The two choirs of St Catharine’s College, Cambridge return to Resonus Classics to collaborate once more on a new recording of contemporary works for Advent and Christmas. Featuring many world premiere recordings, the programme includes works written specially for the two college choirs including Diana Burrell’s exuberant carol, Green groweth the holly; Christopher Fox’s major new setting of the O Anitphons, interspersed with the original plainchant, and Jeremy Thurlow’s Magnificat for upper voices, organ and tape, that blazes with the intensity of a new vision of the world.

Seventy years of Italian repertoire (1888-1958) for violin and organ are summarized in this release which lines up a rather singular, but extremely interesting, series of composers of various geographic and stylistic origins who were active between the end of the nineteenth century and the first half of the twentieth. Roberto Noferini on violin and Andrea Toschi on organ and harmonium offering to us pages by fifteen Italian authors from various geographic origins (from Milan to Reggio Calabria) and culture. The suggestive titles refer to recognizable images and situations ranging from Christmas, to the liturgy, to the work, to pure forms. The use of historical instruments for the accompaniment of the violin gives the correct aesthetic rendering to these very rare and interesting works.

These sonatas were published in 1780 in Venice, where Giovanni Battista Grazioli (1746-1828) had become an organist at St Mark’s Basilica two years earlier; and in 1785 he would be appointed principal organist, on the death of Baldassare Galuppi. He was known in his own time as an especially accomplished performer whose compositions concentrated on work for the church, though these collections of keyboard works were evidently designed for domestic consumption. Nearly all the 12 sonatas are structured in a conventional quick-slow-quick three-movement form, most of them in major keys, and notable for their elegant melodies and wealth of invention. The recording’s coda represents Grazioli’s work at St Mark’s with a Pastorale for organ composed for use over the Christmas season. This is probably the first-ever complete recording of Grazioli’s harpsichord sonatas (not to be confused with the organ sonatas by his son Alessandro). It marks the third appearance on Brilliant by the Veronese early-music specialist Chiara Minali. Her previous albums of Marcello (95277) and Ignaz Spergher (95834) have won glowing reviews for the technical finesse and expressive refinement of her playing. “Chiara Minali is a superb organist and harpsichordist.” La Pagina dell’Organo (Marcello).

This new release features excerpts of an exemplary series of cantatas for small ensembles, sung by one of the most well-known specialists in historic performance, Barbara Schlick. The admired German soprano, Barbara Schlick, studied at the College of Music in Würzburg with Henriette Klink-Schneider and with Hilde Wesselmann in Essen, later with Gisela Rohmert and Rudolf Piernay. In 1966 Barbara Schlick joined Adolf Scherbaum’s Baroque ensemble as a soloist, and began to sing widely in Europe. In 1972 she toured North America as soloist with Paul Kuentz and his chamber orchestra. In subsequent years she established a strong international reputation as an interpreter of baroque and classic music, performing in nearly all of the important musical centres of Europe, Israel, Japan, Canada, America and Russia. Barbara Schlick's interpretations are comprehensively documented through radio, television, and recordings, among others Georg Philipp Telemann’s cantata Ino with Musica Antiqua Köln (Archiv Produktion), J.S. Bach's St John Passion (BWV 245), St Matthew Passion (BWV 244), B minor Mass (BWV 232) and Christmas Oratorio (BWV 248). Since 1997 Barbara Schlick has been professor at the College of Music in Cologne and guest instructor at the College of Music in Maastricht.

Liam Lawton's High Is the Heaven combines Celtic themes, strong melodies, and poignant texts to create this unique and accessible collection of music for liturgical celebrations and beyond. Like so many of Liam's songs, each exquisite piece has a back story. For example, the psalm "The Lord Hears the Cry of the Poor" was written for the Papal Mass of Pope Francis in Ireland. "High Is the Heaven" was written to celebrate the 800th anniversary of St. Columba-one of the ancient Celtic monks who brought Christianity from Ireland to Europe, and the Christmas piece "There's a Star" was written for Liam's own parish choir in Ireland. This shorter collection contains a wide variety of songs for worship. In true Lawton fashion, he injects the beauty and spirituality of his homeland into every song. You will not want to miss High Is the Heaven. Grab it for your library today!

Unknown Blessings: Finding God in Worship and the World is a collection by Carol Browning featuring songs for prayer and worship. As a Quaker, Carol strives to be guided by the Inner Light (or Christ Light) in her writing/arranging and in her life. In the fast-paced world of today, Carol’s songs and arrangements invite us to “have the faith of a child,” to “come and rest,” to listen to the “Indwelling Christ,” to “give thanks for unknown blessings,” and to know that “all shall be well.” Carol Browning is a long-time pastoral musician and liturgist, mainly in Lutheran, Roman Catholic, Episcopal, and Presbyterian settings, although she is a member of the Religious Society of Friends (Quakers). She is a liturgical composer, published by GIA Publications, World Library Publications, and MorningStar Music, and an independently published inspirational songwriter. She enjoys working with other composers and text writers. As a member of the Collegeville Composers Group, Carol and fellow composers (Anna Betancourt; Catherine Christmas; Fr. Cyprian Consiglio, OSB Cam.; Dr. Paul Ford; and Paul Inwood) created a new music program, entitled Psallite and published by Liturgical Press, written in a truly collaborative manner.

A festive Christmas concert of motets, songs and instrumental settings, telling about the coming Saviour and his birth. A 17th century Christmas night in Augsburg. It is part and parcel of the close relationship to Augsburg shared by all of the featured composers that the concerns of both Christian faiths, the Catholic and the Protestant, are taken into account in their music. The music as such was considered to be above and beyond denomination. The music's striving for "harmony" overcomes all human conflict with the promise of the eternal peace of Christmas, disclosed by the angel's hymn of the biblical Annuciation: "Et in terra pax hominibus".

Arrangements of five Shaker songs by Kevin Siegfried provide the structure for this album of 20th and 21st century choral works. The texts for this program explore themes of peace, a parent’s love, and awe in God’s creation, concluding with two motets for Advent and Christmas. This extraordinary choir is directed by Deanna Joseph and recorded in the warm acoustics of Peachtree Road United Methodist Church in Atlanta. The internationally award-winning Georgia State University Singers is the School of Music’s premier vocal ensemble. In May of 2017, the University Singers won first place in the renowned Marktoberdorf International Chamber Choir Competition. “…the choir sings with great musicality, excellent intonation, clear diction, and a healthy and beautiful pallet of tone colors…” (The Choral Scholar)

There are no original works for women's or girls' choir and no octet in the so-called 'Schubert line-up'. The well thought-out arrangements of romantic Christmas music by master arranger Andreas N. Tarkmann presented here are so appealing that one can only wonder why the composers have not come up with the idea of writing for this line-up... A group of musicians doesn't yet constitute an orchestra. On the other hand, if eight extraordinary artists, who love music and love even more playing music together form an ensemble, the result is spectacular. The uniqueness of the ensemble Oktoplus, founded in 2006 in Hannover, is reflected in it's name. Every chamber music lover knows Schubert's famous octet. Oktoplus takes over this work of Romanticism as well as many unknown works of the classical and modern octet. Depending on the piece or project, the "plus" stands for expansion of the ensemble to enrich the program.

With Fryd (English- "Joy"), Cantus invites you on a musical journey that starts in the meeting of two significant female figures: Mother and Mary. We wish to make a tribute to the Norwegian mothers who each year conjure up Christmas for the children through all kinds of Christmas preparations. At the same time it is a celebration of the Christian maternal figure, Mary, who gave God's son to humanity. It is a meeting between the child in the manger, the new king, and the excited children longing for a Christmas filled with experiences and joy. In this way, these simple names- mother and Mary- embrace the message of Christmas and the exquisite joy we all know so well. With Fryd Cantus explores the musical traditions of Christmas from the older, little known folk tunes in original arrangements, to brand new contemporary music. The music is presented both a cappella and in collaboration with instruments like organ and zither.

Also available on Blu-ray

For many, the Christmas holiday season would be incomplete without the resounding drum roll and trumpet fanfare that opens Bach’s “Oratorium auf die Heilige Weynacht” (“Oratorio for the holy Christmas”). Ever since it was first performed by the Thomaskantor between Christmas Day in 1734 and Epiphany 1735 in Leipzig’s two main churches of St. Thomas and St. Nikolai, Bach’s six part musical masterpiece has become a cornerstone of the city’s identity and musical heritage. The performance presented here, led by Bach’s 17th successor Gotthold Schwarz together with the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, features a lineup of renowned soloists, enabling one to experience the festive grandeur of what many consider the epitome of Christmas music in its original setting. “Gotthold Schwarz transforms this into a Christmas Oratorio that is far more than a sum of its parts… his musical rhetoric avoids cheap gimmicks and vain showmanship.” (Peter Korfmacher, LVZ)

For many, the Christmas holiday season would be incomplete without the resounding drum roll and trumpet fanfare that opens Bach's "Oratorium auf die Heilige Weynacht" ("Oratorio for the holy Christmas"). Ever since it was first performed by the Thomaskantor between Christmas Day in 1734 and Epiphany 1735 in Leipzig's two main churches of St. Thomas and St. Nikolai, Bach's six part musical masterpiece has become a cornerstone of the city's identity and musical heritage. The performance presented here, led by Bach's 17th successor Gotthold Schwarz together with the Thomanerchor and the Gewandhausorchester Leipzig, features a lineup of renowned soloists, enabling one to experience the festive grandeur of what many consider the epitome of Christmas music in it's original setting. "Gotthold Schwarz transforms this into a Christmas Oratorio that is far more than a sum of it's parts... his musical rhetoric avoids cheap gimmicks and vain showmanship." (Peter Korfmacher, LVZ)

Baritone Elem Eley describes this very personal album in this way: "Some of the most magical moments of my childhood were the eager tearing-away of the plastic wrap from the annual Christmas album, just purchased from the Firestone dealer in our little hometown! It was through these "Stereophonic LP" albums (devotedly and regularly brought home by my father) that I was introduced to much of the classic holiday repertoire, both sacred and secular. Burl Ives, Robert Goulet, Leontyne Price, The Brothers Four, Mahalia Jackson, Isaac Stern, of course, the New York Philharmonic, Mitch Miller and his chorus - these artists, plus many others, each year brought us much other-worldliness of the holiday season - often with an entertaining this-worldliness of musical style! Christmas Day is not consciously modeled after the Great Songs of Christmas serials, but the comparison is inescapable. We hope that this album may provide a measure of nostalgia, "Christmas magic," and inspiring reflection on the true meaning of the season. My own voice is complemented here by a host of outstanding artists - adult and children's choirs, orchestra, and brilliant instrumentalists. We offer you beloved carols, some composed or newly-arranged especially for this project. Join us on our journey to the cradle."

Tosca and Tannhauser, lieder by Schumann and Schubert - interpreted by a tubist and a harpist? Without any singing at all? Exactly! On the new GENUIN album by Andreas Martin Hofmeir and Andreas Mildner, the name says it all: "Besser ohne Worte" (Better without words) humorously offers arrangements of lieder and arias. It's a bit like Christmas and Easter at the same time! The ECHO Classic Winner and the exceptional harpist play with passion and with unheard-of perfection - as the only tuba-harp duo in the world. Until now, angelic singing was only accompanied by the harp, but now

Prague has always been regarded as one of the most beautiful cities in the world. The name 'Cor Europae' (Heart of Europe) probably dates from the country's early history, in the thirteenth century, when the Kingdom of Bohemia stretched from the Baltic to the Mediterranean. This was a period of great prosperity, especially under King Wenceslaus II Premyslid, and culminated with the reign of Charles IV, who was both King of Bohemia and Holy Roman Emperor. Despite the fact that Bohemia was the centre of Europe and benefited from the presence of many scholars (more especially after the foundation of the university in 1348), the local culture also preserved an older tradition there. This can be seen in the beautiful repertory for the Advent and Christmas period that have survived in the sources of Prague Cathedral and the Benedictine abbey of Prague Castle. These sources make it possible to reconstruct the liturgy of the Feast of the Nativity as it was celebrated there, with organa and tropes in the tradition of twelfth-century music, at a time when the new Ars Nova style was flourishing elsewhere in Europe. It is this music that the wonderful voices of the Tiburtina Ensemble bring to life for us.