David Bednall: Make We Merry
Bob Chilcott: The Midnight of your Birth
Sarah Quartel: Snow Angel

New Christmas music is always highly welcome as far as I'm concerned. When you've been a church organist and/or music director all your life, and have worked in music retail for over 30 years like I have and have been exposed to the same seasonal music year after year, fresh sounds are a blessing. But it can't just be anything different. Christmas is not only a time of celebration, but also a time of contemplation, introspection and self renewal. And I believe the music on this new recording covers this facet of Chistmas exceptionally well.

David Bednall's Make We Merry in particular, which was premiered by the Benenden Chapel Choir in December of 2018, well projects the tender and comforting emotions brought on by Christmas. It's scored for organ, brass, percussion and choir, and laid-out over eight movements based on highly evocative poetry by Tennyson, Chesterton, Hopkins, etc ... The movement I constantly gravitate to is titled The time draws near which speaks of a troubled soul contemplating death who, upon hearing the Christmas bells heralding the birth of Christ, feels his sorrow touched with joy. It's written in such a way that every time the bells are mentioned, the music swells and brightens. And the balance of brass, organ and voices couldn't be better. Read this review of his Stabat Mater to see how much I've been impressed by the music of David Bednall.

Setting a change of pace, style and color, is The Midnight of your Birth by Bob Chilcott. It consists of five carols based on original texts by Charles Bennett which have more to do with the impact the Nativity had on nature rather than humanity. It is simply scored for choir and piano, but the piano writing is so diverse and colorful that its contrasts actually enhance the quality of the vocal writing. It's more popular in style than the Bednall, yet still evokes a deep sense of peaceful reflection on the meaning of the season.

Beautifully scored for cello, piano and choir, Snow Angel by Canadian composer Sarah Quartel comes yet from a different angle, that of a child's perspective. The cello part brings a richly melodic and haunting quality to the music.

The stillness of a moonless night, blackbirds, berries and snow angels .... what better to stir the Christmas spirit.