A Choral Christmas

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LAURIDSEN / BYRD / VAUGHAN WILLIAMS / WHITACRE / HOLST / etc
A Choral Christmas
The Rodolfus Choir, Ralph Allwood (director)

[ Signum / CD ]

Release Date: Thursday 1 November 2012

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A leading light in the world of youth choral music, the Rodolfus Choir is made up of choristers from ages 16-25 who are past and present participants of the Eton Choral Courses, begun by the choir's director Ralph Allwood in 1980.

This new Christmas programme mixes the familiar with pieces not usually heard in carol services - such as Tomas Luis de Victoria's stunning eight-part 'Ave Maria' (from an edition prepared by John Rutter), and more recent works like Chris Chivers' 'Ecce Puer' and Eric Whitacre's 'Lux Aurumque'. Such a programme is well-suited to a group with the versatility and enthusiasm of the Rodolfus choir.

"The freshness of attack you get with younger voices is put to incisive use by conductor Ralph Allwood...Some of the emotional deepening which comes with vocal maturity is occasionally missing, but there are many qualities here that compensate." (BBC Music)

"For smooth, refined, effortless and warmly communicative singing this Christmas, you probably need look no further than this disc of somewhat less than mainstream Christmas music from the ever-impressive Rodolfus Choir." (International Record Review)

"From start to finish this is a superb recital and I'm delighted it is available widely to the public. The test of a good CD is wanting to play it again immediately and this is certainly one. A Christmas record to be delighted to give or receive!" (MusicWeb)

Tracks:

Byrd:
Lullaby, my sweet little baby

Chivers:
Ecce puer

Holst:
Lullay my liking, H129, Op. 34 No. 2

Lauridsen:
O magnum mysterium

Leighton:
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, Op. 25b

Radcliffe:
The Oxen

Tavener:
The Lamb

Vaughan Williams:
The truth sent from above

Whitacre:
Lux aurumque