The third volume in this popular series, Revival III features arrangements of 14 familiar Christmas carols for contemporary ensembles. The words and melodies that have reflected, shaped, and sustained a rich tradition of hymn singing across a range of Christian denominations are some of the richest treasures of the church. For generations, they have been a source of strength, comfort, and challenge through all the seasons of life. Many of them transcend their native denominational identity and some even find a home outside the church. This third volume of Revival offers contemporary interpretations of beloved hymns of the Advent and Christmas seasons, unlocking the beauty of these timeless carols in fresh ways for all who sing them.

Johann Sebastian Bach was an absolute master of all the musical forms of his time except opera, which he never had the opportunity to compose. Yet in his sacred vocal and choral music he fully assimilated the expressive potential of secular Baroque vocal music with his abiding respect for the music, both sacred and profane, of his predecessors. This disc, a representative selection of his sacred music, will appeal both to the experienced music lover and to those just beginning to discover Bach’s immortal music.

“This third edition of the Colours recordings emerges from the quiet moments of quarantine – time to reflect, create, and record these arrangements for solo piano amidst the many wounds of the world. While the season offers us much music that sings of “good news of great joy,” there are also those for whom it is a season of emptiness, sadness, and loss. With these new arrangements, I attempt to capture the full range of the season and the God who comes among us in our pathos and our joy.” (Chris de Silva)

2021/22, a cultural season unlike any other, brings the 30th anniversary of Cypres. Musical renewal and reinvention is of the essence for any record label in today’s environment. An enterprising spirit; a constant quest for newly composed works; firm roots in the local musical landscape; representation of prestigious names and advocacy of young talent: all these are elements that constitute our particular creative formula. Now that we are 30 years old we can confidently take pleasure in sharing our musical philosophy with you. This fifth album in our anniversary series offers a real Christmas odyssey, a journey through time in search of our childhood memories: Tino Rossi for some, Jingle Bells for others. Composer and arranger Aldo D. Platteau has carefully selected the most beautiful existing Christmas carols and assembled them into a fresco of Seven popular and traditional Christmas scenes for choir, soloists and instrumental ensemble. These musical pictures allow us to reconnect with our traditions and give us the intimate conviction that there is a magical dimension to life - the magic of Christmas!

The title of the present selection of choral music from countries and epochs, Mirabile Mysterium (Latin for “Wondrous / Astonishing Mystery”), refers to the birth of Jesus Christ, by which nothing less than the incarnation of God is meant: out of love God renounces his almighty power and becomes a weak human being who like us is subject to suffering and death. Spiritual consideration of this mystery of faith, which the whole of Christendom celebrates every year at Christmas, has inspired composers of religious persuasions to write very special works. Along with the works specifically concerning themselves with the Christmas event and qualifying as Christmas songs in the stricter sense of the term, we also find, primarily at the beginning of the program, some genuine Advent songs. Even during what for Christians were pagan times, the word adventus (Latin for “arrival”) designated both the visit of a human ruler and the presence of a deity in his temple. As in the case of the visit of a state dignitary, certain spiritual exercises were undertaken in preparation for the visit of a god. As a result, the idea that an event begins already with its preparation was transferred to the spiritual sphere. The Church borrowed this concept for a period of inner reflection intended to convey an inkling of the incomprehensible gift granted to humankind in the miracle of Christmas. This program spanning six centuries offers us the opportunity to trace the history of the spiritual fusion of the Advent and Christmas seasons in music.