Victorian Christmas [Enhanced]

Track Listings

1. O Christmas Tree

2. Deck the Halls

3. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear

4. Christmas Pastorale

5. Jingle Bells

6. Christmas Chimes Waltz

7. Sleep Baby Sleep/Silent Night

8. What Child Is This (Greensleeves)

9. All Through the Night

10. Up on the Housetop/Jolly Old St. Nicholas

11. See Amid the Winter's Snow/I Saw Three Ships

12. Ave Maria

13. Conte de Noel

14. O Come All Ye Faithful

15. O Holy Night

Tracks:

Quem Terra Pontus Sidera
Ave Maria (Gregorian Chant)
Alma Redemptoris Mater
The Angel Cried Out
Angelicas Milicias
Wherewithal Shall A Young Man...
Love Is A Beautiful Dream
This Heart That Flutters Near My Heart
Wild Grass
Labbra Vermiglie E Belle
Jeanie With The Light Brown Hair
Dulaman
Shenandoah
Spanish Carol
Love Is Letting Go
Blues In The Night
Wade In The Wate
We Shall Walk Through The Valley In Peace
Christmas Time Is Here

Amazon.com

With this disc, Chanticleer, the internationally renowned, all-male 12-voice chamber choir, celebrates its 25th anniversary. Presenting songs from earlier albums plus one not previously recorded, the selection displays the group's remarkable stylistic and linguistic versatility, as well as all the qualities that have made it famous: the impeccable precision and intonation; the pristine tonal purity; the deep, inner expressiveness; the infinitely variable range of colors, textures, dynamics and moods; and the incredible vocal control that allows voices to stand out as well as to blend into a seamless, sonorous whole. Not for nothing has the group been called "an orchestra of voices" with its ability to sound like a big band in chordal passages and to imitate bass pizzicati as well as patter-songs and gospel shouts. The sopranos take off into stratospheric heights with florid coloratura; it is hard to believe that these are male voices. The program ranges from Gregorian chant and liturgical music of the 16th and 17th century, through traditional and jazz-influenced folk songs and spirituals (some in deplorably bad arrangements), to works by contemporary composers. Chanticleer's mostly vibrato-less vocal style still reflects its roots in its original Renaissance repertoire, but the way the singers use their voices in the popular, jazzy songs makes one aware of the evolving kinship between the two traditions. Though primarily an a capella ensemble, Chanticleer is occasionally joined by various instrumental groups, from period instrument orchestras to a jazz trio, and Dawn Upshaw adds her radiant, smiling, unmistakably "real" soprano to a delightful, high-spirited performance of a Spanish Carol. This disc is a fine, varied sampling of Chanticleer's discography and should inspire listeners to search out all the complete albums. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

My idea of heaven.......2007-02-17

If you liked Norman Luboff's Song's of the Sea's "Shenandoah", the price of this CD is worth it alone. That's why I ordered the CD. I heard Chanticleer's version and immediately ordered it. The rest is just the icing on the cake.

Then there is the one Kiri Tekanawa (sp?) offering, which is the only female voice on the recording.

Wonderful, but not quite the best of I had hoped.......2006-07-18

Some great material truly shines on this album, but I wsih that the group had been a little less populist in their choice of repertoire. There is a little too many arrangements and folk-like material, with the exception of the wonderful "Dulaman", and I would like to have heard some more varied repertoire. That said this is an excellent starting point for this amazing group.

A treasury.......2005-11-06

As you can tell from the samples, the music here is amazing and covers a wide territory. It is less obvious that much of this is available on other CDs. I am confident, for example, that "We Shall Walk Through the Valley In Peace" is the same track that you will find on their phenomenal and highly recommended gospel collection, _Where the Sun Shall Never Go Down_, and I see a number of familiar-looking titles from other CDs. My advice is: if you're looking for a broad sample of the group's repertoire, then you can't go wrong here -- but if you've already got several Chanticleer albums, then you'll want to check your existing collection for potential duplications before buying this 'treasury.'

Chanticleer: A Portrait.......2005-10-26

This is a marvelous singing group of all males with a little addition of Dawn Upshaw on a couple of pieces. They are thourally amazing at what they can sing with Male Voices usually unaccompanied. Obviously they have good strong Contra-Tenors that can manage the high notes without any problems. I would recommend this album to anyone who enjoys vocal music, unaccompanied and like Male Voices

Average customer rating:

Not what I expected
Whole Family Favorite for Years
My favorite Christmas CD
Incredible Experience
"Classical Kids Christmas" -- Outstanding!

Classical Kids Christmas

Manufacturer: Children's Group
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Song of the Unicorn
Classical Kids: Hallelujah Handel!
Mozart's Magnificent Voyage
Tchaikovsky Discovers America
Mozart's Magic Fantasy: A Journey Through 'The Magic Flute'

ASIN: B00005NHOX
Release Date: 2001-08-28

Tracks:

I. The Advent Of Christmas: Christmas On Main Street - The Pageant Begins
Medley: I. The Advent Of Christmas: O Come Little Children/O Come, O Come, Emmanuel
Medley: I. The Advent Of Christmas: Huron Carol/O Come All Ye Faithful
Medley: II. The Kings: Personent Hodie/Kings Came Riding
Medley: II. The Kings: This Great Day/We Three Kings/The Wise Men Ask the Children the Way
Medley: III. Gifts For the Baby: Winter, II/We Are the Poor Children
Medley: III. Gifts For the Baby: What Shall We Bring?/How Far Is It To Bethlehem?
IV. Saint Nicholas: Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
Medley: V. Christmas Around The World: O Tannenbaum/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Swedish Dance
VI. Christmas Is I'cumin: Christmas Is I'cumin
VII. Christmas Eve: Christmas Eve Is Here
Medley: VII. Christmas Eve: Joseph, Dearest/Brahm's Lullaby/Christmas Carol
Medley: VII. Christmas Eve: Silent Night/The Story Of Silent Night
VII. Christmas Eve: O Holy Night
Medley: VII. Christmas Eve: Nutcracker Suite Overture/T'was The Night Before Christmas
Medley: VIII. The Shepherds: Messiah, Pifa/The Oxen
Medley: VIII. The Shepherds: While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks/O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Medley: VIII. The Shepherds: What Is This Perfume?/Christmas Carol
Medley: IX. Christmas Day: Angels We Have Heard On High/Hark The Herald Angels Sing
IX. Christmas Day: Polish Lullaby
IX. Christmas Day: Go Tell It On The Mountain
Medley: X. The Animals At The Manger: Sussex Carol/The Barn
Medley: X. The Animals At The Manger: Away In A Manger/Two Medieval Myths
Medley: X. The Animals At The Manger: What Child Is This?/What The Mice Saw/What The Donkey/From The East The Donkey Came
X. The Animals At The Manger: The Friendly Beasts
XI. Christmas Of Old: Good King Wenceslas
XI. Christmas Of Old: Here We Come Awassailing
Medley: XII. Epiphany: D'ou Viens Tu, Bergere/Joy To The World/Away In A Manger/Angels We Have Heard On High
Medley: XII. Epiphany: In The Bleak Midwinter/The Pageant Ends

Amazon.com

This soaring collection of carols and poems is a splendid way for adults to share with children some of the classic tales of Christmas. Mostly narrated by children and sung by the High Park Choirs of Toronto, along with several soloists, these pieces celebrate the birth of Jesus through the stories of the three wise men, the shepherds, the animals at the manger, and through songs of Christmas from around the world. As we hear St. Nicholas say, "Christmas is about giving not getting," this attractively packaged CD contains favorites, including "O Come, All Ye Faithful," "O Holy Night," "Handel's Messiah," and "Away in a Manger." A simple voice and guitar rendition of "Silent Night" is a gift in itself. --Martha Johnson

Customer Reviews:

Not what I expected.......2007-01-09

I like this CD just fine but it was not what I expected or really what I wanted. I was looking for an all instrumental Christmas CD for my Autistic son. He does not particularly like the Christmas narration or the singing. I will make sure to read the description more closely next time.

Whole Family Favorite for Years.......2006-10-16

A CLASSICAL KIDS CHRISTMAS is a Symphony of Stories for all ages. This truly beautiful interweaving of traditional yuletide songs with stories and legends from around the world which illustrate each song is a CD that will become your family favorite for December for many years. The music, performed by some of the best artists in the world, is magnificent, and each voice chosen to tell one of the stories and legends is perfect for the spirit of that story. The CD is a magnificent treasure. Be sure to order many for your friends and family.

My favorite Christmas CD.......2005-11-04

This is, by far, my favorite Christmas CD. In fact, I listen to it all year round.The music is so wonderful, you really have to experience it for yourself. This would make a wonderful gift for any child or adult, especially for a sick or hospitalized patient. At $14 is not cheap, but it's so worth it...

Incredible Experience.......2001-12-24

Classical Kids' Christmas is one of the most reverent experiences it has ever been my pleasure to hear.It is not just for kids, but for everyone who cherishes the essentially intimate, family-oriented and community-based nature of the Christmas celebration. Noble in concept, deceptively artless and understated in its expert execution, it recaptures the magic and wonder of those earliest Christmases we all recall when we compare what we did then with what we do these days. Classical Kids Christmas should become a part of every child's fondly remembered Christmas traditions.

"Classical Kids Christmas" -- Outstanding!.......2001-10-29

Classical Kids, has for a number of years now, provided some of the finest productions in introducing children of all ages--from four to 90--to classical music. I've been broadcasting all of Classical Kids' released on the radio for some time, and always to great enthusiasm from families, judging from phone calls and letters I receive asking for more.

With Classical Kids' previous release, "Song of the Unicorn," it was hard to imagine what creator/writer Susan Hammond might come up with next in her forays of digging into the lives of composers such as Bach, Vivaldi, Handel, Mozart, and Tchaikovsky and making the stories come alive to young listeners. It is, after all, the younger folk of today who will guide the future of great music. It's up to us to see that they get the best.

All of this is said in praise of the latest release from Classical Kids, "A Classical Kids Christmas," an ingenious idea from Susan Hammond, and one that seems to emerge to the world at a time when we truly need the beauty, charm, and inspiration that is contained in the disc's 47 minutes. The Christmas story is told over a background of wonderfully performed traditional carols and music featuring soloists, choirs, and instrumentalists of the highest caliber. One will occasionally find a piece that is not familiar--such as the Polish Lullaby, stunningly sung by Mary Bella, whose voice pours forth in a cathedral of grand magnificence. The High Park Choirs of Toronto, along with the instrumentalists, are in top form.

What amazes me about Susan Hammond's creativity, and what makes her work so magnetic, is the fact that she provides such a variety of music, from Medieval chants to music by Handel and Vivaldi to Tchaikovsky and Brahms, and many others. Hammond was responsible for most of the arrangements and adaptations contained on this disc, and credit is due to Errol Gay for some outstanding choral arranging. The disc is charged with energy that, at once, becomes infectious.

All one needs to do is to paint an image in the mind of an entire town pouring down Main Street, all feeling the joys of the Christmas season, taking in the festive decorations. It is great fun to discover the Medieval myths of how the robin got its red breast! But more, the choices of music, the effectiveness of the actors ... indeed, the entire way this is assembled makes it one of the finest discs of its kind that I have encountered.

Packaging and sound--with an added bonus of a Christmas tree ornament inside the jewel case--are first class. I noted that Manta Eastern Sound under Gary Gray was responsible for the recording, which is impeccably clean and clear.

If I have but one negative, it is the fact that I must wait until Christmastime each year to broadcast this recording. You can be sure it will be heard much more frequently than this by yours truly. As a classical music broadcast, however, this is precisely the kind of recording I would consider broadcasting.

"A Classical Kids Christmas" is highly recommended. It is a great stocking stuffer and will give to children the true meaning of Christmas interspersed with some of the greatest music they will hear.

This release is like a gift to Classical Kids' many fans, and for that, I thank them!

Lance G. Hill
Classical Program Director
Montrose Broadcasting Corporation

Average customer rating:

Pure Christmas
Christmas magic
a voice teacher and early music fan
Simply beautiful
It's that time of year...for Chanticleer!

Sing We Christmas
Chanticleer
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Christmas with Chanticleer (Featuring Dawn Upshaw)
Wolcum Yule: Celtic and British Songs and Carols - Anonymous 4 with Andrew Lawrence-King
Songs of Angels - Christmas Hymns and Carols
How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals & Traditional Gospel Music
Chanticleer: A Portrait

ASIN: B000000SNL
Release Date: 1995-09-19

Tracks:

Es ist ein Ros entsprungen
O magnum mysterium
In dulci iubilo
O virgo virginum
O Jesulein s Jesulein mild
Hodie Christus natus est
Marabile mysterium
Verbum caro factum est: Y la Virgen le dezia
A un nilorando
Here Is The Little Door
Noel canon
Quelle est cette odeur agrle
El Noi de la Mare
A Christmas Carol
A virgin unspotted
In the bleak mid-winter
Glory to the newborn King
Stille nacht - Douce nuit - Silent night

Amazon.com

Christmas is the season for whipping out those holiday-specific standard recordings. This splendid gift by Chanticleer should top the list, for one will never tire of this a cappella choir's interpretations. With selections spanning the last five centuries of Latin, German, English, Spanish, and French festive fare, this recording exemplifies the sacrifice of the ego to the higher form of choral sound. Jacob Handl's "Mirabile Mysterium" takes you on a trip into the chromatic wonderlands, where you temporarily lose tonal balance. Victoria's eerie and dissonant "O Magnum Mysterium" treats us to rich voices swelling out of one organic whole. The phenomenal blend and perfect intonation elevate this recording above others in its category. --Barbara Eisner Bayer

Customer Reviews:

Pure Christmas.......2007-01-16

If you are looking for traditional madrigal sounding holiday music, this CD is for you. I have purchased this CD several times because I just keep giving them away. Everyone I've ever introduced it to has loved it. This finely polished group has a pure sound matched by no other. If you weren't looking at the CD notes you would never know this is only a group of 12 men.

Christmas magic.......2007-01-10

A CD evocative of Christmas past and present. Beautiful harmonies both wistful and ringing with joy. Buy it for next Christmas!

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2006-12-02

Chanticleer, the U.S. equivalent of the British King's Singers, is a full-time classical vocal ensemble named for the rooster in Chaucer's 'Canterbury Tales'. It was founded in 1978 by Louis Botto, a tenor, and for a while was its artistic director. They have achieved critical acclaim all over the world and their repertoire is very extensive and varied. Just commenting on a few of the selections on this disc:
'Es ist ein Ros entsprungen' is a hymn that originated in western Germany around 1500, and is best known in the harmonization by Michael Praetorious published around 1609. The poem used biblical imagery that pictures the newborn Christ growing forth from the "stem of Jesse'(the father of King David), as foretold in Isiah 11. The metaphorical writings of the Middle Ages depict the patriarchal figure of Jesse as a rose bush.
'O Magnum mysterium',Victoria's most famous motet, uses a subline text from the Christmas Vespers. This is incredibly beautiful with its interweaving polyphony which leads to a hushed choral declamation at the words "O beata Virgo"(O Blessed Virgin) ending with a Alleulia Section.
'Here is the Little Door' is from a set of three "carol anthems", dating from 1918-1920. Herbert Howells was revered as one of the 20th century's most distinguished Choral composers, and I recently discovered him thru the album " by the Corydon Singers conducted by Matthew Best. It includes Howells Requiem in addition to the Vaughan Williams Mass in G Minor. It is the most heavenly somewhat exotic choral music I think I have heard in many years of listening; I highly recommend it.
'Glory to the newborn King'. Joseph Jennings, Georgia native and present musical director of Chanticleer, has often drawn upon his roots to create special gospel and spiritual arrangements of familiar songs. 'Glory to the newborn King' features four traditional songs combined to showcase Chanticleer's unique choral virtuosity!
This is an excellent group of carols,and it is always refreshing to hear 'new' melodies, arrangements; a joy for the ear!!!!

Simply beautiful.......2006-02-20

The title and artist' name says it all - Christmas with clear (pure) singing. Glorious in all respects.

It's that time of year...for Chanticleer!.......2005-12-20

Walking the busy malls to the multichannel Muzak of every old Christmas song interpreted in hiphop, jazz, idiosyncratic 'rethinkings' by famous soloists as well as replays of Gene Autry, Bing Crosby etc., it is a relief to return home (or if fortunate, to the concert hall) and hear the more uplifting music of the season through the ages. And despite reliance on some old favorite Messiah recordings, and carols by Kings College Choir, the one CD that seems to reign supreme is this Chanticleer release SING WE CHRISTMAS from 1995!

These twelve male voices create an ambience that can only be labeled 'spiritual', so resonant and exquisitely performed are each of the generous works on this recording. The moods pass through Praetorius, Victoria, Bach and traditional carols of unknown authorship to works by Ives, Billings, Holst, Guerrero, Howells and Sametz. The repertoire is both familiar and rarely heard and the result of combining all these forms is the truest form of Christmas spirit on record: this is music to cleanse the Muzak blitz! Highly recommended. Grady Harp, December 05

Average customer rating:

The Best
Christmas Variety

Christmas With the Tallis Scholars

Manufacturer: Gimell UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
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The Essential Tallis Scholars
Tallis Scholars sing Palestrina
The Tallis Scholars Sing Thomas Tallis
Allegri: Miserere
Tallis: Spem in Alium

ASIN: B0000E3HIT
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

Angelus Ad Virginem
Nowell Sing We
There Is No Rose
Lullay: I Saw
Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child
Ave Maria For Four Voices
Beata Es Virgo/Ave Maria
Ave Maria For Four Voices
Ave Maria For Double Choir
Es Ist Ein' Ros'
Joseph, Lieber Joseph Mein
In Dulci Jubilo
Pastores Quidnam Vidistis
Missa Pastores Quidnam Vidistis: Kyrie
Missa Pastores Quidnam Vidistis: Gloria
Missa Pastores Quidnam Vidistis: Credo
Missa Pastores Quidnam Vidistis: Sanctus
Missa Pastores Quidnam Vidistis: Agnus Dei

Tracks:

Missa In Gallicantu: Introit (Officium)
Missa In Gallicantu: Kyrie
Missa In Gallicantu: Gloria
Missa In Gallicantu: Laudes Deo
Missa In Gallicantu: Graduale
Missa In Gallicantu: Alleluia!
Missa In Gallicantu: Sequentia
Missa In Gallicantu: Credo
Missa In Gallicantu: Offertorium
Missa In Gallicantu: Praefatio
Missa In Gallicantu: Sanctus
Missa In Gallicantu: Agnus, Dei
Missa In Gallicantu: Communio
Missa In Gallicantu: Dimissio
Christe Redemptor Omnium
Veni, Redemptor Gentium
Salvator Mundi, Domine
A Solis Ortus Cardine
Missa Puer Natus Est Nobis: Gloria
Missa Puer Natus Est Nobis: Sanctus
Missa Puer Natus Est Nobis: Agnus Dei

Customer Reviews:

The Best.......2004-01-06

I bought five of these to give to all my friends, whether they like classical or not. Perfect for both the intense or new fan to polyphonic.

Christmas Variety.......2003-12-25

Many different types of Christmas music on one collection, from chorales, chants and carols, to masses, motets and hymns. A perfect "traditional" disc to put in the seasonal mix!

Average customer rating:

European Choral Music 1525 - 1751

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Partsongs | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical | Box Sets | Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
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English Choral Music, 1514-1682

ASIN: B00000DCQK
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

Missa Qual Donna: Kyrie
Missa Qual Donna: Gloria
Missa Qual Donna: Credo
Missa Qual Donna: Sanctus
Missa Qual Donna: Benedictus
Missa Qual Donna: Agnus Dei
Motets: Tristis Est Anima Mea
Motets: Exaltabo Te Domine
Motets: De Profundis Clamavi
Missa Venatorum: Kyrie
Missa Venatorum: Gloria
Missa Venatorum: Sanctus
Missa Venatorum: Benedictus
Missa Venatorum: Agnus Dei
Madrigal: Qual Donna

Tracks:

Mass For Pentecost: Kyrie
Mass For Pentecost: Gloria
Mass For Pentecost: Credo
Mass For Pentecost: Sanctus
Mass For Pentecost: Benedictus
Mass For Pentecost: Agnus Dei I
Mass For Pentecost: Agnus Dei II
Motet: Super Flumina Babylonis
Motet: Exsultate Deo
Motet: Sicut Cervus
Motet: O Bone Jesu, Exaudi Me
Motet: Dum Complerentur Die Pentecostes

Tracks:

Missa O Sacrum Convivium: Kyrie
Missa O Sacrum Convivium: Gloria
Missa O Sacrum Convivium: Credo
Missa O Sacrum Convivium: Sanctus
Missa O Sacrum Convivium: Benedictus
Missa O Sacrum Convivium: Agnus Dei
O Sacrum Convivium
Coenantibus Illis
Magnificat (Sexti Toni A 6)
O Sacrum Convivium

Tracks:

Motet: Dum Complerentur
Missa Dum Complerentur: Kyrie
Missa Dum Complerentur: Gloria
Missa Dum Complerentur: Credo
Missa Dum Complerentur: Sanctus
Missa Dum Complerentur: Benedictus
Missa Dum Complerentur: Agnus Dei I
Missa Dum Complerentur: Agnus Dei II
Missa Simile Est Regnum Coelorum: Kyrie
Missa Simile Est Regnum Coelorum: Gloria
Missa Simile Est Regnum Coelorum: Credo
Missa Simile Est Regnum Coelorum: Sanctus
Missa Simile Est Regnum Coelorum: Benedictus
Missa Simile Est Regnum Coelorum: Agnus Dei I
Missa Simile Est Regnum Coelorum: Agnus Dei II

Tracks:

Mass For Eight Voices: Kyrie
Mass For Eight Voices: Gloria
Mass For Eight Voices: Credo
Mass For Eight Voices: Sanctus
Mass For Eight Voices: Agnus Dei
Motet: Pinguis Est Panis
Christmas Responsories: Hodie Nobis Caelorum Rex
Christmas Responsories: Hodie Nobis De Caelo
Christmas Responsories: Quem Vidistis Pastores Dicite
Christmas Responsories: O Magnum Mysterium
Christmas Responsories: Beata Dei Genitrix
Christmas Responsories: Sancta Et Immaculata
Christmas Responsories: Beata Viscera Maria
Christmas Responsories: Verbum Caro Factum Est.

Amazon.com

Sixteenth-century and early-17th-century choral writing is polyphony at its most fascinating and intricate. The Christ Church Cathedral Choir, Oxford, under Stephen Darlington's direction, sing here with absolute solidity and lovely tone, even from the trebles and boy altos. In addition to somewhat familiar works by the great Italian master Palestrina, we get three masses by the Spanish composer Victoria, a couple of masses and some motets by Lassus, and rare items by Morales and Esteves. Just sit back and let the rich texture of this haunting music wash over you--it's as uplifting as it is radiant. --Robert Levine

Average customer rating:

Almost angelic
Great choir, but mostly recycled material
Glittering Chrismas Music
The Spirit of Christmas On CD
Superb voices!

Cambridge Singers Christmas Album

Manufacturer: Collegium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Modern & 20th Century | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
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The John Rutter Christmas Album
Christmas Star
Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity
The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College
John Rutter Collection

ASIN: B0000DJEOL
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

The holly and the ivy (arr. H. Walford Davies)*
Blessed be that maid Mary (arr. David Willcocks)
Somerset Wassail (arr. John Rutter)
Shepherds, in the fields abiding (French, arr. Willcocks)*
The Infant King (Basque, arr. Willcocks)
What is this lovely fragrance? (French, arr. Healey Willan)
Gabriel's message (Basque, arr. Willcocks)*
Still, still, still (German, arr. Rutter)
Quittez, pasteurs (French, arr. Rutter)
Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle (French, arr. Rutter)
Personent hodie (German, arr. Rutter)
The shepherds' farewell (Hector Berlioz)
O holy night (Adolphe Adam)
O magnum mysterium (T. L. de Victoria)
Hodie Christus natus est (J. P. Sweelinck)
For unto us a child is born (G. F. Handel)
In dulci jubilo (Samuel Scheidt)
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child (Kenneth Leighton)*
A New Year Carol (Benjamin Britten)
Balulalow (Peter Warlock)
I saw a fair maiden (Peter Warlock)
The Lamb (John Tavener)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

Album Description

Christmas Never Sounded So Good!

For more than a decade, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers have shared the Joy of Christmas with the world. The ethereal sound of perfectly blended voices, singing the most beautiful seasonal music ever composed never fails to touch the heart or lift the spirit. This year, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers have assembled a NEW collection - compiled from the archives, including FOUR NEVER BEFORE RELEASED TRACKS! This is a holiday feast you will NOT want to miss!

Customer Reviews:

Almost angelic.......2007-01-18

Choral music by the Cambridge Singers is always top-notch. An older album that might have sounded better with newer technology but no complaints. Has great vocals and orchestral support.

Great choir, but mostly recycled material.......2005-12-16

I have the utmost respect for John Rutter and his Cambridge Singers, probably the best choir in the world (at least, the English-speaking world). I have almost all their CDs. Two of their Christmas CDs are "desert-island" class for this listener.

Unfortunately, I cannot give this otherwise excellent CD the same high marks. If they wanted to release a "best of Cambridge Christmas" CD, this would not be it. It does a few of the absolute best Christmas selections, including Sweelinck's "Hodie", Willcocks's breathtaking arrangement of "The Infant King", and Rutter's own quirky reading of "Personent Hodie". And it does contain a few tracks not previously released.

However, if you want the best of Cambridge and Christmas, start with "Christmas Night", which is always the first CD I pull out the day after Thanksgiving. The sound of the famliar Persall setting of "In Dulci Jubilo" sets my holiday in motion. And that CD also has Rutter's own magical "There is a flower". After that CD, get "Christmas with the Cambridge Singers", which has "The Infant King" and some other treasures.

So, you can't really go wrong with this CD, especially if you just want an introduction to how this fine ensemble addresses the most choir-friendly holiday of all. But if you're serious about getting all the good stuff, start with the other two mentioned above, then add "Christmas Day in the Morning" and the early "Christmas Star".

Glittering Chrismas Music.......2005-11-15

I own virtually all of the CD's of John Rutter (whom I greatly admire) and the Cambridge Singers, and I am a fan of English Choral music in general. If I were asked to recommend only one of the many Cambridge Singers Christmas albums, or indeed one of any English Christmas album, a hard choice, this would be it. As others have noted, this CD is a compilation of songs from previous cds with four new releases. It is, I believe, longer playing than the other Cambridge albums. In style, it is a mostly quiet sounding collection--in fact several carols are sung a cappella-- with pieces ranging from carols such as "The Holly and the Ivy" to the more robust "Fantasia on Christmas Carols". In sum, this is a sensitively arranged and performed collection of beautiful Christmas music.

The Spirit of Christmas On CD.......2005-06-02

I have never been disappointed by any Cambridge Singers release, so it isnt surprising that I thoroughly enjoyed this offering as well. This CD is a compilation of songs from previous cds with one or two new tracks, so check your library to make sure you arent duplicating your collection in the order to complete your collection. I purchased this disk to obtain a copy of the Fantasia On Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughn Williams which was originally released on Christmas Day In The Morning. As usual, every song is performed in a precise yet heartfelt manner. If you dont own any cds by the Cambridge singers I would personally recommend Christmas Night as the first disk to own, but if you know and love the Cambridge Singers as I do, then you will enjoy having this wonderful addition to your library.

Superb voices!.......2003-12-22

This CD was beautifully sung by the Cambridge Singers, a boys/mens choir, mostly a' capela. It's the first Christmas CD I've bought that really tempts me to crank up the volume so I can revel in every note.

Average customer rating:

Not just for Christmas
This music is heavenly!

The Music of a Victoria Christmas

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Ballets | Ballets & Dances | Classical | Styles | Music

Quartets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Quintets | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

1990s | By Decade | Pop | Styles | Music

Holiday Music | Compilations | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical Instrumental | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music

Classical Instrumental | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B000002SNH
Release Date: 1992-11-10

Tracks:

Jesu, Joy Of Man's Desiring - Christopher Parkening
O Come, All Ye Faithful - Empire Brass
The Last Spring - Academn Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
Canzon - Taverner Consort
Minuet - Academn Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
Gagliarda Seconda - Tragicomedia
Dance Of The Sugarplum Fairy - Andre Previn
Suite De Voltes - Early Music Consort Of London
Sonata A Quattro In A - Philharmonic String Soloists Of Berlin
Sheep May Safely Graze - George Thalben-Ball
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentleman - Empire Brass
Allemanda - Various Artists
Canon - Academn Of St. Martin-In-The-Fields
God Alone Should Have My Heart - Los Angeles Chamber Orchestra
Fantasia On Greensleves - Vernon Handley
Allegro Non Molto - Taverner Players
Largo - Taverner Players
Allegro - Taverner Players
Joy To The World - Empire Brass

Customer Reviews:

Not just for Christmas.......2001-01-07

Even though I recieved this CD after Christmas, I've enjoyed the music more than most of my recent purchases. There are only a couple of selections that would be considered Christmas carols, but even those, along with the others, are some of the loveliest music you could hope to find. Relaxing and uplifting at the same time. I'll be playing this all year round.

This music is heavenly!.......2000-12-14

While not all of the music presented on this CD is what one would consider "traditional" Christmas fare, I happen to find this a refreshing mix of recognized Christmas favorites tossed in with a wonderful rendition of great classical favorites. This pairing makes for a delightful classical Christmas CD which is both contemplative yet stirring. It happens to be the favorite Holiday CD in my collection. In fact, when Christmas is over, I hate to put it away!

Average customer rating:

Agnus Dei: Classical Music for Reflection and Meditation

Agnus Dei

Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Choruses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Requiems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Renaissance (c.1450-1600) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

4-for-3 Classical | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music

4-for-3 All Music | 4-for-3 Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Benedictus
Requiem
Sanctus
Gloria: Classical Music for Reflection and Meditation
Kyrie

ASIN: B00000JYOS
Release Date: 1999-08-31

Tracks:

Agnus Dei - Jeremy Summerly
Agnus Dei - Oxford Camerata
Agnus Dei - Oxford Camerata
Versa Est In Luctum - Oxford Camerata
Pavan - Rose Consort Of Viols
Agnus Dei - Oxford Camerata
Agnus Dei - Oxford Camerata
Agnus Dei - Oxford Camerata
Agnus Dei - Herve Niquet
Sinfonia - Hungarian Radio Orchestra
Agnus Dei - Faridah Schafer-Subrata
Lacrimosa - Magdalena Hajossyova
Ave Verum Corpus - Johannes Wildner
Pavane - Keith Clark
Agnus Dei - Jeremy Summerly
Agnus Dei - Beatrice Uria-Monzon
Agnus Dei - Oxford Camerata

Customer Reviews:

Agnus Dei: Classical Music for Reflection and Meditation.......2000-10-02

Make it your manifest destiny to own this compilation of music. These scores are given to us by the world's most gifted composers. Performing are "heavenly" choirs and instrumentalists demonstrating true virtuosity. Large choirs perform with such intonation qualities! There appears to be just one voice in each section. Your heart will pound when you are lifted so high you realize that you have stopped breathing; likewise, with the sudden timbre of the minor you allow yourself to remember tears. The emotional roller-coaster ride will affect your inner being. It is appropriately subtitled: Classical Music for Reflection and Meditation. It is a true gift to hear the genius of Byrd, Bach, Mozart, Faure, and others, performed so well.

Christmas Vespers at Westminster Cathedral

Average customer rating:

Absolutely gorgeous!

Christmas Vespers at Westminster Cathedral

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Chants | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Magnificats | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Motets | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

Christmas at St. John's
The Feast of St. Edward, King and Confessor at Westminster Abbey
Fantasia on Christmas Carols/ The First Nowell/ On Christmas Night
Palestrina: Lamentations
Lighten our Darkness

ASIN: B000I8OIGG
Release Date: 2006-11-14

Tracks:

Gaude Et Laetare
Deus In Adiutorium
Psalm Antiphon
Dixit Dominus
Rex Pacificus Magnificatus Est
Organ Improvisation
Magnifcatus Est Rex Pacificus Super Omnes Reges Universae Terrae
Confitebor Tibi
Magnificatus Est Rex Pacificus
Organ Improvisation
Completi Sunt Dies Mariae, Ut Pareret Filium Suum Primogenitum
Beatus Vir
Completi Sunt Dies Mariae
Organ Improvisation
Psalm Antiphon
Laudate Pueri
Scitote Quia Prope Est Regnum Dei
Organ Improvisation
Levate Capitva Vestra: Ecce Apprpinquabit Redemptio Vestra
Laudate Dominum Omnes Gentes
Levate Capita Vestra
Organ Improvisation
Apparuit Benignitas Et Humanitas Salvatoris Nostri Dei
Responsorium Breve
Christe Redemptor Omnium
Crastina Die
Magnificat Antiphon
Magnificat
Cum Ortus Fuerit Sol De Caelo
Tonus Orationis
Benedicamus Domino
Alma Redemptoris Mater
Post Partum
Elogium
Hodie Christus Natus Est
Fete

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely gorgeous!.......2006-11-24

The Westminster Cathedral Choir does consistently fine work: one can always depend on their precision, musicality and good taste. Their sound is bright and forward, more like a French choral sound than the usually darker English sound. The lush, reverberant acoustics of the cathedral are a joy, particularly when the organ is used.

This is such a beautiful CD; it was just released this month. Here is Roman Catholic liturgy at its finest. You can't listen to this prayerful music, so beautifully sung, and not lament the Church's widespread misunderstanding of the Vatican II liturgy directives, which stated that Gregorian chant, sacred polyphony and the use of the organ should continue to have "pride of place" in the reformed Roman liturgy. Instead, in our zeal to be contemporary, which is a legitimate concern, we have succeeded in cutting ourselves off from centuries of our tradition, and we are the poorer for it.

And so this recording is all the more precious. I think what I enjoy the most here is not the polyphonic motets, which are lovely but which can be found elsewhere. It's the chanted psalmody, especially since chant in the Liturgy of the Hours is relatively under-recorded, compared to the flowering of recordings of chant in the Mass. The beauty of Westminster's chant touches us, as it moves along at a reflective, unhurried pace. It's accompanied by the organ, which is not authentic, but for many of us it's a guilty pleasure, and it's very well done here. The organ also comments on the psalmody in brief improvisations which are a pleasure in themselves.

Five stars aren't really enough to give justice to this fine recording. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Average customer rating:

Great album

A Victoria Christmas In Song

Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Noels | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B000002SOB
Release Date: 1993-10-19

Tracks:

Once In Royal David's City - Chor of King's College/David Willcocks
The Three Holy Kings - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf
Ave Maria - Kathleen Battle/Christopher Parkening
For Unto Us A Child Is Born - Toronto SO/Andrew Davis/Toronto Mendelssohn Chor
Leise Rieselt Der Schnee - Herman Prey/Tolzer Knabbenchor
Stille Nacht (Silent Night) - Taverner Consort Chor & Players from The Carol Album/Andrew Parrott
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Kathleen Battle/New York Choral Artists
Ave Maria - Dame Janet Baker/Gerald Moore
Mary Had a Baby - Kathleen Battle/The Boys Chor of Harlem
Panis Angelicus - Franco Corelli / Rafaele Mingardo
O Holy Night - Kathleen Battle/The Boys Chor of Harlem
Weilhnachten - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Ambrosian Singers
Il Est Ne, Le Divine Enfant - Taverner Consort Chor & Players/Andrew Parrott
O Tannenbaum, Wie Treu Sind Blatter (O Christmas Tree) - Herman Prey/Tolzer Knabenchor
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Florence Quivar/Harlem Boys Chor
Von Himmel Hoch - Elisabeth Schwarzkopf/Ambrosian Singers
Adeste Fidelis (O Come, All Ye Faithful) - Chor of King's College, Cambridge/Phillip Jones Brass Ens/Sir David Willcocks

Customer Reviews:

Great album.......2006-11-11

Teriffic album for playing on Christmas morning. Wonderful classical songs with great arrangements.

Music Review:

Music Review

music review

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1. O Christmas Tree
2. Deck the Halls
3. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear
4. Christmas Pastorale
5. Jingle Bells
6. Christmas Chimes Waltz
7. Sleep Baby Sleep/Silent Night
8. What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
9. All Through the Night
10. Up on the Housetop/Jolly Old St. Nicholas
11. See Amid the Winter's Snow/I Saw Three Ships
12. Ave Maria
13. Conte de Noel
14. O Come All Ye Faithful
15. O Holy Night