Includes christmas carol(s) by various composers. Ensemble: Musica Ficta Vocal Ensemble Copenhagen. Conductor: Bo Holten.
Includes christmas song(s) by various composers. Ensemble: Musica Ficta Vocal Ensemble Copenhagen. Conductor: Bo Holten.

Steal Away: The African American Concert Spiritual explores the very essence of America's national heritage through the compelling sincerity of the Spiritual. With visceral illustrations of joy, pain, sorrow, and hope of a people yearning for a better life, Seraphic Fire takes a fresh look at this simple and candid expression of the human spirit.

This is the follow-up Christmas recording to Seraphic Fire's 2012 Grammy-nominated A Seraphic Fire Christmas. This recording includes four world premiere recordings ('Gitanjali Chants,' 'Little Child in a Manger,' 'Nino de Rosas' and 'Silent Night').

The “Vokalhelden” [vocal heroes] from the Education Program of the Berlin Philharmonic interpret 22 children’s songs from throughout all of Europe in arrangements by Peter Schindler. + The songs are performed in their respective languages or in a German transcription. + This CD is part of the “Lieder Project” an effort that promotes and benefits singing with children. + It emphasizes quality and is designed especially for children. + Proceeds from the Lieder Project are donated to causes furthering singing with children.

A choir of young Dominicans conducted by Father Thomas sings solemn vespers in Latin in honor of St. Dominic, founder of the order, in the Hamburg Dominican church of St. Sophien. The order, which celebrates it's 800th anniversary in 2016, has a long tradition in chorale singing. The hymns and anthems on this CD continue to be sung by members of Dominican order in their liturgical prayer worldwide. The Latin chants are in exciting dialogue with the organ improvisations by Thierry Mechler.

5 out of 5 stars for Performance and Sound!

This disc was an award-winner when it first appeared in 1993, and rightly so. These are among Delius’s finest and most consistent works, and Hickox directs them with an authority and atmosphere that recalls Beecham or Barbirolli. Bryn Terfel, as soloist in Sea Drift, contributes one of the finest and most deeply-felt performances of his now extensive discography, and this is one of the most restrainedly expressive interpretations this outpouring of wild pathos has received on disc. Throughout the three works the choirs are ideally responsive to the beauty of the poetry, coming into their own in the late Songs of Farewell. If Songs of Sunset doesn’t quite efface the memory of Charles Groves’s 1968 account with Janet Baker and John Shirley-Quirk, this is still a splendid account of a subtle work that offers far more than mere fin-de-siècle languor. Altogether a notable release which it’s a pleasure to welcome back to currency.

-- Calum MacDonald, BBC Music Magazine
Reviewing earlier release of this recording

The Renner Ensemble has established themselves as one of the leading male choirs in the world since 1987. The ensemble is renowned for its versatility, a wide-ranging repertoire from early medieval to Renaissance to modern avant-garde. This release showcases the ensemble's talent as well as teh musicianship of all it's members. The lyricism of Liszt and textures from Verdi shine through this entire album.

Dating from his years of 'apprenticeship', these two works shaped Elgar's reputation as a leading orchestrator and most popular British composer of his time. The secular cantata Scenes from the Saga of King Olaf derives from Longfellow's epic poem about Olaf Tryggvason, who became King of Norway in 995. While the text was heavily adapted and augmented, the use of sophisticated compositional techniques, such as extensive motivic work, resulted in music of great power and solemnity. The ballad The Banner of Saint George is based on the story of Saint George of Cappadocia, as related by the Bristol poet Shapcott Wensley. It was commissioned by Britain's leading publisher, Novello, and composed in only one month in 1896. Elgar overcame the prescriptive nature of the words and produced a work of lasting charm, the music rising above the material to create atmosphere, momentum, and color.

Reviews:

What a nice idea it was to have a Norwegian choir and orchestra performing English music about a Norse hero. The combined Norwegian choirs sing very well indeed in both works, and the Bergen Philharmonic plays with verve and distinction. Sir Andrew Davis is just the man for these assignments.

– MusicWeb International

There's nothing stilted about Elgar's music: it crackles with confident vitality...the Norwegian choruses respond with crisp vigor and superb English diction, only faintly (and appropriately) Scandinavian-tinged. Davis's expansive conducting and the excellent Bergen Philharmonic Orchestra bring out Elgar's vivid orchestral textures.

– BBC Music Magazine

This is a hybrid Super Audio CD playable on both regular and Super Audio CD players.

The two works on this disc perfectly illustrate a particular type of secular cantata, the so-called ‘dramma per musica’. In such works the libretto is constructed dramatically, and the singers embody various roles, such as gods and other characters from antiquity, and allegorical figures. The parallel with opera is apparent, although the ‘drammi per musica’ do without any scenic element. Bach primarily used the form in works intended for princely tributes or academic festivities: educated audiences could be expected to recognize the characters and literary traditions involved. Both cantatas recorded here are ‘academic’ cantatas, composed in honour of eminent members of the faculty at the University of Leipzig. BWV 205 celebrates the name day of Dr August Friedrich Müller (3rd August 1725), and takes us to Aeolia, where Aeolus, the King of the Winds, holds the mighty autumn storms captive until it is time to let them loose on the world. To prevent any disruption of the celebrations for Dr Müller, the goddess Pallas, among others, entreats Aeolus to keep the storms in check for a while longer. Grudgingly he concedes to her wish, but only after singing an aria full of splendid bluster (Wie will ich lustig lachen…). One year later, Bach composed the cantata BWV 207 for the appointment of Dr Gottlieb Kortte as ‘professor extraordinarius’. The young jurist enjoyed particular popularity among the young academics, who probably were the commissioners of the cantata. In this work it is virtues such as Diligence and Honour which take musical shape, singing the praise of the eminent academic. The cantata closes with a chorus, Kortte lebe, Kortte blühe!, wishing the new professor a long and flourishing life – unfortunately to little avail, as Dr Kortte died only five years later, at the age of 33.