Signum Classics
The Carols Album / Huddersfield Choral Society, Et Al
$9.99
Details
- Composer
- VARIOUS
- Artist
- Cullen, Battiwalla, Huddersfield Choral Society
- Format
- CD
- Label
- Signum Classics
- Released
- Jan 01, 2007
- Catalog #
- SIGCD108
- UPC
- 635212010822
About
Favourite carols in varied and attractive arrangements, well sung and recorded.
There are a few surprises right from the start of this disc. First, an introduction to the carol "Hark the herald angels sing" by an unnamed brass group, second the use of a new (to me) arrangement, and finally the sound of a well trained and well recorded choir but singing with polished Southern vowels. Whilst I regret the loss of some of the individuality which a more characteristically Yorkshire sound used to give this splendid choir, it is by no means a serious defect, and the other surprises I have mentioned are positive gains. The brass group are used sparingly in a small number of carols, but there they do add a distinctive colour of a kind familiar to devotees of Songs of Praise. The new arrangements (again, to me) of many of the carols are generally welcome, especially most of those by the excellent organist, Darius Battiwalla. The contrasting "Little Jesus, sweetly sleep" and "I saw three ships" show him able to grasp the essence of a tune and embellish it without swamping or contradicting that essence. Unfortunately this does not apply in the final item – "Christians awake" – which loses its wonderful rough dignity in gaining a regrettable Broadway Musicals sound.
Many of the other arrangements are by the conductor, Joseph Cullen, who shows a similarly approach and skill to Darius Battiwalla. Older arrangements are by no means completely neglected, and "Gabriel’s message" in Edgar Pettman’s lovely arrangement and Harold Darke’s "In the bleak midwinter" are highlights for me. Less so are John Rutter’s perversion of Adophe Adam’s delightful song or the pleasant but by now hackneyed arrangements by David Willcocks. One surprise is the inclusion of Reginald Spofforth’s Glee, "Hail! smiling morn". Even if it does sound better with single voices to a part, it makes a delightful effect here, and I hope that other choirs may be tempted to include it in carol concerts, even if the words have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.
The problem of the order in which to perform carols to ensure a good variety of character is solved very well, so that the disc can be enjoyed when listened through as a whole. All in all, if you want a recording of most of your favourite carols (but no "Good King Wenceslas" or "While shepherds") in varied and mainly attractive arrangements, well sung and recorded, this may well be exactly what you are after.
--John Sheppard, MusicWeb International
There are a few surprises right from the start of this disc. First, an introduction to the carol "Hark the herald angels sing" by an unnamed brass group, second the use of a new (to me) arrangement, and finally the sound of a well trained and well recorded choir but singing with polished Southern vowels. Whilst I regret the loss of some of the individuality which a more characteristically Yorkshire sound used to give this splendid choir, it is by no means a serious defect, and the other surprises I have mentioned are positive gains. The brass group are used sparingly in a small number of carols, but there they do add a distinctive colour of a kind familiar to devotees of Songs of Praise. The new arrangements (again, to me) of many of the carols are generally welcome, especially most of those by the excellent organist, Darius Battiwalla. The contrasting "Little Jesus, sweetly sleep" and "I saw three ships" show him able to grasp the essence of a tune and embellish it without swamping or contradicting that essence. Unfortunately this does not apply in the final item – "Christians awake" – which loses its wonderful rough dignity in gaining a regrettable Broadway Musicals sound.
Many of the other arrangements are by the conductor, Joseph Cullen, who shows a similarly approach and skill to Darius Battiwalla. Older arrangements are by no means completely neglected, and "Gabriel’s message" in Edgar Pettman’s lovely arrangement and Harold Darke’s "In the bleak midwinter" are highlights for me. Less so are John Rutter’s perversion of Adophe Adam’s delightful song or the pleasant but by now hackneyed arrangements by David Willcocks. One surprise is the inclusion of Reginald Spofforth’s Glee, "Hail! smiling morn". Even if it does sound better with single voices to a part, it makes a delightful effect here, and I hope that other choirs may be tempted to include it in carol concerts, even if the words have absolutely nothing to do with Christmas.
The problem of the order in which to perform carols to ensure a good variety of character is solved very well, so that the disc can be enjoyed when listened through as a whole. All in all, if you want a recording of most of your favourite carols (but no "Good King Wenceslas" or "While shepherds") in varied and mainly attractive arrangements, well sung and recorded, this may well be exactly what you are after.
--John Sheppard, MusicWeb International
Tracklist 26 tracks
-
1 Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. D. Battiwalla) 03:21
- Track
- 1
- Title
- Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. D. Battiwalla)
- Duration
- 03:21
- Composer
- Felix Mendelssohn
- Performer
- Darius Battiwalla
- Ensemble
- Huddersfield Choral Society
- Conductor
- Joseph Cullen
-
2 Gaudete 01:25
- Track
- 2
- Title
- Gaudete
- Duration
- 01:25
- Composer
- Traditional
-
3 Gabriel's Message 02:39
- Track
- 3
- Title
- Gabriel's Message
- Duration
- 02:39
- Composer
- Traditional
-
4 O little town of Bethlehem 03:30
- Track
- 4
- Title
- O little town of Bethlehem
- Duration
- 03:30
- Composer
- Ralph Vaughan Williams
-
5 Pageant of the Shearman and Tailors: Coventry Carol 02:37
- Track
- 5
- Title
- Pageant of the Shearman and Tailors: Coventry Carol
- Duration
- 02:37
- Composer
- Traditional
-
6 In Excelsis Gloria 02:44
- Track
- 6
- Title
- In Excelsis Gloria
- Duration
- 02:44
- Composer
- Joseph Cullen
-
7 Silent Night 04:13
- Track
- 7
- Title
- Silent Night
- Duration
- 04:13
- Composer
- Franz Xaver Gruber
-
8 Quelle est cette odeur agreable? (Whence is that Goodly Fragrance Flowing?) 04:02
- Track
- 8
- Title
- Quelle est cette odeur agreable? (Whence is that Goodly Fragrance Flowing?)
- Duration
- 04:02
- Composer
- Traditional
-
9 Angels from the Realms of Glory 03:41
- Track
- 9
- Title
- Angels from the Realms of Glory
- Duration
- 03:41
- Composer
- Traditional
-
10 Ave Maria 02:13
- Track
- 10
- Title
- Ave Maria
- Duration
- 02:13
- Composer
- Simon Lindley
-
11 Joy to the world, the Lord is come 01:49
- Track
- 11
- Title
- Joy to the world, the Lord is come
- Duration
- 01:49
- Composer
- W. Holford
-
12 Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep 02:34
- Track
- 12
- Title
- Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep
- Duration
- 02:34
- Composer
- Traditional
-
13 Unto Us a Boy Is Born! 01:48
- Track
- 13
- Title
- Unto Us a Boy Is Born!
- Duration
- 01:48
- Composer
- Anonymous
-
14 Love Came Down at Christmas 01:42
- Track
- 14
- Title
- Love Came Down at Christmas
- Duration
- 01:42
- Composer
- Sidney Hann
-
15 O Come All ye Faithful 03:59
- Track
- 15
- Title
- O Come All ye Faithful
- Duration
- 03:59
- Composer
- John Francis Wade
-
16 The Holly and the Ivy 02:33
- Track
- 16
- Title
- The Holly and the Ivy
- Duration
- 02:33
- Composer
- Traditional
-
17 O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël) 05:34
- Track
- 17
- Title
- O Holy Night (Cantique de Noël)
- Duration
- 05:34
- Composer
- Adolphe Adam
-
18 In the Bleak Mid-Winter 04:19
- Track
- 18
- Title
- In the Bleak Mid-Winter
- Duration
- 04:19
- Composer
- Harold Darke
-
19 Ding Dong Merrily On High 02:04
- Track
- 19
- Title
- Ding Dong Merrily On High
- Duration
- 02:04
- Composer
- Traditional
-
20 It Came upon the Midnight Clear 03:20
- Track
- 20
- Title
- It Came upon the Midnight Clear
- Duration
- 03:20
- Composer
- Traditional
-
21 6 Glees: No. 6. Hail, Smiling Morn 02:10
- Track
- 21
- Title
- 6 Glees: No. 6. Hail, Smiling Morn
- Duration
- 02:10
- Composer
- Reginald Spofforth
-
22 On Christmas Night, "Sussex Carol" (arr. D. Willcocks for choir and organ) 01:38
- Track
- 22
- Title
- On Christmas Night, "Sussex Carol" (arr. D. Willcocks for choir and organ)
- Duration
- 01:38
- Composer
- Traditional
-
23 Of the Father's Heart Begotten 03:16
- Track
- 23
- Title
- Of the Father's Heart Begotten
- Duration
- 03:16
- Composer
- Theodoricus Petri Nylandensis
-
24 Away in a Manger 02:33
- Track
- 24
- Title
- Away in a Manger
- Duration
- 02:33
- Composer
- William J. Kirkpatrick
-
25 I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In 01:47
- Track
- 25
- Title
- I Saw Three Ships Come Sailing In
- Duration
- 01:47
- Composer
- Traditional
-
26 Christians Awake 02:39
- Track
- 26
- Title
- Christians Awake
- Duration
- 02:39
- Composer
- John Wainwright