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The Naxos Book Of Carols - An Advent Sequence In Music
Naxos

The Naxos Book Of Carols - An Advent Sequence In Music

$13.99
$19.99 Save 30%

Details

Composer
VARIOUS
Artist
Alex, Rebecca, L'Estrange, Simon, Hickey, Joanna, Grant, Richard, Forbes, Nicholas, Eteson, Chalmers
Format
CD
Label
Naxos
Released
Oct 19, 2004
Catalog #
8557330
UPC
747313233021

About

If you're very comfortable with your favorite Christmas carol choral arrangements, be prepared to adjust your ears and your sensibility as you listen to these newly commissioned--and sometimes very different--settings by Antony Pitts (who also happens to be a composer, radio producer, and the conductor of the vocal ensemble Tonus Peregrinus). Although Pitts strove to honor the original tunes and to preserve certain familiar aspects of carol singing forms and customs, he wasn't afraid to shake tradition with new harmonies and a few unusual melodies. Of course, how many ways can you harmonize "Lo, how a Rose e'er blooming" and still have it recognizable and singable? Pitts chooses not to tinker very much with this beloved hymn, instead substituting a completely different translation ("Lo, there a Rose is blooming") set to very familiar harmony, gradually introducing dissonances and changing the texture, carefully ornamenting the non-melodic lines. Other pieces are more daring--the melismatic inner parts and flatted sevenths in "While shepherds watched", for example, or the stark, open, fourth- and fifth-oriented harmonies in "O come, o come, Emmanuel".


While Pitts shows fertile imagination and often impressive resourcefulness in rethinking these 24 mostly well-known carols and hymns, some of his ideas are better than others, and occasionally we're left thinking that, well, maybe the traditional version really is the best after all. Among the offerings, which are presented in four thematically organized sections: a "Silent Night" that's just too schmaltzy for its own good; a plodding, tedious "O little town of Bethlehem" (to a tune many won't recognize, complete with theatre-organ tremolo!); a wonderfully dancing "Good King Wenceslas" that enlivens this usually routine song; a weirdly chaotic "Hark the herald angels sing"; a beautiful realization of the 15th-century "Alleluya--a new work"; and an unusual "Away in a manger" that features some delicious harmonies that cleverly illustrate the sound of the "lowing" cattle and the baby awaking. However, rather than describe these as I hear them, you should get this and judge for yourself. You may find some of these arrangements will become your new favorites--or at least welcome alternatives to the ubiquitous Willcocks/Rutter/Oxford Carol Book "standards". At the Naxos budget price, it's a great buy and, if you're interested, the arrangements are available online. [11/30/2004]
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com

Tracklist 24 tracks

  1. 1 O come, O come, Emmanuel (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 05:58
    Track
    1
    Title
    O come, O come, Emmanuel (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    05:58
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  2. 2 Of the Father's heart begotten (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 04:37
    Track
    2
    Title
    Of the Father's heart begotten (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    04:37
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  3. 3 O quickly come 02:52
    Track
    3
    Title
    O quickly come
    Duration
    02:52
    Composer
    Antony Pitts
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  4. 4 Verbum Patris umanatur (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 01:16
    Track
    4
    Title
    Verbum Patris umanatur (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  5. 5 Lo! He comes (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 04:24
    Track
    5
    Title
    Lo! He comes (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    04:24
    Composer
    Martin Madan, Thomas Olivers
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  6. 6 The Holly and the Ivy (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 02:45
    Track
    6
    Title
    The Holly and the Ivy (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Antony Pitts, Cecil James Sharp
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  7. 7 Lo, There is a Rose Blooming (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 02:23
    Track
    7
    Title
    Lo, There is a Rose Blooming (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    02:23
    Composer
    Michael Praetorius
    Performer
    Rebecca Hickey, Alexander L'Estrange, Richard Eteson, Simon Grant
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  8. 8 Alleluya - A New Work (arr. A. Pitts for 2 voices and organ) 06:04
    Track
    8
    Title
    Alleluya - A New Work (arr. A. Pitts for 2 voices and organ)
    Duration
    06:04
    Composer
    Anonymous
    Performer
    Joanna Forbes, Alexander L'Estrange, Antony Pitts
  9. 9 Ding! Dong! Merrily on High (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 01:39
    Track
    9
    Title
    Ding! Dong! Merrily on High (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    01:39
    Composer
    Jehan Tabourot
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  10. 10 While shepherds watched (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 02:31
    Track
    10
    Title
    While shepherds watched (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    02:31
    Composer
    George Kirbye, Christopher Tye
    Performer
    Kathryn Oswald, Simon Grant
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  11. 11 The Song of Angels (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 01:16
    Track
    11
    Title
    The Song of Angels (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    01:16
    Composer
    Orlando Gibbons
    Performer
    Rebecca Hickey
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  12. 12 Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 02:45
    Track
    12
    Title
    Festgesang, MWV D4, "Gutenberg-Kantate": No. 2. (adap. W.H. Cummings as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing) (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Felix Mendelssohn
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  13. 13 Silent Night (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 03:56
    Track
    13
    Title
    Silent Night (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    03:56
    Composer
    Franz Xaver Gruber
    Performer
    Richard Eteson
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  14. 14 Away in a Manger (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 02:20
    Track
    14
    Title
    Away in a Manger (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    02:20
    Composer
    William J. Kirkpatrick
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  15. 15 Baby Jesus, hush! now sleep (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 03:30
    Track
    15
    Title
    Baby Jesus, hush! now sleep (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    03:30
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Joanna Forbes, Alexander L'Estrange, Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  16. 16 O little town of Bethlehem (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 05:02
    Track
    16
    Title
    O little town of Bethlehem (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    05:02
    Composer
    John Michael Pitts
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  17. 17 Jesu, the very thought is sweet (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 04:49
    Track
    17
    Title
    Jesu, the very thought is sweet (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    04:49
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  18. 18 Adeste fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful) (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 03:56
    Track
    18
    Title
    Adeste fideles (O Come All Ye Faithful) (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    03:56
    Composer
    John Francis Wade
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  19. 19 Personent hodie (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 02:10
    Track
    19
    Title
    Personent hodie (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    02:10
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  20. 20 In dulci jubilo (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 02:45
    Track
    20
    Title
    In dulci jubilo (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    02:45
    Composer
    Johann Sebastian Bach, Michael Praetorius, John Stainer
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  21. 21 Good King Wenceslas (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 01:49
    Track
    21
    Title
    Good King Wenceslas (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    01:49
    Composer
    Traditional
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  22. 22 We Three Kings of Orient Are (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ) 03:07
    Track
    22
    Title
    We Three Kings of Orient Are (arr. A. Pitts for choir and organ)
    Duration
    03:07
    Composer
    John Henry Hopkins Jr.
    Performer
    Joanna Forbes, Kathryn Oswald, Richard Eteson, Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  23. 23 I saw three ships come sailing in (arr. A. Pitts for choir) 01:22
    Track
    23
    Title
    I saw three ships come sailing in (arr. A. Pitts for choir)
    Duration
    01:22
    Composer
    Traditional
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts
  24. 24 Hail to the Lord's Anointed 05:41
    Track
    24
    Title
    Hail to the Lord's Anointed
    Duration
    05:41
    Composer
    Antony Pitts
    Performer
    Nicholas Chalmers
    Ensemble
    Tonus Peregrinus
    Conductor
    Antony Pitts