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Naxos

A Star Over Bethlehem - Choral Jewels for Christmas

$13.99
$19.99 Save 30%

Details

Composer
VARIOUS
Artist
Washington Choral Arts
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Nov 01, 2000
Catalog #
8555049
UPC
747313504923

About

Jewels indeed. And the singing ain't bad either. This is another in a very satisfying group of recent Christmas choral discs that strive to offer some terrific, rarely recorded "gems" along with a welcome mix of familiar--but mostly not too familiar--pieces. Beginning with Bach's "Break forth, O beauteous heav'nly light" from the Christmas Oratorio, the program proceeds with hardly a breath to Richard Dirksen's earth-awakening setting of William Austin's poem Chanticleer (why isn't this piece performed more?) and goes on to blend more Bach (Wachet auf) with Howells (A Spotless Rose), Reger (Maria Wiegenlied), more Bach (Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern), Mendelssohn (There shall a star come out of Jacob), and a regular carol arrangement or two--Here We Come a-Wassailing (Rutter), Deck the Hall ( a jazzy 7/8 version by James McKelvy). Well, perhaps Elizabeth Poston's Jesus Christ the Apple Tree is getting a little overworked, but it's beautifully sung and this a cappella setting fits nicely into the overall program, which also includes organ and orchestra. Soprano Janice Chandler sings nice solo versions of He's got the whole world in His hands and Sweet little Jesus boy (with piano accompaniment), and there's a cute little twist on Away in a Manger, written by Edmund Walters--it begins with a countermelody, sung by the women, that's nothing like the original tune, which we don't hear until the end, hummed by the men's voices.


Organist J. Reilly Lewis treats us to a brilliant performance of Bach's chorale prelude BWV 615 (In Dir ist Freude), and another Bach piece, O Jesulein süss (harmonized by Martin Shaw) gets a tender and lovely a cappella rendition by the choir. This is a very well-disciplined ensemble--and it has to be in order for this many voices (around 100) to sing with such precision and clarity. (The liner notes list only sopranos and altos--I swear there are lots of men singing too!) The sound, optimally recorded in an ideal church setting, is excellent. [11/3/2000]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 24 tracks

  1. 1 Brich an, O schönes Morgenlicht 01:19
    Track
    1
    Title
    Brich an, O schönes Morgenlicht
    Duration
    01:19
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  2. 2 Chanticleer 02:46
    Track
    2
    Title
    Chanticleer
    Duration
    02:46
    Composer
    Richard Wayne Dirksen
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  3. 3 In dulci jubilo (arr. J. Rutter) 02:07
    Track
    3
    Title
    In dulci jubilo (arr. J. Rutter)
    Duration
    02:07
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  4. 4 Jesus Christ the Apple Tree 03:31
    Track
    4
    Title
    Jesus Christ the Apple Tree
    Duration
    03:31
    Composer
    Elizabeth Poston
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  5. 5 In Dir ist Freude, BWV 615 02:30
    Track
    5
    Title
    In Dir ist Freude, BWV 615
    Duration
    02:30
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    J. Reilly Lewis
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  6. 6 O Jesulein suss, BWV 493 03:04
    Track
    6
    Title
    O Jesulein suss, BWV 493
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  7. 7 Von himmel hoch 01:53
    Track
    7
    Title
    Von himmel hoch
    Duration
    01:53
    Composer
    Johann Pachelbel
    Performer
    J. Reilly Lewis
  8. 8 Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Final Chorale 01:32
    Track
    8
    Title
    Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Final Chorale
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  9. 9 Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Opening Chorus 08:40
    Track
    9
    Title
    Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, BWV 1: Opening Chorus
    Duration
    08:40
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  10. 10 He's Got the Whole World in His Hands (arr. M. Bonds) 03:08
    Track
    10
    Title
    He's Got the Whole World in His Hands (arr. M. Bonds)
    Duration
    03:08
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Janice Chandler-Eteme, Joseph Holt
  11. 11 In dulci jubilo 01:39
    Track
    11
    Title
    In dulci jubilo
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Marcel Dupré
    Performer
    J. Reilly Lewis
  12. 12 A Spotless Rose 02:53
    Track
    12
    Title
    A Spotless Rose
    Duration
    02:53
    Composer
    Herbert Howells
    Performer
    James Shaffran
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  13. 13 Maria Wiegenlied 02:16
    Track
    13
    Title
    Maria Wiegenlied
    Duration
    02:16
    Composer
    Max Reger
    Performer
    Janice Chandler-Eteme
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  14. 14 Christus, Op. 97, MWV A26: Chorus: There Shall a Star Come Out of Jacob (Sung in English) 05:21
    Track
    14
    Title
    Christus, Op. 97, MWV A26: Chorus: There Shall a Star Come Out of Jacob (Sung in English)
    Duration
    05:21
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  15. 15 Deck the Halls (arr. J. McKelvy) 01:23
    Track
    15
    Title
    Deck the Halls (arr. J. McKelvy)
    Duration
    01:23
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  16. 16 Babe of Bethlehem 03:34
    Track
    16
    Title
    Babe of Bethlehem
    Duration
    03:34
    Composer
    Edmund Walters
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  17. 17 Pastorale, BWV 590: Second Movement 03:00
    Track
    17
    Title
    Pastorale, BWV 590: Second Movement
    Duration
    03:00
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    J. Reilly Lewis
  18. 18 Tu scendi dalle stelle 02:38
    Track
    18
    Title
    Tu scendi dalle stelle
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Alphonsus Liguori
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  19. 19 Here We Come a-Wassailing (arr. J. Rutter) 03:52
    Track
    19
    Title
    Here We Come a-Wassailing (arr. J. Rutter)
    Duration
    03:52
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  20. 20 Kling, Glockchen (arr. W. Ehret and Levalier) 01:44
    Track
    20
    Title
    Kling, Glockchen (arr. W. Ehret and Levalier)
    Duration
    01:44
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Dotian Levalier
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  21. 21 Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645 04:07
    Track
    21
    Title
    Wachet auf, ruft uns die Stimme, BWV 645
    Duration
    04:07
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Performer
    J. Reilly Lewis
  22. 22 Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day 01:58
    Track
    22
    Title
    Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
    Duration
    01:58
    Composer
    John Gardner
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  23. 23 Hodie Christus natus est, SWV 456 06:08
    Track
    23
    Title
    Hodie Christus natus est, SWV 456
    Duration
    06:08
    Composer
    Heinrich Schütz
    Ensemble
    Washington Choral Arts Society, Washington Choral Arts Society Orchestra
    Conductor
    Norman Scribner
  24. 24 Sweet Little Jesus Boy 02:52
    Track
    24
    Title
    Sweet Little Jesus Boy
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Robert MacGimsey
    Performer
    Janice Chandler-Eteme