Some years bring an influx of Christmas recordings from chamber groups, orchestras, or opera divas. The year 2014 has been a strong one for holiday releases by choral groups. We're spinning three this week.
The Wonder of Christmas
Elora Festival Singers; Noel Edison, director; Michael Bloss, organ
Naxos
Available at Arkivmusic.com
Like your carols straightforward? The Elora Festival Singers, from Ontario, Canada, offer the most traditional option of the new releases, emphasizing the spiritual aspect of the season. Tracks including "Once in Royal David's City," “The Holly and the Ivy” and “What Child is This?” feature a crystalline, harmonically rounded sound. Compositions by Benjamin Britten ("A Boy Was Born") and John Tavener ("Rocking, Carol for Christmas") add a more contemporary texture to the mix of popular tunes and early music. A surprisingly rousing "The First Nowell" ends the album on an up note.
A Caius Christmas
Choir of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge
Geoffrey Webber, conductor
Delphian
Available at Arkivmusic.com
This collection from the Choir of Gonville & Caius College in Cambridge, England takes a few more chances with alternate settings of standard carols (“The Holly and the Ivy” and “What Child is This?”) an intriguingly dissonant arrangement by Jan Sandstrom of “Lo, How a Rose E’er Blooming," and some wonderful curiosities including Francis Poulenc’s “Videntes stellam,” Anton Webern’s odd 80-second-long “Dormi Jesu,” Pierre Villette’s “Hymne a la Vierge” and an unusual but largely effective reharmonization of “Stille Nacht.”
Carols from the Old & New Worlds, Vol. 3
Chamber Choir Ireland
Paul Hillier, director
Available at Arkivmusic.com
Conductor Paul Hillier has presided over several Christmas collections, and his latest, with the Chamber Choir Ireland, features repertoire from Ireland, the USA, England and Alpine regions. There are no fewer than 10 arrangements by Hillier himself, including the mystic “Remember, O thou man,” set to the tune St. Elisabeth. There’s also a delectable "Sweet was the song the Virgin sung" sung by American experimentalist Henry Cowell (whose grandfather was dean of Kildare Cathedral), and "Merk auf, mein Herz," a joyful motet attributed to Johann Christoph Bach. Seven advent motets frame the set.