My First Christmas Album

$9.99
Label
Naxos
Release Date
November 11, 2016
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      VARIOUS
    • PERFORMER
      Various
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      November 11, 2016
    • UPC
      747313834075
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      8578340
    • LABEL
      Naxos
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      1
    • GENRE
      Chamber Music & Recitals
    Works ⌄

    1. Once in Royal David's City

      Composer: Henry John Gauntlett

      Ensemble: Worcester Cathedral Choir

      Performer: Robert Stringer, Raymond Johnston

      Conductor: Donald Hunt

    2. Thredbo Suite: III. Sleighride to Thredbo (arr. P. Lane for orchestra)

      Composer: John Carmichael

      Ensemble: BBC Concert Orchestra

      Conductor: Barry Wordsworth

    3. We Three Kings of Orient Are (arr. A. Pitts for vocal ensemble)

      Composer: John Henry Hopkins Jr.

      Ensemble: Tonus Peregrinus

      Performer: Joanna Forbes, Kathryn Oswald, Richard Eteson, Nicholas Chalmers

      Conductor: Antony Pitts

    4. Sans Day Carol (arr. J. Rutter for choir)

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Tewkesbury Abbey Choir

      Conductor: Andrew Sackett

    5. Winter Wonderland (arr. for orchestra)

      Composer: Felix Bernard

      Ensemble: Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

      Conductor: Richard Hayman

    6. The Holly and the Ivy (arr. H.W. Davies for choir)

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Tewkesbury Abbey Choir

      Conductor: Andrew Sackett

    7. Messiah, HWV 56, Part I: Chorus: For unto us a Child is born (1751 Version)

      Composer: George Frideric Handel

      Ensemble: Choir of New College Oxford, Academy of Ancient Music

      Conductor: Edward Higginbottom

    8. Esta bella noche

      Composer: Luis Eduardo Galián

      Ensemble: Örebro Chamber Choir

      Performer: Mats Norrefalk, Stefan Bäcklund, Mats-Erik Björklund, Mats Nyström

      Conductor: Fred Sjöberg

    9. Concerto Grosso in G Minor, Op. 6, No. 8, "Christmas Concerto": II. Allegro

      Composer: Arcangelo Corelli

      Ensemble: Capella Istropolitana

      Conductor: Jaroslav Krček

    10. King Jesus hath a Garden

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: The Elora Singers

      Conductor: Noel Edison

    11. A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28: This Little Babe

      Composer: Benjamin Britten

      Ensemble: New London Children's Choir

      Performer: Skaila Kanga

      Conductor: Ronald Corp

    12. In the Bleak Midwinter

      Composer: Harold Darke

      Ensemble: The Elora Singers

      Performer: Michael Bloss

      Conductor: Noel Edison

    13. Good King Wenceslas (arr. R. Jacques for choir)

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Tewkesbury Abbey Choir

      Conductor: Andrew Sackett

    14. Jingle Bells (arr. P. Breiner for orchestra)

      Composer: James Lord Pierpont

      Ensemble: Slovak State Philharmonic Orchestra

      Conductor: Alfred Walter

    15. Noël Ukrainien, "Carol of the Bells"

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: La Petite Bande de Montréal

      Conductor: Martin Dagenais

    16. The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a: III. Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairies

      Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Ensemble: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra

      Conductor: Michael Halász

    17. Dancing Day: No. 8. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Finchley Children's Music Group

      Performer: John Evanson

      Conductor: Grace Rossiter

    18. Gaudete Christus est natus

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Oxford Camerata

      Conductor: Jeremy Summerly

    19. Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (arr. R. Hayman for orchestra)

      Composer: Johnny Marks

      Ensemble: Philharmonic Symphony Orchestra

      Conductor: Richard Hayman

    20. Away in a Manger (arr. D. Hunt for choir)

      Composer: William J. Kirkpatrick

      Ensemble: Worcester Cathedral Choir

      Conductor: Donald Hunt

    21. 20 Polish Christmas Carols: No. 7. Hurrying to Bethlehem

      Composer: Witold Lutosławski

      Ensemble: Polish Radio Choir, Polish National Radio Symphony Orchestra

      Conductor: Antoni Wit

    22. Kun Joulu on (At Christmas Time)

      Composer: Otto Kotilainen

      Ensemble: Resonus Chorus

      Conductor: Sauli Hannuksela

    23. Silent Night

      Composer: Franz Xaver Gruber

      Ensemble: The Elora Singers

      Performer: Michael Bloss

      Conductor: Noel Edison

    24. Noëls sur les instruments, H. 534: Vous qui désirez sans fin

      Composer: Marc-Antoine Charpentier

      Ensemble: Aradia Ensemble

      Conductor: Kevin Mallon

    25. A Maiden Most Gentle (arr. A. Carter for choir)

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Tewkesbury Abbey Choir

      Conductor: Andrew Sackett

    26. Folksongs of the Four Seasons: Winter: II. Wassail song

      Composer: Ralph Vaughan Williams

      Ensemble: City of London Choir, Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra

      Conductor: Hilary Davan Wetton

    27. The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a: IV. Russian Dance, "Trepak"

      Composer: Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky

      Ensemble: Slovak Philharmonic Orchestra

      Conductor: Michael Halász

    28. Unto Us is Born a Son (arr. D. Willcocks for choir and organ)

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Worcester Cathedral Choir

      Performer: Raymond Johnston

      Conductor: Donald Hunt

    29. Ding Dong Merrily on High (arr. D. Willcocks for choir and organ)

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: The Elora Singers

      Performer: Michael Bloss

      Conductor: Noel Edison

    30. Rocking

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Worcester Cathedral Choir

      Conductor: Donald Hunt


Can you imagine Christmas without music? No singing, no jingling. Only Scrooge would be happy with that! It is a time for music to fill the air. Part of the fun is hearing things that are only played at Christmas and at no other time of year - carols that make you think of the end of term, or the holidays or bobble hats - songs that make you think of food, or snow, or stockings. Here are some of the most popular carols, as well as some other surprises...Merry Christmas!

REVIEWS:

I have always been a great believer in the importance of presenting music of the highest possible quality regardless of the potential audience. This is done here — for the adult listener there is real interest and fascination in hearing such a wide range of choral styles.

I loved the predictably fine Lutoslawski/ Antoni Wit Polish National RSO & Choir Hurrying to Bethlehem. Again quite a different choral tone. Otto Kotilainen’s Finnish Kun Joulu on is something of a discovery beautifully performed—a lighter tone than the Polish choir but very expressive by the Finnish choir Chorus Resonus. Another virtuoso vocal group prove to be La Petite Bande de Montreal who contribute a brief but virtuosic Carol of the Bells. Jeremy Summerly’s Oxford Camerata are suitably vigorous in the Medieval Gaudete Christus est natus. As indeed is For Unto us from the Messiah from Edward Higginbottom, the Academy of Ancient Music and Oxford New College Choir. This is a delightfully sprung and sprightly version of an old favourite. Most of the carols are sung with little or no accompaniment other than the expected organ or keyboard. This makes the full orchestral version of Vaughan Williams’ Wassail Song particularly enjoyable.

So all in all a disc of palpable hits in terms of music and performance, and certainly something for the stocking of a young relative. No texts or translations are included. Well done to Naxos for producing a disc of great entertainment value but without compromising the artistic merit of it either.

-- MusicWeb International

If you’re looking for a Christmas album that the kids will like but won’t drive you up the wall, try this. It’s one of a series of Naxos CDs that try and introduce children to classical music...

Most of your favorite Christmas carols are on here, along with Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer and the Sugar Plum Fairy. For a Christmas album, it gets high praise: it’s not annoying, and only Scrooge could really find fault. It also introduces the small ones to classical playing.

-- The Chronicle