Collegium Records

The John Rutter Christmas Album / Rutter, The Cambridge Singers

$12.99

Details

Composer
RUTTER, JOHN
Artist
Rutter, Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia, Varcoe
Format
CD
Label
Collegium Records
Released
Nov 04, 2002
Catalog #
CSCD510
UPC
040888051022

About

Over the years John Rutter's Christmas recordings with his outstanding Cambridge Singers have become essential components of holiday tradition for choral music fans around the world. Throughout the 1980s and early '90s Rutter's legions of followers were treated to several now-classic CD albums for Collegium, including Christmas Night, Christmas with the Cambridge Singers, and Christmas Day in the Morning. It's from these recordings that the present program was drawn, with the addition of two newly issued tracks--Dormi, Jesu and Love came down at Christmas. Yes, if you already own those other discs, for completeness' sake and, well, just because it's a new Rutter release, you'll still have to have this one. And that's not a bad thing at all, especially since all of these tracks have been remastered in notably clearer, more vibrant sound than their 10- or 15-year-old predecessors.

The selections focus on Rutter's own compositions, with "a sprinkling" of his arrangements of traditional carols organized (in typical Rutter/Cambridge Singers fashion) into a thematically grouped program--Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas reflections, Christmas Joy, and Epilogue--the latter consisting of a lovely setting of Silent Night, made for a 1988 BBC television production. And speaking of classics, among the 23 pieces heard here is Rutter's masterpiece, What sweeter music, a staple of Christmas programs everywhere (and a continuing presence in a popular series of Volvo commercials), sounding even more glorious than ever. [11/23/2002]

--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 23 tracks

  1. 1 Wexford Carol 03:58
    Track
    1
    Title
    Wexford Carol
    Duration
    03:58
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Stephen Varcoe
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  2. 2 Jesus child 03:18
    Track
    2
    Title
    Jesus child
    Duration
    03:18
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  3. 3 There is a flower 04:04
    Track
    3
    Title
    There is a flower
    Duration
    04:04
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Performer
    Ruth Holton
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  4. 4 Donkey carol 03:32
    Track
    4
    Title
    Donkey carol
    Duration
    03:32
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  5. 5 Wild wood carol 03:07
    Track
    5
    Title
    Wild wood carol
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Performer
    Gerald Finley
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  6. 6 Angels' carol 03:14
    Track
    6
    Title
    Angels' carol
    Duration
    03:14
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  7. 7 Nativity carol 04:20
    Track
    7
    Title
    Nativity carol
    Duration
    04:20
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  8. 8 Mary's lullaby 03:27
    Track
    8
    Title
    Mary's lullaby
    Duration
    03:27
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  9. 9 Star carol 02:50
    Track
    9
    Title
    Star carol
    Duration
    02:50
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  10. 10 Candlelight Carol 04:06
    Track
    10
    Title
    Candlelight Carol
    Duration
    04:06
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  11. 11 Shepherd's Pipe Carol 02:54
    Track
    11
    Title
    Shepherd's Pipe Carol
    Duration
    02:54
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  12. 12 Christmas lullaby 04:04
    Track
    12
    Title
    Christmas lullaby
    Duration
    04:04
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  13. 13 Dormi, Jesu 04:35
    Track
    13
    Title
    Dormi, Jesu
    Duration
    04:35
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  14. 14 Love came down at Christmas 02:30
    Track
    14
    Title
    Love came down at Christmas
    Duration
    02:30
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  15. 15 Sans Day carol 03:07
    Track
    15
    Title
    Sans Day carol
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  16. 16 I wonder as I wander 02:52
    Track
    16
    Title
    I wonder as I wander
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Gerald Finley
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  17. 17 What sweeter music 04:18
    Track
    17
    Title
    What sweeter music
    Duration
    04:18
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  18. 18 Joy to the world 02:30
    Track
    18
    Title
    Joy to the world
    Duration
    02:30
    Composer
    Lowell Mason
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  19. 19 I saw three ships 02:10
    Track
    19
    Title
    I saw three ships
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  20. 20 Deck the hall 01:40
    Track
    20
    Title
    Deck the hall
    Duration
    01:40
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  21. 21 The very best time of year 03:40
    Track
    21
    Title
    The very best time of year
    Duration
    03:40
    Composer
    John Rutter
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  22. 22 We wish you a merry Christmas 01:42
    Track
    22
    Title
    We wish you a merry Christmas
    Duration
    01:42
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter
  23. 23 Silent Night (Stille Nacht) 03:52
    Track
    23
    Title
    Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
    Duration
    03:52
    Composer
    Franz Xaver Gruber
    Ensemble
    Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia
    Conductor
    John Rutter