Prices shown exclude VAT. (UK tax is not payable for deliveries to United States.) See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | The Christmas Story
Inspired by the much-loved service of ‘Nine Lessons and Carols’ given every Christmas Eve, this recording presents the Nativity story told through plainchant, motets, 17th Century dialogues and traditional folk carols. Paul Hillier leads Theatre of Voice and Ars Nova Copenhagen in music he has culled and arranged from Italian, German, Danish, English and American sources. Their previous disc of music inspired by texts: Stories – Berio & Friends received rave reviews. “The 65 minutes are designed to be played at a single sitting: the musically curious – and those of genuine religious impulse – will find much that is deeply satisfying.” Mail on Sunday, 27th November 2011 “Tracing a course from Advent through the Nativity and on to Epiphany and Holy Innocents, Paul Hillier has devised a fascinating programme of plainchant, Renaissance music and other apt pieces that poignantly relate the Christmas narrative. Excellent performances bring the sequence vividly to life.” The Telegraph, 9th December 2011 “This lovely disc offers a Danish take on the traditional English carol service...This needs to be listened to in sequence, in one go, and following the texts leads to a pretty profound, immersive experience. Paul Hillier’s arrangements of traditional carols are unfailingly sensitive; the highlights being a radiant version of the Italian Dormi, dormi o bel Bambino and an account of Liebe Hirten” The Arts Desk, 10th December 2011 “As collections of Christmas music go, this one stands out, not only for the impeccably refined and expressive singing, but for the immense breadth of the material it contains...The highlight, for me, is Ars Nova’s beautifully shaped reading of Byrd’s O magnum mysterium.” Sunday Times, 18th December 2011 “Only one work from Carols for Choirs has made it into Paul Hillier's strikingly original Christmas sequence. Pungent arrangements of "Personent Hodie" and "Es ist ein Ros Entsprungen" jostle for space with ancient plainchant...Ars Nova's ripe choral sound outclasses the thready blend of Theatre of Voices.” The Independent on Sunday, 11th December 2011 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | The First Christmas
Bennett, R R: | Dormi Jesu The Sorrows of Mary | Britten: | Jesus, as Thou art our Saviour (from A Boy is born) | Crosse: | Laetabundus | Davies, Maxwell: | Ave Maria - Hail blessed flower Ave Plena Gracia | Fricker: | The First Christmas A babe is born In Excelsis Gloria | Gardner, John: | When Christ was born of Mary free The Shout, an Easter carol | Gruber, F: | Silent Night (arr. Alan Ridout) | Halsey: | Balulalow | Hoddinott: | What tidings? | Joubert: | There Is No Rose Welcome Yule!, Op. 27 A Little Child there is yborn | Leighton: | O leave your sheep | Mathias: | Wassail Carol | Maw, N: | Our Lady’s song Balulalow | McCabe: | Coventry Carol | Milner, Anthony: | Out of your sleep arise | Naylor, B: | Ecce Puer | Naylor, P: | Eastern Monarchs | Oldham, A: | Remember, O thou man | Ramsey, B: | From Heaven Winging | Rawsthorne: | The Oxen | Tate, P: | The Virgin and Child | trad.: | I saw three ships (arr. Simon Preston) Deck the Hall (arr. Hugh Cole) Wassail Song (Here We Come A-Wassailing) (arr. John Joubert) Unto us is born a Son (arr. Thomas Eastwood) We wish you a merry Christmas (arr. John Gardner) The Boar's Head Carol (arr. Malcolm Williamson) The First Nowell (arr. John Gardner) God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen (arr. John Joubert) Infant Holy (arr. Edmund Rubbra) Ding dong! merrily on high (arr. Malcolm Williamson) Away in a manger (arr. Hugo Cole) The Holly and the Ivy (arr. Benjamin Britten) Salutation Carol (arr. Richard Rodney Bennett) Shepherds shake off your drowsy sleep (arr. Bernard Naylor) Good King Wenceslas (arr. Malcolm Williamson) The Old Year Now (Greensleeves) (arr. Alan Ridout) | Walton: | What cheer? | Wishart, P: | Alleluya! A new work is come on hand |
The Elizabethan Singers, Louis Halsey A rare, beautiful and unusual Christmas compilation: three 1960s Argo recordings of contemporary settings and arrangements of carols – Sir Cristemas, Sing Nowell and Carols Of Today – released collectively on Decca CD for the first time. It is a worthy reissue of the many recordings made for Argo by The Elizabethan Singers and their long-time musical director Louis Halsey. Recording producers: Michael Bremner, Andrew Raeburn Recording engineers: Michael Mailes, Stanley Goodall Recording locations: Holy Trinity Church, Kensington, London, UK, July 1963, April 1965, April 1966 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | A Classic Christmas
Various orchestras & choirs | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | The John Rutter Christmas Album
| | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Home for the Holidays
Rodrick Dixon (tenor), Gabriel Pegis (violin), Timothy Lees (violin), Julie Spangler (piano) Cincinnati Pops Orchestra, Winton Woods Varsity Ensemble, May Festival Chorus, New York Voices, John Morris Russell Holiday Greetings from the Cincinnati Pops Orchestra! 'Home for the Holidays' is an exceptionally diverse collection of Yuletide classics. This disc is the culmination of a year-long celebration of the inaugural season of Pops conductor John Morris Russell. | | | (also available to download from $10.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Venite AdoremusChristmas Carols, arrangements by Howard Burrell
University Chorale & Brass Ensemble, Robin Browning An impressive and refreshing collection of carols, presenting a distinctly British blend of contemporary adaptations (many of the arrangements are by Howard Burrell) and lesser-known original works. | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Rejoice! Christmas at The Sage Gateshead
Northern Sinfonia, conducted by Simon Halsey and joined by the amassed Newcastle-based choirs Northern Sinfonia Chorus and youth choir Quay Voices, ring in the holiday season with ‘Rejoice! Christmas at The Sage Gateshead’, a festive live recording featuring traditional carols, popular tunes and modern favourites. Ring in the season with ‘Rejoice! Christmas at The Sage Gateshead’, with resident orchestra Northern Sinfonia conducted by Simon Halsey and joined by the amassed Newcastle-based choirs Northern Sinfonia Chorus and youth choir Quay Voices. This festive live recording features something for everyone – traditional carols such as The First Nowell, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and O Come All Ye Faithful, popular tunes including Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells, and modern favourites such as Howard Goodall’s The Lord is my Shepherd – making it the perfect stocking filler for far-flung family and friends. “Simon Halsey is to be congratulated for corralling massed choirs The Northern Sinfonia Choir and youth choir Quay Voices into such a uniformly warm, good-natured sound. Soloist Scarlett Courtney shows gorgeous tone and diction in Howard Goodall's take on The Lord is my Shepherd. Although placed somewhat low in the mix, the Northern Sinfonia's role should not be overlooked.” Classic FM Magazine, February 2012 **** | | | Usually despatched in 4 - 5 working days. |
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| |  | Holiday Classics
Seattle Symphony’s first holiday album embraces works composed specifically for Christmas as well as other pieces that convey a universal message of peace, love and hope—the essence of humanity’s highest aspirations. Music Director Gerard Schwarz asked two composers, the Symphony’s Composer in Residence Samuel Jones and Seattle Symphony Principal Oboe Ben Hausmann, to “make the music their own” by scoring several of the pieces to retain the unaffected simplicity of these well-known Christmas and concert works. Schwarz joined them in this task, arranging or editing several of the pieces, with the resulting works celebrating the remarkable artistry of the musicians of the Orchestra. In these new settings, recorded entirely in Benaroya Hall, the music emerges with honest, untarnished beauty. “This album is a class act. The programming is clever. Highlights from Tchaikovsky’s Nutcracker suite and the baroque era form bookends and interludes between chic arrangements of traditional carols. The concept is clever since it features the Seattle Symphony’s own composers, arrangers, and very talented soloists. The results are wonderful too. In the world of purely orchestral Christmas albums, this is about as good as it gets.” MusicWeb International, November 2012 | | | (also available to download from $6.00) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | Caroling
| | | (also available to download from $10.75) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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| |  | What Sweeter Music: Carols and Songs for Christmas
Tenebrae return to disc on Signum with a sumptuous collection of songs and carols for Christmas time. Anyone who has heard this finely tuned, professional choir in action before will be understandably excited to hear them bringing these festive works to life. “Rutter's title-track perhaps shows off the choir's tonal blend to best effect, while Karl Jenkins' arrangement of "Gaudete" brings a brief burst of ebullience amid the piety. Two tracks which set the album apart: the superbly-measured arrangement of the Appalachian folk tune "I Wonder As I Wander", and Rathbone's splendid arrangement of "Silent Night".” The Independent, 11th December 2009 *** “Superbly sung and plenty of fun” Gramophone Magazine Best Christmas Discs Roundup 2009 “A jazzy Jingle Bells launches this varied and seductively sung programme” Geoffrey Norris, The Telegraph Best Christmas Discs 2009 | | | Usually despatched in 3 - 4 working days. |
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