The First Christmas
The Elizabethan Singers/Louis Halsey
Simon Preston (organ); Wilfred Parry (piano)
Full track listing at end of review
rec. Holy Trinity Church, Kensington, London, July 1963, April 1966
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 2064 [63:17 + 66:52]
It has seemed a little strange to be listening to these discs outside the
Christmas season, although I suppose that it is no stranger than it must have
been to be recording them in April or July. It does however emphasize that
what we have here is not merely a collection of music suitable for Christmas
(or, in one case, for Easter) but a wonderful overview of British composers
active in the 1960s, many represented by several contrasting pieces. Whilst
obviously not every composer active at the time is there, it must be said
that to have nearly fifty items from that period is exciting both in prospect
and in reality. I have reorganized the contents list in the heading to this
review so that the composers are shown in alphabetical order rather than the
more random but well contrasted order in which they appear on the discs. I
hope that this gives a clearer idea of the extent to which particular composers
are represented, and to which these discs fill gaps in the catalogue.
Eloquence are usually among the better reissue companies when it comes to
the quality of their booklets. Often excellent essays about the performers
and music are included. In this case they had a problem in that, as with all
vocal music, the listener needs to be able to follow the words being sung.
Accordingly no less than 17 pages of the booklet are devoted to the texts
of all of the items on the discs, together with the names of their authors
and composers. The track listing in the booklet gives merely the title and
duration of each piece and there are no background notes.
Novello published a book of fifty-one carols, some new and some arrangements,
in 1963. Just over half of the items on these discs were included in that
volume and I believe that the rest followed in subsequent publications by
Novello although I do not have them to hand. I do not know what Novello had
hoped for, but in practice the first volume of Oxford’s “Carols for Choirs”
which had been published a couple of years earlier has come to be regarded,
together with its various successors, as the standard Christmas collection
for many choirs. I hope that these discs will encourage such choirs to cast
their nets wider. The variety of music here is considerable. There are many
arrangement of well known carols, the most entertaining and imaginative of
which are probably those by Malcolm Williamson, but there are also many original
works. These are mainly settings of earlier words, including John Gardner’s
brief but memorable two-part setting of “When Christ was born of Mary free”,
but others, including Bernard Naylor’s “Ecce puer” to words by James Joyce,
make use of more modern poems. Perhaps it would be true to say that many composers
have modified, but not dumbed down, their usual style at that time for the
specific needs of choirs at Christmas but the musical quality and variety
remains high.
Standards of performance are also very high. The Elizabethan Singers were
one of the finest professional choirs in England at that time, singing with
energy, accuracy and considerable beauty of tone, although occasionally more
vibrato than might be expected from a comparable choir today. I sat
entranced through the length of both discs. My only regret is the lack of
some of the more interesting items from “Sing Nowell”, including Elizabeth
Lutyens’ “Nativity” and Adrian Cruft’s “The Star-Song”, but unfortunately
they were not selected for recording at the time. A clear opportunity for
choirs wanting to explore unusual material.
You may think that you do not want discs of carols at this time of year, but
think again. This is music that is enjoyable at any time, and by next Christmas
you may have forgotten about this set. To do that would be a real loss of
potential musical pleasure.
John Sheppard
Musical pleasure.
Full track listing:
Richard Rodney BENNETT (b.1936) Dormi Jesu [1:57]; Salutation
Carol [5:38]; The sorrows of Mary [5:52]
Benjamin BRITTEN (1913-1976) The holly and the ivy [4:46]; Jesu,
Thou art our Saviour [2:50]
Hugo COLE (1917-1995) Deck the halls with boughs of holly [1:21];
Away in a manger [3:01]
Gordon CROSSE (b.1937) Laetabundus [3:02]
Peter Maxwell DAVIES (b.1934) Ave Maria [2:18]; Ave Plena Gratia
[4:51]
Thomas EASTWOOD (1922-1999) Unto us is born a son [2:43]
Peter Racine FRICKER (1920-1990) The First Christmas [1:23];
A babe is born [2:06]; In excelsis Gloria [1:42]
John GARDNER (b.1917) We wish you a merry Christmas [1:49];
The First Noel [4:07]; When Christ was born of Mary free [1:32]; The Shout
– an Easter Carol [2:04]
Louis HALSEY (b.1929) Balulalow [1:26]
Alan HODDINOTT (1929-2008) What tidings? [3:18]
John JOUBERT (b.1927) Wassail Song [3:02]; There is no rose
[2:42]; Welcome Yule [1:57]; God rest ye merry, gentlemen [4:37]; A
little child there is y-born Op 48 [2:05]
Kenneth LEIGHTON (1929-1988) O leave your sheep [4:33]
William MATHIAS (1934-1992) Wassail Carol [1:49]
Nicolas MAW (1935-2009) Our Lady’s Song [2:53]; Balulalow [3:18]
John McCABE (b.1939) Coventry Carol [3:09]
Anthony MILNER (1925-2002) Out of your sleep arise [2:18]
Bernard NAYLOR (1907-1986) Ecce Puer [1:19]; Shepherds! Shake
off your drowsy sleep [2:01]
Peter NAYLOR (b.1933) Eastern monarchs [1:14]
Arthur OLDHAM (1926-2003) Remember O thou man [4:14]
Simon PRESTON (b.1938) I saw three ships [1:50]
Basil RAMSEY From heaven winging [1:59]
Alan RAWSTHORNE (1905-1971) The Oxen [3:47]
Alan RIDOUT (1934-1996) Silent night [3:04]; The old year now
is fled [1:54]
Edmund RUBBRA (1901-1986) Infant holy [2:33]
Phyllis TATE (1911-1987) The Virgin and Child [3:32]
William WALTON (1902-1983) What cheer [1:15]
Peter WISHART (1921-1984) Alleluya, a New Work is come on Hand
[2:07]
Malcolm WILLIAMSON (1931-2003) The Boar’s Carol [2:08]; Ding!
Dong! Merrily on high [1:48]; Good King Wenceslas [2:54]