{"title":"The Choral Music Sale","description":"\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eOver 400 choral recordings\u003c\/strong\u003e are now on sale on \u003cem\u003eArkivMusic\u003c\/em\u003e!\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003eDiscover the luminous music of \u003cstrong\u003eJohn Rutter, Morten Lauridsen, Rorem\u003c\/strong\u003e, and many more. Explore breathtaking performances from celebrated ensembles including \u003cem\u003eCantus, the Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, I Fagiolini, \u003c\/em\u003eand other world-renowned vocal groups. From timeless sacred masterpieces to contemporary choral gems, discover inspiring recordings that showcase the beauty, warmth, and transcendent power of the human voice.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"shopify-section-template--18107431616746__blocks_hpEaLT\" class=\"shopify-section\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv id=\"shopify-block-ARk1HUVd2TGNpVktaW__ai_gen_block_00051a3_B6TAYk\" class=\"shopify-block\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ai-section-header-ark1huvd2tgnpvktawaigenblock00051a3b6tayk\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ai-section-header__container-ark1huvd2tgnpvktawaigenblock00051a3b6tayk\"\u003e\n\u003cdiv class=\"ai-section-header__description-ark1huvd2tgnpvktawaigenblock00051a3b6tayk\"\u003e\n\u003cp style=\"text-align: center;\"\u003e\u003cspan\u003eShop the sale before it ends at\u003cstrong\u003e 9:00am ET, Monday, August 17th, 2026\u003c\/strong\u003e. \u003c\/span\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e\n\u003c\/div\u003e","products":[{"product_id":"a-choral-christmas-jones-trinity-choir-of-247134","title":"A Choral Christmas \/ Jones, Trinity Choir Of Boston","description":"From the first few seconds of this new recording from Brian Jones and his Trinity Choir, you know it's Christmas. The flute and bell sounds, the dancing rhythm from the organ, the prodigiously joyful voices, and the catchy, unmistakably Rutter-esque melody combine to set off the sparks that promise a bright, happy, thoughtfully and lovingly compiled program. I say \"lovingly\" because this is the type of programming that, as usual with Jones, is not made with the \"snooty\" or \"snobbish\" in mind, but comes purely from the heart and from the experience of a director who knows and cares about the real listening tastes of his audience. (You've got to admire anyone who convincingly and with conviction programs \"The Holy City\" alongside works by Britten and Vaughan Williams, as he did on an earlier recording for Gothic Records.) And, as reflected here, those tastes, especially in Christmas music, cover a fairly wide range--from Rutter (three pieces) to Poulenc (O magnum mysterium) to Luboff (his well-loved arrangement of the Austrian carol Still, still, still).\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The opening tune indeed is by John Rutter, a setting of the 15th-century text \"Sing we to this merry company\", and it's quickly followed by the Luboff arrangement, Gerald Near's setting of Ding! dong! merrily on high, and the well-known Pearsall version of In dulci jubilo. The combination of familiarity and audience-favorite continues throughout the rest of the 21 selections, with classics such as Rutter's all-time most-popular What sweeter music, Elizabeth Poston's Jesus Christ the apple tree, and Poulenc's motet O magnum mysterium. But mixed in among these revered gems are many less well-known pieces, including a snazzy, bluesy Noël nouvelet arranged by Stephen Jackson, Michael Head's charming and lovely The little road to Bethlehem, and of course a Charles Wood arrangement, Once as I remember (Wood is a Jones favorite).\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The choir, one of North America's treasures, always is a treat to hear, displaying not only an enormous stylistic command but also uncommon technical range and interpretive sensitivity. I've said this before, but it's still true: The soprano section would be the envy of any choir. However, the entire ensemble manages a consistent cohesiveness and sonic refinement that's rare among amateur choirs in any part of the world. Even in small details, the choir shows extraordinary care and attention--for instance, in the perfectly rendered endings to the simple but so-often-troublesome \"Gloria\" line in Ding! dong! merrily on high. And for sheer strength and unity of sound, listen to the choir's rendition of Holst's On this day earth shall ring. Other highlights include Bob Chilcott's Mid-winter, a setting of the Christina Rossetti text \"In the bleak mid-winter\" that's become an instant favorite all over the world. Jones himself contributes a very effective arrangement of O little town of Bethlehem that joins the two \"competing\" tunes St. Louis and Forest Green. Although I would prefer a warmer, softer-edged sound in the Poulenc to really capture the \"mysterium\" in the work, and slightly better-tuned tenors in some places (What sweeter music, for example), this is a first rate recording that will satisfy all listeners looking for an ideal all-around Christmas choral collection. The sound, made in Boston's Trinity Church, captures the detail of choir, organ, and occasional percussion while faithfully capturing the fullness and resonance of the church's magnificent space.\u003cbr\u003e --David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com","brand":"Sono Luminus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44627026215146,"sku":"053479324023","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/184399.jpg?v=1785756119"},{"product_id":"christmas-star-carols-for-the-christmas-season-244597","title":"Christmas Star - Carols For The Christmas Season \/ Rutter, Cambridge Singers","description":"Another classic from the John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers, whose recordings have become a tradition of Christmas around the world.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e \u003cstrong\u003eREVIEW\u003c\/strong\u003e:\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e\u003cem\u003eChristmas Star\u003c\/em\u003e is an entertaining collection of familiar holiday tunes and carols, all professionally performed by the Cambridge Singers. This is good, straight a cappella holiday mus­ic and should satisfy fans of that style[.]\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e ­– All Music Guide (Stephen Thomas Erlewine)","brand":"Collegium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44626842943722,"sku":"040888050322","price":9.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/198745.jpg?v=1785756986"},{"product_id":"faire-is-the-heaven-music-of-the-65466","title":"Faire Is The Heaven - Music Of The English Church \/ Rutter","description":"\u003cp\u003eThis recording is dedicated to unaccompanied English church music, sung in the beautiful acoustic of the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral. The 23 motets and anthems are drawn from three key periods: the Reformation, in the sixteenth century; the Restoration, in the later seventeenth century; and the Anglican revival, in the mid-nineteenth century.    \"An individual record of exceptional warmth and delight.\" -- Gramophone     \u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Collegium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44626742968554,"sku":"040888010722","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/166436.jpg?v=1785756964"},{"product_id":"shvedov-liturgy-of-st-john-chrysostom-slavyanka-247119","title":"Shvedov: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom \/ Slavyanka Chorus","description":"Shvedov, K.N.: Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom","brand":"Sono Luminus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44626317345002,"sku":"053479318725","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/184341.jpg?v=1785757464"},{"product_id":"baroque-mexico-2-163375","title":"Baroque Mexico 2","description":"Jerusalem Y Stella, I.: Te Deum \/ Gorgeos Trinando \/ Rompa L","brand":"Urtext","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44625945854186,"sku":"600685200124","price":12.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/244945.jpg?v=1785753254"},{"product_id":"bach-cantatas-vol-1-suzuki-bach-collegium-83790","title":"Bach: Cantatas Vol 1 \/ Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/p10s10.gif\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  Those who lament the austere, dispassionate, \"scholarly\" approach that more often than not informs today's original-instrument performances of Bach cantatas will find much to rejoice in Masaaki Suzuki's grand and heartfelt, if not overly devotional conceptions. For instance, as you listen to the opening Sinfonia of Christ lag in Todesbanden you're immediately struck by the emotive delicacy of the string playing and how perfectly it introduces the subject's necessary resolve and sadness. Moments later when the chorus enters and the momentum shifts, the urgency of the ensemble likewise changes to deftly communicate just the right measure of boldness and hope. Throughout the piece Suzuki's uncanny ability to extract every nuance from Bach's sublime score recalls the efforts of Karl Richter, Günther Ramin, Fritz Werner, Karl Ristenpart, and Helmut Winschermann--bygone patricians of this repertoire who were equally considerate of the music's every emotion, from deepest angst to overwhelming joy. Though BWV 4 is one of Bach's most famous and oft-recorded cantatas, Suzuki's rendering of it ranks with the very best.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e The two other cantatas offered--Nacht dir, Herr, verlanget mich BWV 150 and Der Herr denket an uns BWV 196--also receive outstanding performances. In BWV 150, soprano Yumiko Kurisu's seamless and spirited rendering of the aria \"Doch bin und bleibe ich vergnügt\" is a marvel, as is the fifth-movement trio \"Zedern müssen von den Winden\", expertly performed by countertenor Akira Tachikawa, tenor Koki Katano, and veteran Dutch bass Peter Kooy. Also noteworthy is Suzuki's brilliant negotiation of the complex rhythms of the chorale \"Meine Augen sehen stets zu dem herren\", imparting a rarely heard uplifting quality to the setting. BWV 196 is highlighted by the final chorale \"Ihr seid die Gesegneten\", where Suzuki's sensibly dignified conclusion impresses more favorably than the overly exuberant let's-get-it-over-with treatment Konrad Junghänel and the Cantus Cölln offer in their fairly recent Harmonia Mundi recording (type Q1384 in Search Reviews).\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e BIS's sound is of audiophile quality, with an expansive yet detailed sound stage that spectacularly complements Suzuki's grand realization. As Volume 1 in a complete traversal of Bach's sacred and secular cantatas, this auspicious entry offers the promise of an extraordinary and very important cycle that shouldn't be missed by anyone who loves these works. This is the kind of Bach rarely heard anymore--performances that make you want to devote time to them, to listen at lifelike levels and follow the text religiously.\u003cbr\u003e -- ClassicsToday.com","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44625666801898,"sku":"7318590007518","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2262961.jpg?v=1785714003"},{"product_id":"bach-the-ascension-oratorio-festive-cantatas-funfgeld-153517","title":"Bach: The Ascension Oratorio, Festive Cantatas \/ Funfgeld, Bach Festival Orchestra","description":"\"The opening and closing choruses of the Ascension oratiorio contain some of Bach’s most irresistible, catchy music, and this chorus and orchestra really give it their all, from the brilliant trumpets and insistent syncopated rhythms to the invigorating choral singing...once you get into this Bethlehem Bach Choir production, it’s impossible not to like it.\"\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e -- David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com\u003cbr\u003e","brand":"Sono Luminus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44625650188522,"sku":"053479030627","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/419040.jpg?v=1785775114"},{"product_id":"berlioz-lenfance-du-christ-118628","title":"Berlioz: L'enfance Du Christ","description":"Berlioz's L'Enfance Du Christ is probably known primarily due to it's famous \"Shepherd's Chorus\" but it is a piece that once listeners discover it, they realize a true golden gem has been found. It is primarily a choral work which tells the story of what are called the Infancy Narratives in the New Testament. Scenes of the work are taken from both the scriptures and legends and include Herod visiting a soothsayer which predicts the birth of the Messiah, the Annunciation (Mary learning of the birth of Jesus), the birth itself, and the flight into Egypt. This recording by the Orchestre National du Lille under the direction of Jean-Claude Casadesus captures both the beauty and scope of the work.","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44625606967530,"sku":"730099465021","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/289226.jpg?v=1778381934"},{"product_id":"britten-a-ceremony-of-carols-etc-ronald-234420","title":"Britten: A Ceremony Of Carols \u0026 Friday Afternoon \/ Corp, New London Children's Choir","description":"BRITTEN: A Ceremony of Carols \/ Friday Afternoons","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44625567908074,"sku":"730099418324","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/127216.jpg?v=1785773498"},{"product_id":"images-of-christ-john-rutter-cambridge-singers-243823","title":"Images Of Christ \/ John Rutter, Cambridge Singers","description":"\u003cp\u003e'Another red-letter entry in the Collegium\/Cambridge Singers canon' - Choral Review\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Collegium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44625306812650,"sku":"040888012429","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/166454.jpg?v=1785775130"},{"product_id":"lully-grand-motets-vol-1-niquet-le-225590","title":"Lully: Grand Motets Vol 1 \/ Niquet, Le Concert Spirituel","description":"The court of Louis XIV was a lively and musically thriving place, and Jean-Baptiste Lully, who actually was Italian (Giovanni Battista Lulli) but became a naturalized French citizen, was right in the middle of it. As director of one of the king's orchestras and as Superintendent of the King's Music, Composer of the King's Chamber, and Master of Music of the Royal Family, Lully's job included providing music for various entertainments, mostly ballets and other orchestral and stage works. Sacred choral music came later in Lully's career, and this recording offers three of his most important masterpieces in this genre. The artful use of homophonic and polyphonic sections, double chorus, soloists, and orchestral color combine to give each of these substantial works the dramatic charge and forward-moving energy of a theatrical piece. Le Concert Spirituel,  named and fashioned after an 18th-century concert organization that specialized in performance of French \"Grands Motets\", is an outstanding modern advocate for Lully's music, with fine soloists, an excellent chorus that knows the true meaning of \"ensemble\", and instrumentalists (and conductor) who understand the importance of rhythm in realizing this music's full effect. I look forward to Volume 2. [11\/25\/1999]--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44625212309738,"sku":"636943439722","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/277372.jpg?v=1785761670"},{"product_id":"ryba-czech-christmas-mass-missa-pastoralis-thuri-149429","title":"Ryba: Czech Christmas Mass, Missa Pastoralis \/ Thuri, Czech Madrigalists","description":"RYBA: Czech Christmas Mass \/ Missa Pastoralis","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624965402858,"sku":"636943442821","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/289228.jpg?v=1785611948"},{"product_id":"schtz-the-christmas-story-etc-oxford-camerata-234475","title":"Schütz: The Christmas Story, Etc \/ Oxford Camerata","description":"American Record Guide (11-12\/97, p.194) - \"...Among the soloists, tenor Paul Agnew and soprano Anna Crookes are excellent in every way....Summerly has a wonderful feel for Schütz, his Oxford group is very fine, and the music is wonderful.\"","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624938008810,"sku":"730099451420","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/127342.jpg?v=1785741708"},{"product_id":"bach-mass-in-b-minor-845221004365","title":"Bach: Mass in B Minor","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624299294954,"sku":"845221004365","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1339054.jpg?v=1785731490"},{"product_id":"haydn-f-j-schopfung-die-the-creation-845221004464","title":"Haydn: The Creation","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624298639594,"sku":"845221004464","price":11.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1339063.jpg?v=1785709629"},{"product_id":"loewe-c-raising-of-lazarus-the-845221001425","title":"Loewe: The Raising of Lazarus","description":"Loewe, C.: Raising of Lazarus (The)","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624297623786,"sku":"845221001425","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1338468.jpg?v=1785709382"},{"product_id":"christmas-songs-tolzer-boys-c-190821","title":"Christmas Songs \/ Tölz Boys' Choir","description":"Christmas Songs Tölz Boys' Choir Label CAPRICCIO RECORDINGS","brand":"Capriccio","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624296739050,"sku":"4006408108771","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3814080.jpg?v=1785706548"},{"product_id":"choral-music-palestrina-g-josquin-des-prez-viadana-013491316529","title":"Beyond Chant - Mysteries of the Renaissance","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Delos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624199778538,"sku":"013491316529","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/104382.jpg?v=1785753526"},{"product_id":"handel-chandos-anthems-vol-4-095115050927","title":"HANDEL: Chandos Anthems, Vol. 4","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624160555242,"sku":"095115050927","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/106768.jpg?v=1785742036"},{"product_id":"poulenc-gloria-stabat-mater-095115934128","title":"POULENC: Gloria \/ Stabat Mater","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Chandos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624154951914,"sku":"095115934128","price":16.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/107438.jpg?v=1785778709"},{"product_id":"bach-j-s-cantatas-vol-3-bwv-12-54-162-182-7318590007914","title":"Bach, J.S.: Cantatas, Vol.  3  - Bwv 12, 54, 162, 182","description":"Classical Music","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624144138474,"sku":"7318590007914","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2262982.jpg?v=1785727539"},{"product_id":"rosenbluth-ephros-pergament-jewish-liturgical-music-7318590000014","title":"Rosenbluth \/ Ephros \/ Pergament: Jewish Liturgical Music","description":"Classical Music","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624058351850,"sku":"7318590000014","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2265461_cc906f48-dd98-4e44-96c6-8612892fde4c.jpg?v=1785716212"},{"product_id":"choral-music-18th-century-nebra-j-courcelle-f-mad-053479323729","title":"Madrid 1752 - Sacred Music from the Royal Chapel of Spain","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Sono Luminus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44624003563754,"sku":"053479323729","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/387179.jpg?v=1785759855"},{"product_id":"bach-mass-in-b-minor-053479025326","title":"Bach: Mass in B Minor \/ Funfgeld, Bach Festival Orchestra","description":"Bach: Mass in B Minor","brand":"Sono Luminus","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44623998157034,"sku":"053479025326","price":20.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/178107.jpg?v=1785757449"},{"product_id":"pax-gregorian-chants-on-the-theme-of-peace","title":"PAX: Gregorian Chants on the Theme of Peace","description":"PAX: Gregorian Chants on the Theme of Peace","brand":"Analekta","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711039992042,"sku":"774204305826","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/50639.jpg?v=1785741478"},{"product_id":"bach-christmas-oratorio-suzuki-193742","title":"Bach: Christmas Oratorio \/ Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan","description":"A meticulous attention to detail, superlative balance, and speeds which allow the music to proceed with dignity in the gradual, contemplative unfolding of events are second nature to Suzuki.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  – Gramophone","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711196393706,"sku":"7318599419428","price":24.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2262587.jpg?v=1785744627"},{"product_id":"bach-cantatas-vol-2-suzuki-bach-collegium-83793","title":"Bach: Cantatas Vol 2 \/ Suzuki, Bach Collegium Japan","description":"\u003cimg src=\"\/graphics\/p10s10.gif\"\u003e\u003cbr\u003e  My enthusiasm for Volume 1 in the Bach Collegium Japan's cycle of Bach's cantatas continues here in a program that includes a work (BWV 131) based on conductor Masaaki Suzuki's favorite psalm, number 130. (In the notes to the first volume Suzuki candidly declares how important his Christian convictions are to his interpretations, and describes his relationship to Bach as \"fellows in faith\"). Though thematically based on the depths and multitudes of sin, Bach's settings here are not entirely solemn--nor are Suzuki's spirited renderings. The opening selection, Gott ist mein König, begins with a striking choral \"Gott!\" followed by enough resounding brass and percussion to simultaneously excite the layman and instill joyous consolation among the faithful. Bass Peter Kooy's more somber though equally compelling fourth-movement aria \"Tag und Nacht ist dein\" couldn't be more lovely; as the singer muses over God's omniscient reach, he's partnered by a lingering melody that anticipates the composer's famous Sinfonia in C. Likewise countertenor Yoshikazu Mera shines in his brief aria \"Durch mächtige Kraft\", accompanied only by a trio of trumpet, organ, and timpani.\u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e Arguably one of Bach's most angst-ridden cantatas, Aus der Tiefe rufe ich Herr, zu dir gets a reading that equals if not surpasses Günther Ramin's legendary 1952 account (a statement heretofore unimaginable). Though nearly as dramatically slow in tempo as Ramin, Suzuki often subtly mutes the choir, which heightens the overall impression of humility, misery, despair, and lifelong repentance. Also unlike Ramin, who unfortunately had only less-than-accurate editions at his disposal, Suzuki includes an additional soprano (Midori Suzuki) whose sublime laments beautifully complement Kooy's second-movement aria.\u003cbr\u003e \u003cbr\u003e  \u003cbr\u003e From Bach's so-called \"Mühlhausen period\" (where he held the post of organist at Mühlhausen's Church of St. Blasius) his Actus Tragicus funeral cantata (Gottes Zeit ist die allerbeste Zeit) remains his most popular and oft-recorded work. While long-standing favorite recordings include such diverse readings as Karl Richter's grand Munich Bach Orchestra modern-instrument performance and the Collegium Aureum's much more intimate original-instrument account, Suzuki again successfully combines the best of both approaches. The famed opening instrumental sonatina couldn't be more graceful and appropriately suggestive of another world. As well, tenor Gerd Türk and countertenor Yoshikazu Mera deliver exceptionally lovely performances, particularly in the third-movement choral. This Actus Tragicus surely is one of the best, if not the best currently available (both of the recordings mentioned above are scarce imports). BIS again complements Suzuki's achievement with state-of-the-art sonics and engaging and informative booklet notes by Suzuki and Tadashi Isoyama. Highly recommended. [3\/5\/2003]\u003cbr\u003e --John Greene, ClassicsToday.com","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711232700650,"sku":"7318590007815","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2262974_5af80f56-8fbf-4a79-b83b-1fb60cc3aeda.jpg?v=1785744568"},{"product_id":"praetorius-puer-natus-in-bethlehem-viva-voce-223550","title":"Praetorius: Puer Natus In Bethlehem \/ Viva Voce","description":"\u003cp\u003eIncludes work(s) by Michael Praetorius. Ensemble: Viva Voce.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711234142442,"sku":"7318590010358","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2263155.jpg?v=1785744572"},{"product_id":"christmas-music-sund-orphei-drangar-169788","title":"Christmas Music \/ Sund, Orphei Drängar","description":"\u003cp\u003eIncludes work(s) by various composers.  Ensemble: Orphei Drängar.  Conductor: Robert Sund.  Soloists: Christina Högman, Peter Mattei, Bengt Forsberg.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BIS","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711258882282,"sku":"7318590005330","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2262858.jpg?v=1785713908"},{"product_id":"anti-marguste-a-portrait","title":"Anti Marguste: A Portrait","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Antes Edition","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711625097450,"sku":"4014513014351","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2376116.jpg?v=1785703000"},{"product_id":"brahms-j-11-zigeunerlieder-quartets-opp-31-112-sc","title":"Brahms, J.: 11 Zigeunerlieder \/ Quartets - Opp. 31, 112 \/ Sc","description":"Brahms, J.: 11 Zigeunerlieder \/ Quartets - Opp. 31, 112 \/ Sc","brand":"Musicaphon","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44711880130794,"sku":"4012476513317","price":8.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2820263.jpg?v=1785702459"},{"product_id":"choral-music-medieval-chants-and-improvisations","title":"Choral Music (Medieval Chants and Improvisations)","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Centaur Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44712152531178,"sku":"044747245621","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2243296.jpg?v=1785733143"},{"product_id":"telemann-christmas-oratorio-cantatas-ludger-remy-88145","title":"Telemann: Christmas Oratorio \u0026 Cantatas \/ Ludger Rémy","description":"\u003cp\u003eAmerican Record Guide raves \"...These are state-of-the-art early-music performances, German style, with a good deal of technical polish and energy....The soloists are admirable, especially bass Klaus Mertens....Tenor Andreas Post has a light, reedy sound that is well suited to the idiom.\"\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"CPO","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44714286285034,"sku":"761203941926","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/140013.jpg?v=1785778698"},{"product_id":"american-psalmody-vol-2-by-the-rivers-of-babylon","title":"American Psalmody, Vol. 2: By the Rivers of Babylon","description":"By the Rivers of Babylon - Following on the success of Make His Praise Glorious, Gloriae Dei Cantores continued a distinguished series of recordings dedicated to psalm settings by American composers. By the Rivers of Babylon shows a wide range of style and includes several works recorded for the first time. From the lush romanticism of the setting of Psalm 137 by Charles Loeffler (composed in 1901) to the adventurous setting of de Profundis by Arnold Schoenberg (composed in 1950), Gloriae Dei Cantores explores the great variety of psalm settings by American composers.","brand":"Gloriae Dei Cantores","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44717476774122,"sku":"709887002724","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/321643-2524517.jpg?v=1785777332"},{"product_id":"shepherd-me-o-god","title":"Shepherd me, O God","description":"From the creative hand of Marty Haugen comes a splendid collection of music for the seasons of Lent, Easter, and Pentecost, along with a new setting of the litanies and acclamations for Eucharist entitled, \"Mass of Remembrance.\" You'll find \"Song over the Waters,\" a gathering hymn that incorporates the Rite of Sprinkling, \"Shepherd Me, O God,\" an inclusive language version of the beloved 23rd Psalm, and a beautiful rendition of the Eucharistic Prayer for Masses of Reconciliation II, to name just a few. In the same style of Marty Haugen's popular \"Mass of Creation,\" this setting for Eucharist is suitable for use with any choir, large or small, traditional or contemporary, and may be performed by just a few voices and instruments or a full complement of mixed voices, brass and percussion. In addition to the recorded version of the Eucharistic Prayer, the full score includes a simplified version of the same prayer.","brand":"GIA","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44717483655402,"sku":"785147018520","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/3348013.jpg?v=1785710350"},{"product_id":"fux-j-j-fede-sacrilega-nella-morte-del-precursor-s-giova","title":"Fux, J.J.: Fede Sacrilega Nella Morte Del Precursor S. Giova","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Thorofon","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44722346295530,"sku":"4003913120717","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/2376128.jpg?v=1785722643"},{"product_id":"christmas-by-the-bay","title":"Christmas By The Bay","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Delos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44722358616298,"sku":"013491323824","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/463239.jpg?v=1785773177"},{"product_id":"brahms-motets","title":"BRAHMS: Motets","description":"Classical Music","brand":"Naxos","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44722424643818,"sku":"730099487726","price":13.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/263862_e13e0e05-d446-418f-bb0b-fb483d5f232d.jpg?v=1785526484"},{"product_id":"joy-of-christmas","title":"Joy of Christmas","description":"Classical Music","brand":"DB Productions","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44722588385514,"sku":"7393787980553","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/1877828.jpg?v=1785746229"},{"product_id":"hail-gladdening-light-music-of-the-english-church","title":"Hail, Gladdening Light: Music of the English Church","description":"Hail, Gladdening Light: Music of the English Church","brand":"Collegium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":44826868187370,"sku":"040888011323","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/166442.jpg?v=1785766790"},{"product_id":"in-the-poets-garden-1","title":"In the Poet's Garden","description":"Signed copies of our October release COLCD 141.  Choral settings of Shakespeare, Wordsworth, James Weldon Johnson, Charles Causley and others, by John Rutter","brand":"Collegium Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":45644295012586,"sku":"040888084129","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4454963-3554470.jpg?v=1785636356"},{"product_id":"the-voice-of-the-beloved","title":"The Voice of the Beloved","description":"The Netherlands Radio Choir and Benjamin Goodson present The Voice of the Beloved, a powerful collection of 20th-century sacred choral works by Frank Martin, Jean-Yves Daniel-Lesur, and Olivier Messiaen. At it's heart is Martin's Mass for Double Choir, a deeply personal expression of faith composed in 1922 and kept private for decades. It's austere beauty and luminous harmonies make it one of the most moving sacred works of the last century. Daniel-Lesur's Le Cantique des cantiques transforms the Song of Songs into a sensual and spiritual choral tapestry, weaving up to twelve voices into a radiant soundscape. Messiaen's O sacrum convivium, a brief but transcendent motet, completes the program with shimmering reverence.    Following their acclaimed 2023 release Rheinberger \u0026amp; Mendelssohn: Choral Works, the choir returns with a recording that reveals the sacred not only in worship, but in the raw, expressive power of the human voice.","brand":"PENTATONE","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012447064298,"sku":"8717306264020","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4446485-3422701.jpg?v=1785662762"},{"product_id":"silvestrov-requiem-fur-larissa-4035719003444","title":"Silvestrov: Requiem for Larissa \/ Mustonen, Munich Radio Orchestra","description":"\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eAwarded a Golden Tuning Fork by \u003cem\u003eDiapason \u003c\/em\u003eMagazine!\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eValentin Silvestrov is probably the best-known Ukrainian composer, and his \u003cem\u003eRequiem for Larissa\u003c\/em\u003e, now released on album by BR-KLASSIK, was written in response to the unexpected death in 1996 of his wife, the music and literature scholar Larissa Bondarenko. She had stood by his side from the very beginning of his artistic career. It was in 1999, shortly before the turn of the millennium, that Silvestrov was finally able to complete his \u003cem\u003eRequiem\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eHe did not set a drama of the Last Judgement to music, as Mozart, Berlioz or Verdi had done before him, but rather wrote a lament - in seemingly endless, world-forlorn repetitions. The composer stepped out of the present and into the past, commenting on his life with Larissa with memories of music that had inspired her, and with profound allusions, retrospections and epilogues of the most personal nature. Silvestrov set the words of the Latin mass for the dead to music, yet he did not compose a mass in the sense of a liturgically close or ecclesiastically compatible piece of music. In his seven-movement requiem, the theological order of the Catholic requiem mass is irrevocably dissolved. As if religious gravity had been suspended, isolated words drift about freely and forlornly. The work begins and ends with \"Requiem aeternam\". At the end, only the wind rushes out of the synthesiser – and, at the very end, an echo of the wind.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerhaps there’s never been a more apposite time for a Ukrainian Requiem. Composed in 1999, the piece is as deeply personal as it gets, being a response by the composer to the death of his wife, three years earlier. As such, it would be improper to seek to reappopriate the work as some kind of surrogate ‘Requiem for Ukraine’. Yet it’s difficult if not impossible, amid the ongoing violence to which Ukraine pointlessly continues to suffer, to listen to any Ukrainian music, particularly music expressing mourning, without some simultaneous reflection on a wider sense of loss.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe work is a refreshingly unusual take on what has become a bit of a hackneyed, even rather vainglorious concept. Silvestrov’s\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRequiem\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003esidesteps the usual drama and pseudo-spiritual histrionics, for the most part showing disinterest to the familiar Latin text.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOf course, such a mindset stems from a vast, inconsolable mix of emotions, and signs of this manifest in the following\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eTuba mirum\u003c\/em\u003e, where the pent-up tension turns volatile, causing turbulence. The words continue in a semi-disoriented stream, articulating an angry\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eKyrie\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003enot so much directed at a deity as hurled in its face. We soon become aware that, though the music is so tragically entrenched, we’re nonethless progressing through the conventional Latin text at surprising speed: less than halfway through this second section we’ve already heard\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRequiem aeternam\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eKyrie\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eDies irae\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eTuba mirum\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRex tremendae\u003c\/em\u003e,\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRecordare\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eand\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLacrimosa\u003c\/em\u003e, each one reduced to a truncated utterance petering out in ellipsis.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e...the subsequent\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLacrimosa\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e– how heard in its entirety – is a soft-edged return to reality, but again its language is pained, the solo soprano progressing one phrase at a time. There’s the distinct impression of an attenuated music, physicality hobbled, pulse fibrillated, coagulating into rising choral clusters as the bass sags and drags downward. We’ve moved into another form of stasis, cycling round and round, rising and falling. Again that paradoxical duality of infinity and the infinitesimal: of being locked into a single “day … of weeping”, stretching on forever.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe central movement, ‘Prochai svite, prochai zemle’ (Goodbye, o world, o earth, farewell), setting words by renowned Ukraininan poet Taras Shevchenko, both sits outside this traumatised immobility and also serves as another instance of imaginary escape from reality. Its blend of folksong- and chant-like melodic writing sounds dream-like, but is again articulated one phrase at a time, evidently still as pained and doom-laden as everything that preceded it, and its closing moments are an ominous indication that we are in precisely the same place as we were before.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe remainder of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRequiem für Larissa\u003c\/em\u003e, its final three movements, reinforce the same all-pervading stasis of grief. The\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAgnus Dei\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eoffers illusory evocations of Mozart that, drifting and drenched in reverb, sound even more hauntological than that glimpse of a memory in the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLacrimosa\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWe’re back in darkness, and the final two sections fixate, again elliptically, on the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRequiem aeternam\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003etext. The work’s conclusion, in keeping with its immobility, presents music heard previously: that radiant memory from the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eLacrimosa\u003c\/em\u003e, as lovely as it is heartbreaking, slowly evaporating, via timpani rolls and lone string phrases, into a blackness without end.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003ePerformed by the Munich Radio Orchestra with the Bavarian Radio Choir, conducted by Andres Mustonen, this is a live recording from June 2011. It’s good that it’s not a studio recording, polished and honed; don’t get me wrong, it’s an absolutely superb performance, but a work like\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRequiem für Larissa\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ebenefits immensely from the vibrancy and tension that permeate the live experience. It’s not the first recording of the work, and i’m sure more recordings will come, but everything about this sounds definitive.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- 5 Against 4\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eA remarkable piece, [here] handled with great delicacy and control.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- Choir \u0026amp; Organ\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe composition of the \u003cem\u003eRequiem\u003c\/em\u003e was a necessity for Silvestrov to come to terms with the unexplained death of his wife Larissa. That is why his work became a lament and not a drama of the Last Day. The endless, world-forlorn repetitions may be heard as a commentary on their life together, peppered with reminiscences, retrospectives and personal epilogues. Meanwhile, one may hear the work of this Ukrainian composer more generally also against the background of the war of Putin and the Russian army against the brother country with connotations of senseless murder.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eFor a good half century Silvestrov has had an independent style, which he himself calls meta-music and which one might locate close to Western neo-romanticism or post-modernism. The sweeping gestures still show mourning and the time of processing loss rather than reconsideration. The five-part chorus, rounded out with a basso profundo in the low register, and the soloists who come from it, make this mood, which lets nothing but dejection be heard, impressively clear.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eIn this recording of a concert that took place back in 2011, the orchestra finds more of an underlining role, where accents are also added. In some sections, including those in which a synthesizer is added, natural sounds such as wind, are also imitated, as well as the old, ideal world with Mozart sounds. Andres Mustonen keeps all participants in contact with the necessary freedom with good coordination in such a way that a very dense and impressive music becomes audible, which nevertheless does not let despair arise despite all the pain. The recording, produced by the Bayerischer Rundfunk technical department, together with the informative booklet, therefore offers a high-quality rounding off.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- \u003cem\u003e\u003c\/em\u003ePizzicato\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"BR Klassik","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012448571626,"sku":"4035719003444","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4118948-2866929.jpg?v=1785646491"},{"product_id":"into-the-light-cantus","title":"Into The Light: Christmas Music for Low Voices \/ Cantus","description":"\u003cp\u003eAfter two successful albums on Signum Records, the American vocal ensemble Cantus present their first Christmas album, \u003cem\u003eInto The Light\u003c\/em\u003e.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe “engaging” (New Yorker) low-voice ensemble Cantus is widely known for its trademark warmth and blend, innovative programming and riveting performances of music ranging from the Renaissance to the 21st century.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eREVIEWS:\u003c\/strong\u003e\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e“Into the Light” reaches into pockets of brightness and the anticipation of a happier New Year as the sun anxiously arcs back to longer days.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCantus, an\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003ea cappella\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eensemble featuring the deeply rich resonances of eight distinguished male voices, ushers in the holidays most unconventionally. Though several favorites are represented, the\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003estatus quo\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis turned upside down. A heavy investment of arrangements and adaptations surfaces and in the most extraordinary way. Rhythmic textures also cut across a wide range of grains, providing an irresistible élan. Note cutoffs, dynamics and tempos are immaculate while chording is uniquely contemporary and full of positivism…\u003cem\u003ethis\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003eis what adds such special luminescence.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eAs an example, Cantus captures the pulsating essences of\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eAguinaldo Carols\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewith its jazzy verve. Christmas is nuanced inside Joni Mitchell’s 1971 bittersweet\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eRiver\u003c\/em\u003e\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003ewhich leans to the heavier gravity of the album, including the nostalgic\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eWe Toast the Days\u003c\/em\u003e, penned by Minnesotan Linda Kachelmeier. A special treat is Chris Foss’ World Premiere take of Clement Clarke Moore’s epic poem that sparkles with quixotic notes and unusual vocal dynamics...this piece holds the listener in deep fascination, and it renders big smiles and a chuckle or two! On another dimension Reginald Bowens tips his hat to\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eI Saw Three Ships\u003c\/em\u003e, giving the traditional English melody a sassy Manhattan Transfer‑like lilt that lifts the piece onto the page of modernity. Traditional music from around the world is also respectfully represented. Occasionally Cantus utilizes an instrumental accompaniment, such as the guitar (and energized\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eChildren Go!\u003c\/em\u003e) or the percussive woodblock (a spirited\u003cspan\u003e \u003c\/span\u003e\u003cem\u003eMensaje de Paz\u003c\/em\u003e) that adds to the album’s variety.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCantus brings thoughtful reminder of hope and happiness as we glance inside the portal of the future. Though a minuscule light beams at this time of year, the apex will broaden as we ring in 2023.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eCantus is a shining, pulsating octet…perfect in precision, innate in integration.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e-- ConcertoNet\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Signum Classics","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012451291370,"sku":"635212072325","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4118867-2867399.jpg?v=1785646513"},{"product_id":"lauridsen-lux-aeterna-runestadt-earth-symphony","title":"Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna; Runestadt: Earth Symphony","description":"This production is dedicated to the works of two American composers, of whom Morten Lauridsen is certainly the better known in Germany. His choral work O magnum mysterium (1994) in particular has become one of the hits of contemporary choral literature in recent years. Lauridsen (born 1943) grew up in Portland, Oregon, the son of Danish immigrants. The songs of Jerome Kern, Cole Porter and Richard Rodgers were very present in his home. He initially studied English and history and worked as a fireman. He then turned his attention entirely to music and moved to the University of Southern California, where, after graduating, he taught music theory and later became a professor of composition. As a creator of primarily vocal music he received many awards, including the National Medal of Arts in 2007. From 1994 to 2001, he was composer in residence with the Los Angeles Master Chorale, one of the leading professional choirs in the USA, which also premiered his Lux aeterna. All five movements of this cycle refer to the \"Eternal Light\". While Lauridsen was setting the underlying liturgical texts to music, his mother was dying - but the words about light as a universal symbol of all-encompassing enlightenment gave him consolation.   Jake Runestad is one of the latest additions to the list of great American composers and is in the process of securing his place in US music history. Born in 1986 in Rockford, Illinois, he grew up in a family that sang a lot. There was also a piano, and during his primary school years he began to play little melodies on it - also teaching himself Scott Joplin's The Entertainer. From 2009 to 2011, he studied at the Peabody Conservatory of Johns Hopkins University, after which he quickly gained recognition, especially in the field of choral music. However, his catalogue of works also includes operas, orchestral pieces and chamber music. He has received commissions from the Washington National Opera, the vocal ensemble VOCES8 and the Swedish Radio Symphony Orchestra, among others. His first album, The Hope of Loving, was immediately nominated for a Grammy Award. A keen mountaineer and camper, Runestad finds nature a great source of inspiration. In his Earth Symphony, Mother Earth herself is given a voice; the five interrelated sections deal with her destruction, her sorrow, her healing, and also her hope for humanity.","brand":"BR Klassik","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012456435946,"sku":"4035719003550","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4424574-3387779.jpg?v=1785655258"},{"product_id":"american-choral-classics-robin-white-alban-voices","title":"American Choral Classics \/ White, Alban Voices","description":"\u003cp\u003eA fantastic collection of American choral classics ranging from Thompson’s sublime Alleluia to the terrific choral arrangement of Gershwin’s Summertime from Porgy \u0026amp; Bess. Conductor Robin White’s excellent arrangement of the traditional Shenandoah balances the programme nicely along with Copeland’s \"I bought me a cat\". This is a surprising and entertaining collection. Alban Voices is a chamber-choir formed over 20 years ago by Robin White and his late wife, Freda, originally as a relief choir for services in St. Albans Abbey. It has always been an ad-hoc grouping, drawn together as and when required: many of the current members sing regularly in London’s top symphonic choirs. Among other appearances, it featured most notably in a pivotal episode of the BBC TV soap opera EastEnders in December 2003. More recently, the group’s recording of Robin’s original Christmas song, Light of the World, accompanied by the Royal Ballet Sinfonia, has been well received, and was played on Scala Radio and Classic FM in the run-up to Christmas 2022.\u003c\/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eRobin White trained at Imperial College, London and the Royal College of Music, studying conducting with Vernon Handley and orchestration with Bryan Kelly. He has conducted open-air, pop-classics concerts at National Trust and other venues across the south-west of England and the midlands. He has also worked with leading soloists such as John Lill, Christopher Warren-Green, Alexander Baillie and Emma Johnson in concerts in Bristol and the Channel Islands. His 1992 recording of Edwardian light music for Chandos Records was played extensively on Classic FM.\u003c\/p\u003e","brand":"Divine Art","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012481503466,"sku":"809730110627","price":15.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4207031-3144058_75b1ff78-a855-4a3c-8390-94be96e53dd0.jpg?v=1785661544"},{"product_id":"stjernebru","title":"Stjernebru","description":"Folk tunes have always been an important part of the repertoire of the Norwegian Girls Choir; being a vital aspect of the choir's identity and of it's active enactment of cultural tradition. In STJERNEBRU orjan Matre has taken a selection of Norwegian folk tunes as his starting point, and they are combined with improvisations and arrangements as intermezzos. The word Stjernebru (Bridge of Stars) is taken from the hymn Nedi vester soli glader (The sun is sinking in the west), and alludes to the journey to the next world: the transition, or bridge, from the earthly to the eternal. The word can also refer to the night sky itself, and Lux Aeterna - eternal light - is a theme that runs through the whole album.     Det Norske Jentekor  Anne Karin Sundal-Ask, conductor  Gjermund Larsen, fiddle  Frode Haltli, accordion  orjan Matre, composer  Morten Lindberg, balance engineer and recording producer    Disc 1  Hybrid SACD  MCH 5.0 DSD  Stereo DSD  RedBook PCM: MQA CD    Disc 2  Pure Audio Blu-ray  2.0 LPCM 192\/24  5.0 DTS HDMA 192\/24  7.0.4 Auro-3D 96kHz  7.0.4 Dolby Atmos 48kHz  mShuttle: MQA + FLAC + MP3  Region: ABC - worldwide","brand":"2L","offers":[{"title":"Blu-Ray","offer_id":46012484124906,"sku":"7041888527329","price":26.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4413451-3364149.jpg?v=1785655167"},{"product_id":"full-of-grace-choral-music-by-james-woodhall","title":"Full of Grace - Choral Music by James Woodhall","description":"A new choral album of radiant melody and profound reflection  Composer James Woodhall presents Full of Grace, a deeply expressive new choral album that moves between the intimate and the exultant. Drawing inspiration from sacred texts, ancient prayers, and moments of divine revelation, this collection weaves together contemporary choral writing with timeless spiritual themes.    The album opens with the title track, Full of Grace, a lyrical meditation on the Angel Gabriel's greeting to Mary and the incarnation. With warm harmonies and a memorable, flowing melody, the piece captures both the stillness and the awe of that encounter, while it's vibrant central section echoes the heavenly proclamation to the shepherds.    At the heart of the album lies The Damascus Sequence - an 11-movement cantata chronicling Saul's dramatic conversion from persecutor to preacher, drawn closely from Acts 9. This narrative arc, from darkness to vision, turmoil to peace, is vividly painted in choral textures, duets, and solos. Tracks such as Murderous Threats, I am Jesus, and Saul Sees and is Saved reflect Woodhall's gift for text-setting and storytelling through music, bringing ancient scripture to life with a keen sense of pacing and atmosphere.    Later in the album, Woodhall returns to the Nativity in The Shepherds' Carol, a haunting and intimate new text that juxtaposes pastoral imagery with celestial wonder. His setting of Ave Verum Corpus and Ave Maria offers fresh interpretations of these enduring texts, while the final track, Light from Light, closes the album with a vision of hope and illumination - a reflection on divine presence in the world.  Rooted in the choral tradition yet unmistakably contemporary, Full of Grace is a compelling addition to the sacred repertoire. It's accessible yet distinctive language will resonate with listeners who appreciate the choral music of James MacMillan, John Tavener, and Morten Lauridsen.    For broadcasters, curators, and critics, Full of Grace offers music that is both spiritually resonant and musically rewarding - ideal for sacred seasons, reflective programming, and those seeking new choral music that speaks with clarity and depth.","brand":"Divine Art","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012495790314,"sku":"809730112720","price":14.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4424597-3387868.jpg?v=1785639030"},{"product_id":"heavenly-light-eton-choirbook-reconstructions-i","title":"Heavenly Light - Eton Choirbook Reconstructions I","description":"The Eton Choirbook is recognised as one of the UK's national treasures - an extraordinary survival of the religious iconoclasm which swept away so many choral institutions and musical manuscripts as well as a great deal of beautiful art, architecture, sculpture, stone carving, stained glass, and embroidery from the colourful, pre-Reformation world. The Eton Choirbook originally contained ninety-three works by twenty-five composers who hailed variously from Eton, Windsor, Eton's sister foundation at King's College, Cambridge, Oxford, and the Royal Court. It was compiled, with great care and no expense spared, and completed around 1504\/5. But what makes the Eton Choirbook so special for both listener and performer is that the music it contains is hauntingly beautiful. There really is nothing like it in continental music of the time which the 'Eton' works surpass in scale (some last over fifteen minutes), number of voice parts, and use of wide vocal ranges - as well as the high degree of melodic invention and rhythmic complexity which places them beyond the reach of most choirs nowadays. © Russell Blacker","brand":"CRD Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012496380138,"sku":"0708093355525","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4409998-3332305.jpg?v=1785633078"},{"product_id":"everlasting-light","title":"Everlasting Light","description":"As Bath Abbey Boys' Choir marks it's 150th anniversary, we are delighted to present this album. I hope you will enjoy this varied collection, which has been designed to showcase the very best of our boys' choral singing. One of the highlights of this project has been welcoming our alumni to sing again in Bath Abbey as part of the recording. Seeing the joy of our former choristers at being back in the Abbey, some of whom left the choir over 50 years ago, demonstrates the lasting mark that their time as a chorister has made on their lives. We know how important these choirs are for training future musicians. However, I believe we often underestimate the impact that being part of a choir can have on the choristers who pursue other careers; the discipline, teamwork and concentration skills that will support them throughout their lives, helping to build the leaders and team players of the future. This recording has been made to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the introduction of the Boys and Lay Clerks (formally Men's choir) in 1875. At a time when boys' choirs are decreasing due to mixing the treble line with boys and girls, we are lucky that, despite there being no choir school at the Abbey, we can maintain our independent boys' choir. For part of this recording, we have invited our girls and lay clerk alumni to join us for two items as we celebrate the history and tradition that helped many singers to find their voice. © Huw Williams","brand":"CRD Records","offers":[{"title":"CD","offer_id":46012497068266,"sku":"0708093355624","price":17.99,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/files\/4424577-3387736.jpg?v=1785638502"}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0614\/3423\/3066\/collections\/3_c57c12f5-cb76-40eb-99f3-28b1526a2246.png?v=1785766344","url":"https:\/\/arkivmusic.com\/collections\/the-choral-music-sale.oembed","provider":"ArkivMusic","version":"1.0","type":"link"}