Anthony
BOLTON (b.
1950) A Garland of Carols* 
*Sioned Williams (harp); **Richard Edgar-Wilson (tenor); **Fali Pavri
(piano) Oxford Voices/Mark Shepherd rec. 2009 English texts included
GUILD GMCD 7335 [76:19] 
[JQ]
Well
presented and should help bring Bolton to the public’s attention
... see Full Review
A
Boston Camerata Christmas. Worlds of Early
Christmas Music
CD 1: An American Christmas - Carols Hymns & Spirituals,
1770-1870 [61:46]
CD 2: A French Christmas - French Christmas Music,
1200-1600 [62:51]
CD 3: A Spanish Christmas - Music from the Iberian Peninsula,
North Africa, the Holy Land & the New World, 1200-1700 [72:34]
Boston
Camerata; The Schola Cantorum of Boston (CD 1); The Brown University
Chorus (CD 1); The Boston Shawm & Sackbut Ensemble (CD 2); Camerata
Mediterranea (CD 3); Abdelkrim Rais Andalusian Orchestra of Fès
(CD 3)/Joel Cohen rec. 1985-93
WARNER CLASSICS 2564 69415-0 [61:46 + 62:51 + 72:34] 
[JQ]
For
those of a slightly adventurous spirit this could be just the thing
for a welcome seasonal change ... see Full
Review
Celebration
- Christmas Fanfares and Carols
Aled Jones (readings), BBC Welsh Chorus, John Hugh Thomas, Huw Tregelles
Williams (organ), Fanfare Trumpeters of the Welsh Guards, Lt. Col.
P. Hannam, BEM, musical director rec. 3-4 February and 1 July 1991,
Brangwyn Hall, Swansea. DDD
NIMBUS NI 5310 [73:34]
[BBr]
A
lovely collection … see Full
Review
Christmas
A Cappella.
Songs from around the world.
Chicago a cappella rec.
2008, Bond Chapel. University of Chicago Original texts and English
translations included
CEDILLE CDR 90000 107 [64:10]
[JQ]
There’s
not a musical hair out of place here but the result is curiously uninvolving...
see Full Review
Christmas
Chant:
Traditional Latin Plainchant for Christmas
The Monks of Prinknash Abbey; The Nuns of Stanbrook Abbey rec.
1987. DDD. Texts and translations included.
SAYDISC CD-SDL 369 [62:48]
[BW]
Ideal
for those seeking peace and simplicity at Christmas ... see Full
Review
Christmas
from Lichfield
Robert Sharpe (organ); The Choir of Lichfield Cathedral/Andrew
Lumsden rec. Lichfield Cathedral, 12-15 February 1996. DDD.Texts included.
NIMBUS NI5496 [69:57]
[BW]
This
may be the collection you’re looking for ... see Full
Review
Christmas
Organ Music
Kevin Bowyer (organ) rec. Chichester Cathedral, 16-17 August 1995.
DDD.
NIMBUS NI7711 [71:45] 
[BW]
A
most attractive recording ... see Full
Review
RECORDING OF THE MONTH Christmas
Preludes - Preludes for Holy Christmastide
Johannes Strobl (organ) rec. 2008, The Abbey Church of Muri, Canton
Aargau, Switzerland
AUDITE 92.573 [73:04]
[DM]
The
perfect complement to a festive feast ... see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Es
ist ein Ros entsprungen
Vocal Concert Dresden/Peter Kopp; Sebastian Knebel (organ) rec. 3
- 6 October 2008, Hauptkirche St Marien in Kamenz, Germany. DDD
BERLIN CLASSICS 0016442BC [64:33]
[JV]
An
outstanding disc with choral music for Advent and Christmas ... see
Full Review
Es
ist ein Ros’ entsprungen -
Christmas Music for Choir and Organ
Vox Bona/Karin Freist-Wissing; Stefan Horz (organ) rec. 7-9 February
2009, Ev. Emmanuel-Kirche, Köln-Rondorf (choir); Kreuzkirche,
Bonn (organ)
AUDITE 92.565 [80:49]
[DM]
Worth
buying for the choral items alone; don’t expect much from the
rest. ... see Full Review
Feliz Navidad
- Mediterranean Christmas Music from the Renaissance
Cécile Kempenaers (soprano); José Pizarro (tenor)
Capella de la Torre/Katharina Bäuml rec. 2008 DDD. Texts and
translations included.
COVIELLO CLASSICS COV20811 [65:53]
[BW]
Joins
a select number of first-rate renaissance and baroque Christmas recordings
... see Full Review
A
Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
Choir of King’s College, Cambridge/Stephen Cleobury
rec. live, Chapel of Kings College, Cambridge, 24 December 2008 Texts
enclosed Track-Listing at end of review
EMI CLASSICS 50999 6860822 [54:53 + 34:58]
[RC]
A
fine souvenir of a memorable occasion ... see Full
Review
Frohlocke
nun! (Rejoice
Now!) - Christmas music from Berlin between Baroque and Romanticism
Dennis
Chmelensky (treble); Olivia Vermeulen (contralto); Jan Kobow Patrick
Vogel (tenor); Matthias Vieweg (bass) Staats- und Domchor Berlin,
Lautten Compagney Berlin/Kai-Uwe Jirka rec. 2009
CARUS 83.442 [70:40]
[JV]
A very good recording of music for Christmastide most of which has
never been recorded before ... see Full
Review
BARGAIN
OF THE MONTH In
Terra Pax: A Christmas
Anthology Gustav
HOLST, John JOUBERT, William MATHIAS, Herbert HOWELLS, Gerald FINZI,
Peter WARLOCK, Kenneth LEIGHTON, John RUTTER, John GARDNER, William
MATHIAS, Ralph VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Julia Doyle (soprano); Roderick Williams (baritone); Mark Williams
(organ, celesta, piano) City of London Choir; Bournemouth Symphony
Orchestra/Hilary Davan Wetton rec. 2009
NAXOS 8.572102 [57:37]
[ST]
As
good a Christmas recital as you’re likely to find ... see Full
Review
Into
This World This Day Did Come.
Carols Contemporary & Medieval
Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge/Geoffrey Webber/David
Ballantyne, Matthew Fletcher & Geoffrey Webber (organ) rec. 2009,
. DDD Original texts and English translations included *First recording
DELPHIAN DCD34075 [75:28][JQ]
This
is one of the most original and enterprising Christmas discs to have
come my way in a long time... see Full
Review
Karl
JENKINS
(b.1944) Stella
Natalis, Joy to the World
Kate Royal (soprano); Alice Halstead (chorister); Alison Balsom (trumpet);
Jody K Jenkins and Zands (percussion); Tenebrae; Adiemus Singers;
Marylebone Camerata/Karl Jenkins rec. Angel Recording Studios, London,
3-4, 19 July 2009. DDD. Texts included.
EMI CLASSICS 50999 6886482 [79:33]
Guaranteed
enjoyment for fans of Karl Jenkins ... see Full
Review
Joulun
virsi - Elämän virsi -
Old Finnish Choral Hymns for Christmas
Jorma Hynninen (baritone) Marko Ylönen (cello) Kalevi Kiviniemi
(organ) rec. 20-22 February 2006, Kallio Church, Helsinki, Finland
FUGA 9215 [61:04] [DM]
A
Christmas disc to savour ... see Full
Review
Joy
In The Morning
Ex Cathedra/Jeffrey Skidmore, Andrew Fletcher
(organ) rec. 10-11 July 2009, St Paul’s Church, Birmingham.
DDD Original texts and English translations included
ORCHID CLASSICS ORC100008 [75:33]
[JQ]
The
Christmas CD market is overflowing but this issue has a very strong
claim indeed on the attention of collectors ... see Full
Review
see
additional review by William Hedley
Make We Joy -
Music for Christmas by Gustav
HOLST (1874 - 1934) and William
WALTON (1902 - 1983)
Christ Church Cathedral Choir Oxford/Stephen Darlington Simon Lawford
(organ) rec. Merton College Chapel Oxford, 11- 12 May 1987
NIMBUS NI7021 [49:41]
[NB]
If
you are looking for a choral disc of Christmas music without resorting
to the usual “lessons & carols” format you will be
hard pressed to do better than this... see
Full Review
Midwinter
The Sanctuary Ensemble: Christian Forshaw (saxophones, church organ,
percussion); Grace Davidson, Joanna Forbes, Katie Trethewey, Amy Wood
(singers); Alexia Kalogiannidis (backing vocals); Jeremy Holland-Smith
(chorus director, organ); Ian Cape (percussion) rec. 2008
INTEGRA RECORDS ING1003 [38:43]
[NB]
Will
either delight or frustrate ... see Full
Review
Nativitas
- American Christmas Carols
James Higdon (organ); Pamela Williamson (soprano solo); Lyra Pringle
Pherigo (flute); Wesley Kelly (harp); Kansas City Chorale/Charles
Bruffy
NIMBUS NI5413 [67:03]
[NB]
As
beautiful a disc of precious Christmas music as you are likely to
hear this or any year ... see Full
Review
Organ Christmas
Beatrice-Maria and Gerhard Weinberger (organ
and organ duet) rec. 2009,
CPO 777 487-2 [63:36]
[DM]
Dull
and uninspired ... see Full
Review
The
Spirit of Christmas Past
various artists (see review) rec. historical.
NIMBUS PRIMA VOCE NI 7861 [74:35]
[CC]
A
lovely, heart-warming collection, intelligently chosen and programmed.
... see Full Review
The
Spirit of Christmas Present
Kansas City Chorale/Charles Bruffy,Huw
Tregelles Williams (organ); BBC Welsh Chorus/John Hugh Thomas, Kevin
Bowyer (organ), James Higdon (organ) The Gulbenkian Orchestra/Michel
Swierczewski, Christ Church Cathedral Choir/Stephen Darlington, English
String Orchestra/William Boughton, Pamela Williamson (soprano); Lyra
Pringle Pherigo (flute); Welsey Kelly (harp) rec. 1987-96
NIMBUS NI7034 [62:07]
[BW]
You
could do better, even from within Nimbus’s own catalogue ...
see Full Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH Georg
Philipp TELEMANN
(1681 - 1767) Christmas
Cantatas Christoph BERNHARD (1629-1692)
Fürchtet euch nicht*
Mária Zádori (soprano), Judit Németh (mezzo),
Gábor Kállay (tenor), Klaus Mertens (baritone); Capella
Savaria/Pál Németh rec. 1983-91
HUNGAROTON HCD 32611 [66:45]
[JV]
First-rate
music in excellent performances - a perfect disc ... see Full
Review
The
Herald Angels Sing - Choral music for Christmas
Junges Vokalensemble Hannover/Klaus-Jürgen Etzold rec. Kirche
Stephansstift Hannover, 7-9 November 2008, 6-8 February 2009
CARUS 83.441 [65:24]
[NB]
When
nothing too vigorous is needed … see Full
Review
RECORDING
OF THE MONTH
Weihnachtslieder
(Christmas Carols)
Thomanerchor
Leipzig/Georg Christoph Biller; Ulrich Böhme (organ) rec. 2007,
2008
CARUS 83.440 [68:12]
[JV]
A
most attractive and tasteful programme for Advent and Christmas
... see Full Review
What
Sweeter Music:
Songs and Carols for Christmas
Tenebrae/Nigel Short James Sherlock (organ) rec. St. Bartholomew the
Great, West Smithfield, London 22-26 June 2009; *27-28 August 2001;
**St. Michael’s Church, Highgate, 12-13 May 2004
SIGNUM CLASSICS SIGCD182 [58:30]
[JQ]
Listening
with great enjoyment ... see Full
Review
While
shepherds watched -
Christmas music from English parish churches - 1740 - 1830
Psalmody; The Parley of Instruments/Peter Holman; Timothy Roberts
(fortepiano*) rec. 18-20 July 1996
HYPERION HELIOS CDH55325 [67:33]
[JV]
Music
written for parish churches - no reconstructions but radiating a sense
of authenticity ... see Full
Review
BOOK REVIEWS
The
Cambridge Companion to Gilbert & Sullivan David
Eden and Meinhard Saremba (eds) publ. 2009,
276pp CAMBRIDGE
UNIVERSITY PRESS Paperback £15 (ISBN 978 0 521 716598)
Hardback £40 (ISBN 978 0 521 888493) [RJW]
For
those who think they have read and know everything about G&S
... see Full Review
Superbudget £5.99 or less 
Budget £6-7.99 
Medium £8-10.99 
Full price £11+
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