Hark the herald angels – and the magical harpists
Agood crop of new Christmas albums offers satisfying fare for the serious minded, the traditional and the frivolous alike. Some of us fall into all three categories, so I heartily commend all five albums below. Add my extra five-star pick, Bach’s Christmas Oratorio on Hyperion, and you’ll have a very happy musical Christmas indeed.
All serious music lovers will surely warm to Paul McCreesh’s latest, Incarnation, on Winged Lion where he directs the Gabrieli Consort he founded 31 years ago and a newer enthusiasm, the Trebles of Copenhagen Royal Chapel Choir.
Centrepiece of this lovely collection of unaccompanied choral music is Britten’s 30-minute A Boy Was Born, composed when he was a student.
Another highlight from this mainly 20th century group is a beautiful setting of medieval poem Adam Lay Ybounden by young British composer Matthew Martin. McCreesh heard it as he was about to record this album, and fitted it in at the last minute. ‘Beautiful, exquisitely written music,’ he comments. He is absolutely right.
The frivolous will thoroughly enjoy 4 Girls 4 Harps At Christmas on Discovery. I loved their first album, and the girls quote my enthusiasm in the liner notes. I am even keener on this: beautiful, unhackneyed arrangements of familiar and unfamiliar Christmas music. If I was a doctor, I’d prescribe this CD with mulled wine, mince pies ad lib, a comfy chair and a roaring fire.
For traditionalists, I have two Regent albums for you. This firm produces lovely church music recordings and I especially enjoyed Christmas From Dublin, a lustily sung collection of mainly traditional carols from the choir of Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, plus local favourites such as the Wexford Carol.
There is a special arrangement of Hark The Herald Angels Sing to a tune from Handel’s Judas
‘I especially enjoyed Christmas From Dublin, from choir of St Patrick’s Cathedral’
Maccabeus, to commemorate the premiere of Handel’s Messiah by this very choir in Dublin back in 1742 (though the members have changed, of course). Some fine trumpet playing in the big numbers adds to the fun.
I also much enjoyed Regent’s collection of Christmas organ music, Rejoice And Be Merry!, played by Paul Walton at the organ of Bristol Cathedral, a mighty beast he tames with some especially beautiful, quiet music, notably Samuel Barber’s Chorale Prelude On Silent Night. There is also an exhilarating transcription of Leroy Anderson’s Sleigh Ride.
John Rutter has a challenger for the finest living composer of accessible Christmas music in Bob Chilcott. And Naxos does Chilcott proud with an 80-minute collection of his recent festive music sung by Oxford-based choir Commotio, with all but one of the 22 pieces composed in the past decade.
Commotio, founded in 1999 by its conductor Matt Berry, is one of a profusion of wonderful young ensembles that makes these islands the world’s best for choirs. The musically curious shouldn’t hesitate.