Mediterranean and Nordic Christmas music with Arianna Savall and her Baroque ensemble Hirundo MarisSince the founding of their ensemble in 2009, Hirundo Maris, the Catalan harpist and singer Arianna Savall, and the Norwegian tenor and violist Petter Udland Johansen have committed themselves to music from the Middle Ages up to the Baroque period. And a special emphasis has been Mediterranean and Nordic music. For their current album, “Silent Night – Early Christmas Music and Carols” both musicians and ensemble conductors have chosen traditional Christmas songs from the north and south. And in doing so, invite you along on a journey of sound into the magical world of centuries-old winter, Advent, and Christmas music.The German song “Silent Night” is laid out on the program alongside the Norwegian Christmas song “Mitt hjerte alltid vanker”, the Provençal “Ô nuit brillante” and the Catalonish, “El cant dels ocells”, which the legendary early music pioneer Jordi Savall, Arianna Savalls famous father, orchestrated for the recording.“Every country has its own Christmas traditions and its own treasure trove of Christmas songs” says the musician from the Hirundo Maris ensemble (the ensemble name is the Latin term for “sea swallow”). “Some of them, like “Silent Night” are known throughout the world and are translated in numerous languages, but many of these songs have remained hidden in their home countries like a national treasure. Hirundo Maris now showcases many such musical treasures in imaginative compositions that fuse the old with the present day.The expressive voices of Arianna Savall and Petter Udland Johansen give rise to an atmospheric dialogue with multifaceted instrumental parts. Such sounds emanate from cheerful bagpipes, an expertly played Cornetto, the poetic slide guitar “Dobro” and violins, flutes, harps and percussion. “Our music is based on four important elements: early music, folk music, our own composition, and improvisation. We all play different instruments, but the voices of Arianna and Petter are the main focus of our group.”The musicians of Hirundo Maris all come from many European countries: Norway, England, Germany, Poland, Spain, and Catalonia. And accordingly, the recording of beautiful melodies has become a kind of sound mirror reflecting the diverse musical traditions of European Christmas celebrations. “The singing of heavenly Christmas music brings everyone peace and hope” says Arianna Savall. “Singing is one of the best opportunities to bring people together. It is very spiritual. We cannot touch it, but we all feel it deep in our hearts.”TRACKLIST1.     The Holly and the Ivy & El Noi de la Mare 04:24(El noi de la mare) - trad, English/Catalan , arr. Arianna Savall /  Petter Udland Johansen2.     El Desembre Congelat 05:29trad. Catalan, arr. Arianna Savall / Petter Udland Johansen3.     ¡Ay, que me abraso! 04:43Juan García de Zéspedes, (17th century, Mexico) arr. Arianna Savall / Petter Udland Johansen4.     Mitt hjerte alltid vanker 05:21trad. Norwegen, arr. Arianna Savall / Petter Udland Johansen5.     Es ist ein Ros‘ entsprungen 03:27Michael Praetorius (1571 -1621), arr. Arianna Savall6.     Wexford Carol 07:44trad, Irland, arr. Arianna Savall / Petter Udland Johansen7.     Ô nuit brillante 07:17trad Noël Provençal arr. Joseph Bovet / Arianna Savall / Petter Udland Johansen8.     El cant dels ocells 06:08trad. Catalan, arr. Jordi Savall9.     Kling no, klokka 02:39trad. Norwegen10.   La salve 06:50Arianna Savall (1972 )11.   Rug Muire mac do Dhia 04:33(Mary bore a son to God) - trad. Ireland 18th century, arr. Arianna Savall12.   Stille Nacht 03:55​​​​​​​Franz Xaver Gruber (1787 - 1863) / Joseph Mohr 1792 - 1848), arr. Arianna Savall / Petter Udland Johansen

1. Overture
2. March of the Kings
3. Bourrée en Étoile
4. Traveller's Prayer
5. Le Grand Lustukru
6. Nöel Nouvelet
7. Guillô, Pran ton Tamborin!
8. Aro Que Nostre Seigne Es Nat
9. Muwashah Jalla Men Qad Sawarak
10. Darj Bayyati
11. Stella Splendens
12. Gaudete
13. Veni, Veni Emanuel
14. The Angel Gabriel from Heaven Came
15. What Shall I Give to the Child?
16. L'Homme Armé
17. Riu Riu Chiu
18. Bourrée Chainee de Rivarennes
19. Le Sommeil de l'Enfant Jésus
20. Amen
21. Sing We Noel

Selections recorded at Paine Hall, Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusets and at First Parish in Brookline, Massachusets, in June and July, 1999.

Includes song(s) by Herbert Fromm.
Includes work(s) by Samuel Adler. Ensemble: Schola Hebraeica. Soloists: Moshe Haschel, Benzion Miller.

Perfect for the holidays: listening to this recording is like being in Wales for Christmas! With traditional music, dance tunes, carols, and anthems from Wales, this recording features a number of Welsh children's songs, Welsh songs that the poet Dylan Thomas would have known, and songs from long, long ago.

From Parlour to Palace: Victorian Music from the Christmas R

The Road to Compostela: A Galician Christmas Revels

Strike the Harp: An Irish Christmas Revels

Featuring Tony Award winner Lachanze, Tony Award Nominee J. Robert Spencer, MiG Aylesa from Rockstar: INXS, and the Boston Pops conducted by Keith Lockhart, HANDELS MESSIAH ROCKS brings the renowned beauty of Handel's Messiah the Western worlds most famous oratorio to contemporary audiences with rock music at it's center.

With these inviting recordings, David Ian expertly captures the nostalgic feeling of this season of celebration, employing the warmest elements of the jazz tradition with a piano style and emotion that has become his unique voice. As the title implies, the arrangements stay close to the melody of these Christmas classics with the simplicity of a trio ensemble and a timeless sound. He skillfully departs the listener on a welcome journey never failing to land in a familiar resolve. Sweetly playful, while remaining sophisticated the choice of tunes is carefully thought out. The widely known themes of these traditional titles all point to the historic Christmas narrative creating a well crafted, focused playlist of favorites for the season. David Ian’s Vintage Christmas Trio Melody is a masterful new approach to this collection of songs to reflect upon and listen to on your hifi system — a must have for your Christmas dinner gathering for years to come! 

no reviews found. RO 110408

SCHUTZ: CHRISTMAS & EASTER HIS

Sent to press just days before his untimely death in August 2015, John Scott's last recording is Dancing Day, a programme of works for Christmas, made with his beloved Saint Thomas Choir of Men & Boys of Fifth Avenue, New York. Recorded in the home of the choir in Manhattan, the recording is centred around two works for treble voices and harp performed annually by the boys of the choir under John's direction - Benjamin Britten's inimitable A Ceremony of Carols and John Rutter's companion piece Dancing Day. Completing a compelling disc that features medieval texts and themes are further works for treble voices - Britten's A New Year Carol and Patrick Hadley's I sing of a maiden. The boys are joined by the men of the choir for works by Matthew Martin, Philip Ledger and William Mathias. Also included is John's own arrangement of the simple traditional Dutch carol King Jesus hath a garden, penned whilst organ scholar of St John's College, Cambridge.

Import Hybrid-SACD pressing.

On Christmas Eve, a young girl has a dream... Emotional awakening, physical transformation, childhood that slowly merges into adulthood... behind what seems to be a tale for children slowly emerges a danced initiatory journey. And while children revel in Drosselmeyer’s magic tricks and enjoy a good scare with the apparition of the Mouse King, the adults notice all the finesse that pervades this narrative and admire the virtuosity of the choreography. A first class company, the Ballet Company of the National Opera of Ukraine has toured all around the world: from the United States to Europe and Asia. Thanks to its rich classical heritage, the Company has managed to win the hearts of its audience thanks to its amazing technique and artistic maestria, and as in every good dance company, the whole is equal to the sum of its parts. The Company has also, over the years, establised itself as a unique talent pool, that has nurtured first class dancers such as Iana Salenko (Staatsballet Berlin), Alina Cojocaru (Royal Ballet), Maxim Beloserkovsky and Irina Dvorovenko (American Ballet Theater).

Recorded between 1959 & 1975. Includes liner notes by Joseph F. Laredo.
Digitally remastered by Bill Lacey.

This package includes a special booklet containing music and lyric sheets for all the carols.

NUTCRACKER SUITE

AVE MARIA: CHRISTMAS FAVORITES

Classical Music

This CD contains both DDD and ADD recordings.

V21:MESSIAH HIGHLIGHTS

After the success of his introduction to the St. Matthew Passion, author Wieland Schmid takes US on a journey through the Christmas Oratorio with thrilling insights into Bach's creative process and background information on the composition. Outstanding narrators and the complete recording of the 2010 performance of the Christmas Oratorio with the Chor des Bayerischen Rundfunks and the Akademie fer alte Musik Berlin under the direction of Peter Dijkstra make this 4-CD set the ideal Christmas gift.

To give familiar melodies a fresh, rich and colorful new look and thus to present them in an attractive new light is the essential direction which the Calmus Ensemble Leipzig followed for this Christmas CD. The arrangements of well-known Christmas songs in this collection make use of structures from both classical as well as popular music from a variety of eras, always taking only the best of both worlds. It is hoped that the listener will not only be delighted, but will also be pleasantly surprised. That listening to this international Christmas album brings continually good feelings and that one listens with much joy and pleasure is due not only to the fine arrangements, but also to the lively interpretation and the perfect sound of the Calmus Ensemble Leipzig, which knows how to create an entirely genuine, uninhibited Christmas feeling.

Complete Track List:
1 Ludwig Böhme Maria durch ein Dornwald ging 04:23
2 Bob Chilcott Nova! nova! 02:39
3 Ludwig Böhme O Heiland, reiß die Himmel auf 02:37
4 Ludwig Böhme Gaudete! 03:06
5 Philip Lawson Hark! The herald angels sing 03:16
6 Morten Schuldt-Jensen Away in a manger 01:56
7 Gregor Meyer Noel nouvelet 02:35
8 Gregor Meyer La Peregrinacion 03:19
9 Joe Roesler Tu scendi dalle stelle 03:52
10 Hannu Lepola Sylvian joululaulu 05:29
11 Sebastian Krause Es ist ein Ros entsprungen 03:10
12 Fredo Jung Weihnachten / Im Balladenton 02:21
13 Max Reger Schlaf, mein Kindelein 03:18
14 Claus Bantzer Was soll das bedeuten 03:02
15 Wolfram Buchenberg Stille Nacht, heilige Nacht 03:02
16 Ludwig Böhme O Tannenbaum, du trägst ein grünes Kleid 02:49
17 Ludwig Böhme Jingle bells 02:40
18 Ludwig Böhme Thank God it's Christmas 03:16
19 Harald Banter Leise rieselt der Schnee 01:58

This double set, originally released in 1994, contains the complete contents of three classic holiday albums from the Robert Shaw chorale:
Christmas Hymns & Carols, Volume I ("Living Stereo" LSC-2139) [1957]
Christmas Hyns & Carols, Volume II ("Orthophonic" LM-1711) [1952]
Britten: A Ceremony of Carols, Festival Te Deum & Rejoice in the Lamb ("Dynagroove" 2759) [1963]

This reissue was remastered directly from the original RCA Victor Red Seal Master tapes.