A Christmas Festival / Rutter, RPO, Cambridge Singers
Details
- Composer
- RUTTER CHILCOTT HESS DAVID
- Artist
- Rutter, Cambridge Singers
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Collegium Records
- Released
- Oct 27, 2008
- Catalog #
- COLCD133
- UPC
- 040888013327
About
John Rutter directs the Cambridge Singers, The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, and the award-winning Farnham Youth Choir alongside guest soloists Melanie Marshall, Clara Sanabras and Elin Manahan Thomas, for an unforgettable festival of Christmas music.
REVIEW:
Fans of John Rutter--and particularly of his Christmas music and programs--will certainly rejoice and be merry with the release of this, "the first all-new Christmas recording from John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers for 20 years". Listeners familiar with the Cambridge Singers' half-dozen or so earlier Christmas albums will be especially pleased to find the premieres of five new Rutter works and 10 new arrangements. Opening and (almost) closing the disc are two old favorites: David Willcocks' arrangements of O come all ye faithful and Hark! the herald angels sing--but with newly written fanfares by Rutter, whose annual London Christmas Festival concerts provided the idea and much of the material for this program.
As for Rutter's original pieces--Ave Maria; Rejoice and be merry; Magical Kingdom; New Year; I wish you Christmas--there are no surprises here, just more of the same instinctively tuneful lines, ingratiating, pop-flavored harmonies, and thoughtful treatment of texts that for decades have endeared his music to millions of singers and audiences. Seasoned Rutter listeners will especially savor the composer's trademark rhythmic style and harmonic changes in I wish you Christmas (which he wrote for the 2006 Festival) and New Year (a 2006 commission for Sandringham Church to celebrate the 80th birthday of Queen Elizabeth), for which he also wrote the texts.
Other notable entries are Bob Chilcott's The Shepherd's Carol, written in 2000 for the famed King's College service of Nine Lessons and Carols, and Nigel Hess' Christmas Overture, a tightly woven orchestral medley of traditional Christmas tunes written for the 2007 Festival that skillfully exploits both the full orchestra and the festive characteristics of the carols themselves.
There are several selections for solo voice as well, the most enjoyable of which are performed by Clara Sanabras (Rutter's setting of the Catalan carol El Noi de la Mare) and Melanie Marshall (two other Rutter arrangements, of Jester Hairston's Mary's Boy Child and the Caribbean carol The Virgin Mary had a baby boy).
In addition to the expectedly excellent performances by the Cambridge Singers, we also enjoy contributions by the fine Farnham Youth Choir on several tracks--and the Royal Philharmonic treats Rutter's orchestrations with appropriate style and enthusiasm. There's a big, festive feel to the sound and overall ambience of this production (recorded in London's Cadogan Hall), which absolutely suits the occasion--and Melanie Marshall's closing rendition of Have yourself a merry little Christmas (another Rutter arrangement) brings it all home with a nice personal blessing. A great job, and a welcome early Christmas present!
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
Tracklist 20 tracks
-
1 Adeste fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful) (arr. D. Willcocks) 04:09
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Adeste fidelis (O Come All Ye Faithful) (arr. D. Willcocks)
- Duration
- 04:09
- Composer
- John Francis Wade
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, Farnham Youth Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
2 Piae Cantiones: Gaudate 01:49
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Piae Cantiones: Gaudate
- Duration
- 01:49
- Composer
- Anonymous
- Ensemble
- Farnham Youth Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
3 The Shepherd's Carol 02:44
- Track
- 3
- Title
- The Shepherd's Carol
- Duration
- 02:44
- Composer
- Bob Chilcott
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers
-
4 Nos Galan (New Year's Eve) 01:57
- Track
- 4
- Title
- Nos Galan (New Year's Eve)
- Duration
- 01:57
- Composer
- Traditional
- Performer
- Elin Manahan Thomas
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
5 I wonder as I wander 03:43
- Track
- 5
- Title
- I wonder as I wander
- Duration
- 03:43
- Composer
- Traditional
- Performer
- Melanie Marshall, Andrew Williams
- Ensemble
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
6 Ave Maria 03:02
- Track
- 6
- Title
- Ave Maria
- Duration
- 03:02
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
7 Tomorrow shall be my dancing day 02:50
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
- Duration
- 02:50
- Composer
- Traditional
- Ensemble
- Farnham Youth Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
8 Rejoice and Be Merry 02:36
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Rejoice and Be Merry
- Duration
- 02:36
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
9 El Noi de la Mare (The Son of the Virgin) 03:14
- Track
- 9
- Title
- El Noi de la Mare (The Son of the Virgin)
- Duration
- 03:14
- Composer
- Traditional
- Performer
- Clara Sanabras
- Ensemble
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
10 A Christmas Overture 07:23
- Track
- 10
- Title
- A Christmas Overture
- Duration
- 07:23
- Composer
- Nigel Hess
- Ensemble
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
11 Born on a New Day (arr. P. Knight) 02:43
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Born on a New Day (arr. P. Knight)
- Duration
- 02:43
- Composer
- John David
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
12 Magical Kingdom 03:28
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Magical Kingdom
- Duration
- 03:28
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Farnham Youth Choir, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
13 Mary's Boy Child (arr. J. Rutter) 04:24
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Mary's Boy Child (arr. J. Rutter)
- Duration
- 04:24
- Composer
- Jester Hairston
- Performer
- Melanie Marshall
- Ensemble
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
14 Esta noche (This Night) 02:02
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Esta noche (This Night)
- Duration
- 02:02
- Composer
- Traditional
- Performer
- Clara Sanabras
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
15 3 Small Tone Poems: No. 2. Winter Night (Sleigh Ride) 05:44
- Track
- 15
- Title
- 3 Small Tone Poems: No. 2. Winter Night (Sleigh Ride)
- Duration
- 05:44
- Composer
- Frederick Delius
- Ensemble
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
16 The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy 04:08
- Track
- 16
- Title
- The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy
- Duration
- 04:08
- Composer
- Traditional
- Performer
- Melanie Marshall
- Ensemble
- Farnham Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
17 New Year 04:17
- Track
- 17
- Title
- New Year
- Duration
- 04:17
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
18 I Wish You Christmas 04:26
- Track
- 18
- Title
- I Wish You Christmas
- Duration
- 04:26
- Composer
- John Rutter
- Ensemble
- Farnham Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
19 Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. D. Willcocks) 04:05
- Track
- 19
- Title
- Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. D. Willcocks)
- Duration
- 04:05
- Composer
- Felix Mendelssohn
- Ensemble
- Farnham Youth Choir, Cambridge Singers, Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter
-
20 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (arr. J. Rutter) 03:01
- Track
- 20
- Title
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (arr. J. Rutter)
- Duration
- 03:01
- Composer
- Hugh Martin
- Performer
- Melanie Marshall, John Anderson
- Ensemble
- Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Conductor
- John Rutter