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In Terra Pax - A Christmas Anthology / Wetton, Bournemouth SO, City Of London Choir
Naxos

In Terra Pax - A Christmas Anthology / Wetton, Bournemouth SO, City Of London Choir

$19.99

Details

Composer
FINZI HOLST VAUGAN WILLIAMS
Artist
Doyle, Williams, Davan Whetton
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Nov 17, 2009
Catalog #
8572102
UPC
747313210275

About

This new holiday season has brought with it some smartly programmed Christmas choral recordings, including this one that combines The City of London Choir, soloists, organ, and the Bournemouth Symphony in both familiar works (Herbert Howells' A spotless Rose and Here is the little door; John Gardner's Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; John Rutter's What sweeter music; John Joubert's There is no rose) with those we just don't hear often enough. Among the latter are three extended pieces, Holst's Christmas Day--a festive and cleverly structured joining of several carols with its central theme, Good Christian men, rejoice; Finzi's In terra pax--a 16-minute setting of texts from poet Robert Bridges and from the gospel of St. Luke, its pleasingly meandering, engagingly tuneful, colorfully orchestrated style (with occasional big, dramatic outbursts) making for an evocative tone painting of "A frosty Christmas Eve when the stars were shining..."; and from Kenneth Leighton, not his well-loved Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, but the longer and very challenging A hymn of the Nativity, which shows impressive virtuosity from the choir. It's also a pleasure to hear Peter Warlock's delightful little gem, Tyrley, tyrlow, as well as the more often-performed Balulalow.

Baritone Roderick Williams and soprano Julia Doyle are ideal soloists in the Finzi, but Williams stands out for his warm, lyrical tone, fluid, natural phrasing, and affecting expression. He's a very gifted interpreter whose discs of Finzi songs and "Children's" songs are well worth checking out. Doyle's opening to the Leighton and subsequent interaction with the choir in this difficult a cappella work is very well done, as is the substantial contribution from the orchestra. Conductor Hilary Davan Wetton has a cool and perfectly judged sense of both the celebratory and the serene, important in realizing the variety of mood and complexity in these 20th-century works. I had a little trouble with the extremely slight intonation discrepancy between choir and organ in Rutter's What sweeter music, which must have been a function of the particular acoustic space--a different venue from most of the other selections. Some listeners will notice; others won't.

The program ends in grand style with Vaughan Williams' God bless the Master (the last of his set of four "Winter" songs from his Folk songs of the four seasons. You can't help but be caught up in the joyful spirit that's apparent throughout all the performances on this disc, from the soloists and accompanists to the choir and orchestra. And while that alone is reason enough to own this, you really shouldn't miss the Leighton or the very rarely-recorded In terra pax, in this now-reference version of the work.

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 17 tracks

  1. 1 Christmas Day 07:37
    Track
    1
    Title
    Christmas Day
    Duration
    07:37
    Composer
    Gustav Holst
    Performer
    Julia Doyle, Lydia Challen, Julian Davies, Simon Oberst
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  2. 2 There is no Rose, Op. 14 02:23
    Track
    2
    Title
    There is no Rose, Op. 14
    Duration
    02:23
    Composer
    John Joubert
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  3. 3 Ave Rex, Op. 45: IV. Sir Christèmas (version for choir and organ) 01:26
    Track
    3
    Title
    Ave Rex, Op. 45: IV. Sir Christèmas (version for choir and organ)
    Duration
    01:26
    Composer
    William Mathias
    Performer
    Mark Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  4. 4 Here is the little door 03:30
    Track
    4
    Title
    Here is the little door
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    Herbert Howells
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  5. 5 A Spotless Rose 03:10
    Track
    5
    Title
    A Spotless Rose
    Duration
    03:10
    Composer
    Herbert Howells
    Performer
    Roderick Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  6. 6 In terra pax, Christmas Scene, Op. 39 16:16
    Track
    6
    Title
    In terra pax, Christmas Scene, Op. 39
    Duration
    16:16
    Composer
    Gerald Finzi
    Performer
    Julia Doyle, Roderick Williams, Mark Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  7. 7 No. 1. Tyrley, tyrlow 02:01
    Track
    7
    Title
    No. 1. Tyrley, tyrlow
    Duration
    02:01
    Composer
    Peter Warlock
    Performer
    Mark Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  8. 8 No. 2. Balulalow 02:20
    Track
    8
    Title
    No. 2. Balulalow
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    Peter Warlock
    Performer
    Julia Doyle, Mark Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  9. 9 No. 3. As I sat under a sycamore tree 01:44
    Track
    9
    Title
    No. 3. As I sat under a sycamore tree
    Duration
    01:44
    Composer
    Peter Warlock
    Performer
    Mark Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  10. 10 A Hymn of the Nativity 06:14
    Track
    10
    Title
    A Hymn of the Nativity
    Duration
    06:14
    Composer
    Kenneth Leighton
    Performer
    Julia Doyle
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  11. 11 What sweeter music 04:21
    Track
    11
    Title
    What sweeter music
    Duration
    04:21
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Performer
    Mark Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  12. 12 Tomorrow shall be my dancing day 02:00
    Track
    12
    Title
    Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
    Duration
    02:00
    Composer
    John Gardner
    Performer
    Mark Williams, Ben Glassberg
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  13. 13 A Babe is Born, Op. 55 03:05
    Track
    13
    Title
    A Babe is Born, Op. 55
    Duration
    03:05
    Composer
    William Mathias
    Performer
    Mark Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  14. 14 I. Children's Christmas song 03:39
    Track
    14
    Title
    I. Children's Christmas song
    Duration
    03:39
    Composer
    Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  15. 15 II. Wassail song 02:31
    Track
    15
    Title
    II. Wassail song
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  16. 16 III. In Bethlehem city 04:35
    Track
    16
    Title
    III. In Bethlehem city
    Duration
    04:35
    Composer
    Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton
  17. 17 IV. God bless the Master 04:05
    Track
    17
    Title
    IV. God bless the Master
    Duration
    04:05
    Composer
    Ralph Vaughan Williams
    Ensemble
    City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra
    Conductor
    Hilary Davan Wetton