mission on the Lake Huron shoreline, around 150 km north of Toronto. Translating to “Jesus is born,” the song traces the story of the Nativity.

The French Jesuits were largely successful in Christianising the Huron-Wendat people, many of whom were relocated to the urban reserve community of Wendake on the outskirts of Québec City. The song has been sung for generations at l’Église Notre-Dame-de-Lorette, a time capsule of a language that has declined significantly through the process of cultural assimilation.

The song is still popular to this day throughout Canada; many Canadians know it simply as The Huron Carol, or as ‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime after the English lyrics written by Jesse Edgar Middleton in 1926. The original text some reference to Huron-Wendat customs, but Middleton’s version takes the syncretization further, describing a baby Jesus wrapped in a rabbitskin and referring to God as by the algonquinian term Gitche Manitou.

This arrangement was written by me in 2020 and holds a special place in my heart. In 2024 I adapted it from 5 horns to a full horn choir of 8, with an optional ninth part intended for beginner players. This untitled extra part is not in the score and is completely optional, but I hope it will be useful to leaders of community horn choirs with a large range of skill levels.