3 Symphonic Sketches-'Maybe you don't know that I was intended for the fine career of a sailor…' was what Debussy wrote in a letter in which he tells about his work on La Mer. His passion for the sea remained despite his different career and brought him to compose the three symphonic sketches for orchestra. The initially conservative criticism of La Mer which can probably be attributed to the difference in style compared to the successful work 'Pelléas' could be reversed through a performance directed by Debussy in 1908 with overwhelming success.

Pastorale for Christmas-Though lesser known than some Christmas melodies this stately pastoral work incorporates the chorus of O Come All Ye Faithful (or Adeste Fideles) into the writing. The original melody by Yon is rather remarkable in its elegant beauty and sounds timeless and enchantingly ancient though it was written rather recently in 1917. Pietro Yon was an organist who spent most of his career at the St. Patrick Cathedral in New York. Yon was well regarded in his lifetime by fellow musicians notably among his pupils was the celebrated American songwriter Cole Porter and upon his passing in 1943 Arturo Toscanini himself was among those who attended his large funeral. This arrangementbegins solftly with a simple statement of the melody in the trumpets. The theme expands as it is passed around the various instrumental choirs with increasing use of counterpoint. Culminating in a joyous exhaultation the music winds to a gentle and serene conclusion. The score is well-cued in key sections where the melody is prominent.