Jingle Bells
Once in Royal David's City
Sussex Carol
Suo-Gān
A Babe Is Born
Here Is the Little Door
O Come, All Ye Faithful
Away in a Manger
Ave Maria
Calypso Carol
The Lamb
God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen
Lux Aurumque
Mary Had a Baby
Adam Lay Y-Bounden
Hawaiian Lullaby
Alleluia! I Bring You News of Great Joy
The Holly and the Ivy
A Hymn to the Virgin
Spanish Carol
O Little Town of Bethlehem
Hark! the Herald-Angels Sing
Deck the Hall
When it comes to Christmas music CDs there certainly isn't a lack of selections to choose from. In fact, I think the number of recordings is overwhelming which makes it difficult for anyone to
decide which new one to purchase, or even to decide which one to play from within anyone's existing collection. But yet record labels keep releasing a multitude of new discs every year. Some
that sound exactly like the other hundreds of Christmas music CDs and some that attempt to be so unique or different, as to not sound like Christmas music at all. It's quite the quandary!
Here's a new recording on the Regent label that I strongly recommend because it includes the best of both worlds. From the noble power of Once in Royal David's City to the pious peace of Gustav
Holst's Ave Maria to a fun arrangement of Jingle Bells which includes vocal sound effects, it's all there. There's also a good balance of a capella pieces and choir and organ pieces
which varies the sound from carol to carol and doesn't cause ear fatigue. The Cantemus Chamber Choir, which performed Handel's Messiah at Buckinham Palace in December 2014,
is a mixed choir of about 30 voices that brings a blend of precision, decorum and whimsy to each piece they sing based on its character. Away in a Manger to Calypso Carol
is quite a leap but they seem to slide from one to the next without effort. Heartfelt tenderness in Suo-Gān and joyfull spirit in Deck the Hall.
No need to program your CD player to play multiple CDs on random shuffle this Christmas. This one has everything covered.
Jean-Yves Duperron - December 2015