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Britten: Saint Nicholas - A Ceremony of Carols / Temple, BBC Concert Orchestra
Signum Classics

Britten: Saint Nicholas - A Ceremony of Carols / Temple, BBC Concert Orchestra

$19.99

Details

Composer
BRITTEN, BENJAMIN
Artist
Temple
Format
CD
Label
Signum Classics
Released
Nov 06, 2020
Catalog #
SIGCD649
UPC
635212064924

About

Crouch End Festival Chorus presents two Britten classics: Saint Nicolas and A Ceremony of Carols. Full of vibrancy and drama, Saint Nicolas is performed alongside the fabulous BBC Concert Orchestra and features tenor Mark Le Brocq as well as Coldfall Primary School Choir, members of Hertfordshire Chorus and Hannah Brine Choirs. The ever-popular A Ceremony of Carols is performed with harpist Sally Pryce, with both works conducted by David Temple. A Ceremony of Carols (1942/3) and Saint Nicolas (1948) are the earliest works that Benjamin Britten composed for public performance primarily for boys’ voices. These performances, recorded here at London’s All Saint’s Church and Alexandra Palace Theatre, truly show how glorious these two pieces of music are, and why they have remained so popular.

REVIEW:

This album stands out, for it might be considered an authentic performance. The main choir, gallery choir, boy soloists, and duo pianists here are all amateurs, and they bring a sense of discovery to the work and its narrative quality that's different from professional choir performances. The Ceremony of Carols has the requisite bright innocence, and the boy soloists in Saint Nicolas are top-notch. Conductor David Temple deserves special notice here, fusing the members of four separate choirs into a seamless whole. The engineering in the recently restored and acoustically ideal Alexandra Palace Theater is a bonus on top of this fine slice of the English choral tradition.

– AllMusicGuide.com (James Manheim)

Tracklist 21 tracks

  1. 1 Introduction 05:28
    Track
    1
    Title
    Introduction
    Duration
    05:28
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  2. 2 The Birth of Nicolas 02:20
    Track
    2
    Title
    The Birth of Nicolas
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq, Zachary Almeida-Rosser
    Ensemble
    Coldfall Primary School Choir, BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  3. 3 Nicolas devotes himself to God 04:37
    Track
    3
    Title
    Nicolas devotes himself to God
    Duration
    04:37
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq
    Ensemble
    BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  4. 4 He journeys to Palestine 07:51
    Track
    4
    Title
    He journeys to Palestine
    Duration
    07:51
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  5. 5 Nicolas comes to Myra and is chosen Bishop 06:41
    Track
    5
    Title
    Nicolas comes to Myra and is chosen Bishop
    Duration
    06:41
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus, Hannah Brine Choirs, members Hertfordshire Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  6. 6 Nicolas from Prison 03:04
    Track
    6
    Title
    Nicolas from Prison
    Duration
    03:04
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq
    Ensemble
    BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  7. 7 Nicolas and the Pickled Boys 06:12
    Track
    7
    Title
    Nicolas and the Pickled Boys
    Duration
    06:12
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq, Erykah Golon, Lara Gosling, Elodie Saunders
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  8. 8 His Piety and Marvellous Works 04:57
    Track
    8
    Title
    His Piety and Marvellous Works
    Duration
    04:57
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus, Hannah Brine Choirs, members Hertfordshire Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  9. 9 The Death of Nicolas 06:51
    Track
    9
    Title
    The Death of Nicolas
    Duration
    06:51
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Mark Le Brocq
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus, Hannah Brine Choirs, members Hertfordshire Chorus, BBC Concert Orchestra
    Conductor
    David Temple
  10. 10 Procession 01:32
    Track
    10
    Title
    Procession
    Duration
    01:32
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  11. 11 Wolcum yole! 01:20
    Track
    11
    Title
    Wolcum yole!
    Duration
    01:20
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Sally Pryce
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  12. 12 There is no rose 02:38
    Track
    12
    Title
    There is no rose
    Duration
    02:38
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Sally Pryce
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  13. 13 That yongë child 01:56
    Track
    13
    Title
    That yongë child
    Duration
    01:56
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Caroline Milton, Sally Pryce
    Conductor
    David Temple
  14. 14 Balulalow 01:22
    Track
    14
    Title
    Balulalow
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Genevieve Helsby, Sally Pryce
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  15. 15 As dew in Aprille 00:59
    Track
    15
    Title
    As dew in Aprille
    Duration
    00:59
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Sally Pryce
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  16. 16 This little Babe 01:28
    Track
    16
    Title
    This little Babe
    Duration
    01:28
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Sally Pryce
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  17. 17 Interlude 04:09
    Track
    17
    Title
    Interlude
    Duration
    04:09
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Sally Pryce
  18. 18 In freezing winter night 03:42
    Track
    18
    Title
    In freezing winter night
    Duration
    03:42
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Rosemary Zolynski, Alison Brister, Sally Pryce
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  19. 19 Spring Carol 01:09
    Track
    19
    Title
    Spring Carol
    Duration
    01:09
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Rosemary Zolynski, Caroline Milton, Sally Pryce
    Conductor
    David Temple
  20. 20 Deo Gracias! 01:11
    Track
    20
    Title
    Deo Gracias!
    Duration
    01:11
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Performer
    Sally Pryce
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple
  21. 21 Recession 01:42
    Track
    21
    Title
    Recession
    Duration
    01:42
    Composer
    Benjamin Britten
    Ensemble
    Crouch End Festival Chorus
    Conductor
    David Temple