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Avie Records

I Sing The Birth / New York Polyphony

$19.99

Details

Composer
BYRD PALESTRINA SMERT
Artist
New York Polyphony
Format
CD
Label
Avie Records
Released
Mar 01, 2008
Catalog #
AV2141
UPC
822252214123

About


There may be a better vocal Christmas disc to come along this season, but it would have to be awfully impressive to best this beautifully sung, imaginatively programmed effort from the male-quartet New York Polyphony. As the liner notes point out, Christmas uniquely brings together a hugely diverse range of musical styles and traditions, and this program reflects that diversity while maintaining the integrity of a unified program, in both atmosphere (amazingly, recorded in a church in the middle of New York!) and in the prevailing medieval/Renaissance sensibility of even the modern pieces. Of course the four singers have much to do with creating and sustaining the mood and imbuing the works with particular interpretive flavor--these are ideally matched, sensitively balanced voices, warm yet vibrant in the tradition of groups such as the Hilliard Ensemble. And the singing is impeccable--the breathing, the phrasing, all of the ensemble work shows musicians at one with each other and with the music at hand.

The repertoire is unusual, but not just for the sake of offering something "different"; there is purpose here in revealing the threads of early chant, medieval harmony, and Renaissance polyphony strung through to the most recent works, including one commissioned for this recording. Even ancient texts appear in the more modern pieces, including Kenneth Leighton's Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, the only selection on the program (other than the "Coventry Carol") that enjoys a relatively frequent presence on today's Christmas choral concerts and recordings. Here (and on a few other pieces) the men are joined by three women, one of whom is original Anonymous 4 member Ruth Cunningham, and unlike most other renditions, this one seems inspired a bit more by the work's jazz-like elements. As for the Coventry Carol, the four men somehow manage to juice the famous points of dissonance with even more delicious bite than usual.

Other highlights include the opening number, Andrew Smith's ravishing recent setting of Veni Redemptor gentium, which begins with the chant but, almost before you realize what's happening, transforms to a marvelous harmonic texture that ingeniously mixes ancient and new. Palestrina's Hodie Christus natus est, Byrd's O magnum mysterium, and Cornysh's starkly-harmonious, lively-rhythmic Ave Maria Mater Dei are all sung with utmost sensitivity, clarity, and virtuosity. Parsons' Ave Maria is a masterpiece and in its simple way, so is New York Polyphony's very lovely setting of Away in a manger--a performance you'll want to repeat many times. In fact, that applies to this entire expertly recorded disc, which offers many more pleasures too numerous to mention here, but that hopefully you'll soon discover for yourself.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 26 tracks

  1. 1 Mater Dei: Veni Redemptor gentium 02:36
    Track
    1
    Title
    Mater Dei: Veni Redemptor gentium
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    Andrew Smith
  2. 2 Hodie Christus natus est 00:53
    Track
    2
    Title
    Hodie Christus natus est
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Anonymous
  3. 3 Hodie Christus natus est 01:39
    Track
    3
    Title
    Hodie Christus natus est
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
  4. 4 Puer natus est nobis 02:47
    Track
    4
    Title
    Puer natus est nobis
    Duration
    02:47
    Composer
    Anonymous
  5. 5 3 Carols, Op. 25: No. 2. Lully, Lulla, thou little tiny child, "Coventry Carol" 02:58
    Track
    5
    Title
    3 Carols, Op. 25: No. 2. Lully, Lulla, thou little tiny child, "Coventry Carol"
    Duration
    02:58
    Composer
    Kenneth Leighton
  6. 6 Beata viscera 01:54
    Track
    6
    Title
    Beata viscera
    Duration
    01:54
    Composer
    Pérotin
  7. 7 Ave Maria mater Dei 02:36
    Track
    7
    Title
    Ave Maria mater Dei
    Duration
    02:36
    Composer
    William Cornysh
  8. 8 Alma Redemptoris Mater 01:39
    Track
    8
    Title
    Alma Redemptoris Mater
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Anonymous
  9. 9 The darkest midnight in December 02:05
    Track
    9
    Title
    The darkest midnight in December
    Duration
    02:05
    Composer
    Traditional
  10. 10 O magnum mysterium: The Fader of Heven 01:21
    Track
    10
    Title
    O magnum mysterium: The Fader of Heven
    Duration
    01:21
    Composer
    Peter Maxwell Davies
  11. 11 Vox in Rama 00:53
    Track
    11
    Title
    Vox in Rama
    Duration
    00:53
    Composer
    Anonymous
  12. 12 Vox in Rama 03:08
    Track
    12
    Title
    Vox in Rama
    Duration
    03:08
    Composer
    Jacobus Clemens non Papa
  13. 13 Vox in Rama 00:59
    Track
    13
    Title
    Vox in Rama
    Duration
    00:59
    Composer
    Anonymous
  14. 14 Away in a manger 02:26
    Track
    14
    Title
    Away in a manger
    Duration
    02:26
    Composer
    Traditional
  15. 15 Ave Maria 03:35
    Track
    15
    Title
    Ave Maria
    Duration
    03:35
    Composer
    Robert Parsons
  16. 16 The Coventry Carol, "Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child" 02:28
    Track
    16
    Title
    The Coventry Carol, "Lully, lullay, thou little tiny child"
    Duration
    02:28
    Composer
    Anonymous
  17. 17 Ave Maria 01:00
    Track
    17
    Title
    Ave Maria
    Duration
    01:00
    Composer
    Anonymous
  18. 18 Lullay, lullow, I saw a swete semly syght 02:10
    Track
    18
    Title
    Lullay, lullow, I saw a swete semly syght
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Traditional
  19. 19 Mervele noght, Josep 05:44
    Track
    19
    Title
    Mervele noght, Josep
    Duration
    05:44
    Composer
    Traditional
  20. 20 Nowell: Dieus wous garde 02:52
    Track
    20
    Title
    Nowell: Dieus wous garde
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Richard Smert
  21. 21 Veni Redemptor gentium 00:51
    Track
    21
    Title
    Veni Redemptor gentium
    Duration
    00:51
    Composer
    Anonymous
  22. 22 O magnum misterium 04:54
    Track
    22
    Title
    O magnum misterium
    Duration
    04:54
    Composer
    William Byrd
  23. 23 Ecce advenit dominator Dominus 02:07
    Track
    23
    Title
    Ecce advenit dominator Dominus
    Duration
    02:07
    Composer
    Anonymous
  24. 24 Magi veniunt 03:18
    Track
    24
    Title
    Magi veniunt
    Duration
    03:18
    Composer
    Jacobus Clemens non Papa
  25. 25 Nunc dimittis servum tuum 02:35
    Track
    25
    Title
    Nunc dimittis servum tuum
    Duration
    02:35
    Composer
    Andrew Smith
  26. 26 Vox in Rama 00:56
    Track
    26
    Title
    Vox in Rama
    Duration
    00:56
    Composer
    Anonymous