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Festival of Carols / McNair, Stark, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir
Naxos

Festival of Carols / McNair, Stark, Indianapolis Symphonic Choir

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Details

Composer
VARIOUS
Artist
Mcnair, Stark
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Nov 08, 2019
Catalog #
8579065
UPC
747313906574

About

This collection of best-loved Christmas repertoire was recorded live at the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir Festival of Carols concerts in 2015 and 2016. GRAMMY award-winning vocalist Sylvia McNair adds her own unique beauty and warmth, and as ever, the programme celebrates the joys of the season with sparkling versions of family favorites. The tranquillity and magic of Christmas eve, heartfelt messages of hope, reconciliation and peace, and thrilling new compositions all combine to capture the celebratory excitement of the holiday season.

REVIEWS:

The title refers to the practice in many churches of having a ceremony of carols and traditionals during the Christmas season, a holiday for the choir when they can really open up and let 'er rip, and, quite often, a sing-along for the congregation as well. It is, after all, the most joyous time of the Christian year.

We get all of that in a well-packed program by the Indianapolis Symphonic Choir and Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra under conductor Eric Stark. The substantial choir are supported by an orchestra that plays with a lot of gusto, especially the folks in the percussion section (this genre of music encourages a lot of gongs and bells). Listen for some distinguished playing by pianist David Duncan in Rob Swenson’s Christmas Hosanna with its jaunty rhythms recalling that old chestnut, Good Christian men, rejoice.

Most welcome of all is soprano Sylvia McNair, whose warm vocal presence...adds a special quality to such songs by contemporary composers as Mary, Did You Know? (Buddy Greene) in which the choir asks Jesus’ mother a series of poignant questions (“Did you know when you kissed your baby boy, then you touched the face of God?) and Grown-Up Christmas List (David Foster/Linda Thompson Jenner) with its plea for greater understanding and peace among people).

McNair does some of her best work in the two spirituals, This Little Light of Mine and Go Tell It on the Mountain, the last-named with an accompaniment by David Duncan that partakes deliciously of the spirit of the blues and R&B. Sylvia’s intimate vocal warmth and sensitive interpretation capture the special quality of both these grand old songs.

There’s something for everyone here, including J.S. Bach’s Sinfonia from the Christmas Oratorio, its lilting melodies and swaying pastoral rhythm recalling those time-honored instruments of simple shepherds, the wooden flute and the hurdy-gurdy. We also have John Rutter’s All Bells in Paradise and his Magnificat, the lastnamed animated by use of Latin-American rhythms, Mendelssohn’s Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, a recounting by composer William Goldstein of ‘Twas the Night before Chistmas with delightful spoken narration by Sherry Stark, and a rousing Jingle Bells.

-- Audio Video Club of Atlanta

Tracklist 17 tracks

  1. 1 Joy to the World (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra) 02:53
    Track
    1
    Title
    Joy to the World (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    02:53
    Composer
    Lowell Mason
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  2. 2 Ave Rex, Op. 45: IV. Sir Christemas (version for choir and wind ensemble) 01:25
    Track
    2
    Title
    Ave Rex, Op. 45: IV. Sir Christemas (version for choir and wind ensemble)
    Duration
    01:25
    Composer
    William Mathias
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  3. 3 Grown-Up Christmas List (arr. D. Clydesdale for voice, choir and orchestra) 04:50
    Track
    3
    Title
    Grown-Up Christmas List (arr. D. Clydesdale for voice, choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    04:50
    Composer
    David Foster
    Performer
    Sylvia McNair
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  4. 4 Christmas Hosanna 02:51
    Track
    4
    Title
    Christmas Hosanna
    Duration
    02:51
    Composer
    Rob Swenson
    Performer
    David Duncan
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  5. 5 Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra) 03:36
    Track
    5
    Title
    Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    03:36
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  6. 6 This Little Light of Mine (arr. M. Hogan for voice and choir) 04:06
    Track
    6
    Title
    This Little Light of Mine (arr. M. Hogan for voice and choir)
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Sylvia McNair
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  7. 7 Magnificat: Magnificat anima mea 06:47
    Track
    7
    Title
    Magnificat: Magnificat anima mea
    Duration
    06:47
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  8. 8 Kling, Glöckchen, Kling (arr. S. Mager for mixed choir and orchestra) 03:13
    Track
    8
    Title
    Kling, Glöckchen, Kling (arr. S. Mager for mixed choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    03:13
    Composer
    Benedikt Widmann
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  9. 9 Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: Part II: Sinfonia 05:33
    Track
    9
    Title
    Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248: Part II: Sinfonia
    Duration
    05:33
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Michael Davis
  10. 10 Mary, Did You Know? (arr. B. Eads for voice and orchestra) 04:29
    Track
    10
    Title
    Mary, Did You Know? (arr. B. Eads for voice and orchestra)
    Duration
    04:29
    Composer
    Buddy Greene
    Performer
    Sylvia McNair
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  11. 11 All Bells in Paradise 06:08
    Track
    11
    Title
    All Bells in Paradise
    Duration
    06:08
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  12. 12 Jingle Bells (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra) 02:40
    Track
    12
    Title
    Jingle Bells (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    02:40
    Composer
    James Lord Pierpont
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  13. 13 Go Tell It on the Mountain (arr. B. Eads for voice and piano) 03:02
    Track
    13
    Title
    Go Tell It on the Mountain (arr. B. Eads for voice and piano)
    Duration
    03:02
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Sylvia McNair, David Duncan
  14. 14 'Twas the Night Before Christmas 06:09
    Track
    14
    Title
    'Twas the Night Before Christmas
    Duration
    06:09
    Composer
    William Goldstein
    Performer
    Sherry Stark
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  15. 15 Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra) 04:21
    Track
    15
    Title
    Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabella (arr. M. Wilberg for choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    04:21
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  16. 16 O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël) (arr. B. Eads for voice, choir and orchestra) 06:15
    Track
    16
    Title
    O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël) (arr. B. Eads for voice, choir and orchestra)
    Duration
    06:15
    Composer
    Adolphe Adam
    Performer
    Sylvia McNair
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark
  17. 17 The Dream Isaiah Saw 05:55
    Track
    17
    Title
    The Dream Isaiah Saw
    Duration
    05:55
    Composer
    Glenn L. Rudolph
    Ensemble
    Indianapolis Symphonic Choir, Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra
    Conductor
    Eric Stark