The Carpenters
Christmas Collection [ A & M / 2 CD - released 27/Nov/2020 ] How about snowy days and Mondays? The soft, soothing sounds of Karen and Richard Carpenter are perfectly suited to a white Christmas with a crackling fire; here are their Christmas Portrait ('78) and An Old Fashioned Christmas ('84) LPs, together in... |
TRADITIONAL
A Feast of Christmas Carols [4 CDs] The Cathedral Choirs of Durham, Norwich, Southwark and York Minster [ Priory / 4 CD Box Set - released 10/Dec/2010 ] Featuring the famous cathedral choirs of Durham, Norwich, Southwark and York Minsister. Over four hours playing time. |
J.S. BACH
A Bach Christmas: Magnificat, BWV 243a / Cantata: Christen, atzet diesen Tag / etc Catherine Bott & Elizabeth Scholl (sopranos) Christopher Robson (countertenor) Paul Agnew & Andrew King (tenors) / New London Consort / Philip Pickett [ ABC Philips Eloquence / CD - released 1/Dec/2005 ] "Marvellous life-enhancing music ... can be enjoyed at any time of the year, not just at Christmas" (MusicWeb Feb 2006) |
Cerys Matthews
Dylan Thomas: A Child's Christmas / Poems & Tiger Eggs [ Marvels of the Universe / 2 CD - released 7/Nov/2014 ] It was a Christmas in South Carolina that reawakened Cerys' love for Thomas and inspired her to mark his centenary with her most ambitious project yet - setting his words to music. Includes the whole of' A Child's Christmas in Wales' and poems... |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Veni Emmanuel: Music for Advent The Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, Graham Ross [ Harmonia Mundi / CD - released 5/Dec/2013 ] "Tavener's flair for drama is here; so are the influence of the Russian Orthodox liturgy and his gift for writing melodies and harmonies that are hard to shake off." (Times) |
VARIOUS COMPOSERS
Cantique De Noël: French Music For Christmas, From Berlioz To Debussy Choir Of Gonville & Caius College Cambridge, Geoffrey Webber (Director), Michael How & Luke Fitzgerald (Organ) [ Delphian / CD - released 19/Oct/2018 ] Geoffrey Webber and his choir have developed a reputation for exploring the unusual, and this album is no exception. A number of traditional French melodies have been adapted over the years to become familiar Christmas fare in English-speaking lands;... |
TRADITIONAL
Christmas-Time Carols from King's College Cambridge Choir of King's College Cambridge, David Willcocks [ Griffin / CD - released 25/Nov/2013 ] The earliest 15th century carols were based on simple folk melodies, with texts added representing Christmas ideas, but it was a long gap then until the Victorians, followed shortly by great 20th Century composers (Vaughan Williams, Holst etc),... |
DAVID BEDNALL
Welcome All Wonders: A Christmas Cantata The Choir of The Queen's College, Oxford / Owen Rees [ Signum / CD - released 29/Jul/2013 ] 'Welcome all Wonders: A Christmas Cantata' is a large-scale work for choir, organ and trumpet spanning 15 movements. It celebrates the Christmas story through an imaginative selection and juxtaposition of poetry and liturgical texts, and provides a... |
TRADITIONAL
Christmas at Westminster Abbey Choir of Westminster Abbey, Simon Preston, with Christopher Herrick, organ [ Deutsche Grammophon Eloquence / CD - released 10/Dec/2017 ] "The Choir of Westminster Abbey is on its toes in a lively mixture of old and new, familiar and less so." Gramophone |
J S BACH
Christmas Oratorio, BWV248 Katherine Watson (soprano), Iestyn Davies (countertenor), James Gilchrist (tenor) & Matthew Brook (bass) Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment [ Hyperion / CD - released 11/Oct/2013 ] "The acoustic of the Trinity College Chapel has been used most sympathetically and the recording combines ambience and clarity in a most pleasing way. Nicholas Anderson's booklet essay is first rate." (Recording of the Month - MusicWeb November 2013) |
CAMILLE SAINT-SAENS
Saint-Saens: Christmas Oratorio (with Mendelssohn - "Vom Himmel Hoch") Dresdner Philharmonie / Dresdner Kreuzchor / Martin Flamig [ Capriccio / CD - released 10/Nov/2010 ] Saint-Saëns's Christmas Oratorio (or Oratorio de Noël) was written in 1858 when he was just 23. This piece was originally scored for five Vocal Soloists, Chorus, Harp, String Quartet and Organ. |
Ella Fitzgerald
Ella Fitzgerald's Christmas [ Capital / CD - released 6/Nov/2006 ] O Holy Night; Joy to the World; We Three Kings; Silent Night; O Come All Ye Faithful, and Away in a Manger join Abide with Me; the Old Rugged Cross; in the Garden, and more enchanting Ella. 27 tracks! |
OLD ROMAN CHANT
Chant de l'eglise de Rome: Old Roman Chant: Christmas Masses Ensemble Organum / Marcel Peres (director) [ Zig Zag Territories / CD - released 20/Nov/2008 ] "If you think that you would like to recreate in your sitting room the world of a thousand years ago in a land somewhere between Jerusalem and Athens - whilst discovering the mysterious by-ways of Karanic cantillation - then this disc is for you."... |
Frank Sinatra
Ultimate Christmas [ Capitol / Universal / CD - released 6/Oct/2017 ] Ultimate Christmas is the essential new Frank Sinatra holiday collection, showcasing 20 classics from Sinatra's Capitol and Reprise catalogs such as 'White Christmas,' 'Silent Night,' 'Jingle Bells' and 'Santa Claus Is Coming To Town.' |
Friar Allessandro
Voice Of Joy (UK / International Version) [ Decca Records / CD - released 29/Nov/2013 ] Friar Alessandro has recorded an album of Christmas Carols and sacred arias, or as he describes it, an album of Joy. Since his first album was released in 2012, Alessandro has captured the hearts of people around the world with his beautiful voice... |
TALLIS / RUTTER / PRAETORIUS / HOLST/ HANDEL etc
Christmas The Gesualdo Six / Owain Park [ Hyperion / CD - released 1/Nov/2019 ] From the timeless plainchant 'Veni Emmanuel' via Jonathan Harvey to a riotous 'Jingle bells': Owain Park presents a programme of Christmas treats which effortlessly spans the centuries. |
Il Volo
Buon Natale: The Christmas Album [ Interscope / CD - released 1/Nov/2013 ] BUON NATALE is classical crossover trio Il Volo's new Christmas album. |
VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols Janice Watson (soprano) Peter Hoare (tenor) Stephen Gadd (baritone) / Royal Philharmonic Orchestra / Hilary Davan Wetton [ Naxos / CD - released 22/Nov/2007 ] "The performances are distinctive and good. That Naxos chose two of the composer's works which are not so popular or well known today is to be applauded." (MusicWeb Dec 2007) |
TRADITIONAL
Christmas at King's - 35 Favourite Carols & Fantasia on Christmas Carols King's College Choir, Cambridge, Sir David Willcocks [ Decca / 2 CD - released 1/Jan/1995 ] 35 seasonal favourites to put you in the Christmas mood, plus Vaughan Williams' 'Fantasia on Christmas Carols' |
TRADITIONAL CHRISTMAS
Christmas at King's College Cambridge King's College Choir, Cambridge / David Willcocks [ ALTO / CD - released 15/Nov/2012 ] 'The number of boy choristers was fixed at 16 by King Henry in 1453 and it is 16 still. While originally there were six lay clerks, there are now 12 choral scholars, who are undergraduates of the college studying for degrees. (The Director) therefore... |