The John Rutter Christmas Album / Rutter, The Cambridge Singers

$9.99
Label
Collegium Records
Release Date
November 4, 2002
Format
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    Featuring ⌄
    • COMPOSER
      RUTTER, JOHN
    • PERFORMER
      Rutter, Cambridge Singers, City Of London Sinfonia, Varcoe
    Product Details ⌄
    • RELEASE DATE
      November 04, 2002
    • UPC
      040888051022
    • CATALOG NUMBER
      CSCD510
    • LABEL
      Collegium Records
    • NUMBER OF DISCS
      1
    • GENRE
      Choral - Secular
    Works ⌄

    1. Wexford Carol

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers

      Performer: Stephen Varcoe

      Conductor: John Rutter

    2. Jesus child

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    3. There is a flower

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers

      Performer: Ruth Holton

      Conductor: John Rutter

    4. Donkey carol

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    5. Wild wood carol

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Performer: Gerald Finley

      Conductor: John Rutter

    6. Angels' carol

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    7. Nativity carol

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    8. Mary's lullaby

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    9. Star carol

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    10. Candlelight Carol

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    11. Shepherd's Pipe Carol

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    12. Christmas lullaby

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    13. Dormi, Jesu

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    14. Love came down at Christmas

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    15. Sans Day carol

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    16. I wonder as I wander

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers

      Performer: Gerald Finley

      Conductor: John Rutter

    17. What sweeter music

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    18. Joy to the world

      Composer: Lowell Mason

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    19. I saw three ships

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    20. Deck the hall

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers

      Conductor: John Rutter

    21. The very best time of year

      Composer: John Rutter

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    22. We wish you a merry Christmas

      Composer: Traditional

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter

    23. Silent Night (Stille Nacht)

      Composer: Franz Xaver Gruber

      Ensemble: Cambridge Singers, City of London Sinfonia

      Conductor: John Rutter


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