Amazon.co.uk allows you to pay for your items in your local currency. Restrictions apply. Learn More. |
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
Listen to Samples and Buy MP3s
Songs from this album are available to purchase as MP3s. Click on "Buy MP3" or
view the MP3 Album.
|
Product Description
Review
Recommended in Classic fm's Christmas CD Guide. --Classic fm Magazine,Dec'11
Chandos engineering(specially impressive on the SACD layers) casts a luminescent glow round these excellent performances by the choir of St.John's College Choir,Cambridge.Old Favourites like In the Bleak Midwinter,O Come All ye Faithful and Silent Night emerge all the fresher for being sung by young,enthusiastic voices,under Andrew Nethsingha's incisive direction. Performance **** Recording ***** --BBC Music Magazine,Christmas'11
You can't go wrong with this.**** --Mail on Sunday,27/11/11
This is a warming disc, eloquently sung by the choir of St John's. There are some core Christmas hymns, but the bulk of the 24-track programme comprises some of the modern classics of the repertoire such as Elizabeth Poston's Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and Joubert's There is No Rose. --Sunday Telegraph,11/12/11
This release stands out thanks to the commitment to quality and high artistic values shown here by St John's College Choir and Chandos. EDITORS CHOICE ***** --Classic FM Magazine,Feb'12
Chandos engineering(specially impressive on the SACD layers) casts a luminescent glow round these excellent performances by the choir of St.John's College Choir,Cambridge.Old Favourites like In the Bleak Midwinter,O Come All ye Faithful and Silent Night emerge all the fresher for being sung by young,enthusiastic voices,under Andrew Nethsingha's incisive direction. Performance **** Recording ***** --BBC Music Magazine,Christmas'11
You can't go wrong with this.**** --Mail on Sunday,27/11/11
This is a warming disc, eloquently sung by the choir of St John's. There are some core Christmas hymns, but the bulk of the 24-track programme comprises some of the modern classics of the repertoire such as Elizabeth Poston's Jesus Christ the Apple Tree and Joubert's There is No Rose. --Sunday Telegraph,11/12/11
This release stands out thanks to the commitment to quality and high artistic values shown here by St John's College Choir and Chandos. EDITORS CHOICE ***** --Classic FM Magazine,Feb'12
CD Description
In the run-up to Advent and Christmas, the Choir of St Johns College, Cambridge under Andrew Nethsingha presents a joyous celebration of music for the festive season. The disc includes original works by John Rutter, Sir Richard Rodney Bennett, Elizabeth Poston, and Kenneth Leighton. These are complemented by arrangements of popular songs, and a selection of congregational hymns, all displaying strong ties to the Advent and Christmas seasons. This disc was recorded in the College Chapel in full surround-sound, which means that it not only sounds spectacular, but recreates to a spectacular degree the experience of listening to the Choir perform in the Chapel. The Choir of St Johns College, established in the 1670s, is today one of the finest college choirs in the world, known and loved by millions for its recordings, broadcasts, and concert tours.
Suggested Tags from Similar Products(What's this?)Be the first one to add a relevant tag (keyword that's strongly related to this product)
|
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
7 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
First of all let me say how difficult it is to review a Christmas CD.
There are so many out there, satisfying the "We need a carol cd for the party" purchaser, "What's cheap?" or "Anything as long as I know them all!" buyer.
This recording does not fall into any of the above categories thank goodness, although perhaps in terms of sales figures it may help!
Yes there are some of the well known traditional carols there, utilising some slightly different arrangements and descants, all which work admirably, but it's where the less run of the mill pieces come in that this recording really scores.James Burton's setting of Balulalow is beautifully sung, and emphasises the intimacy of the St John's chapel with sublime and subtle harmony.
Mathias's A Babe Is Born is full of the open intervals that are his trademark,and is executed with panache by the choir.Richard Rodney Bennett's "Out of your Sleep" reaches back to the late 60's. His output then was different to his current jazz dominated career,writing choral pieces and small scale opera. The tight jazz tinged harmony sits well with the 15th century text and challenges the choir enough to ensure some delicious rhythmical singing, the tenors excelling.
Christopher Robinson's "Make we Joy" shows the choir at its best tackling the lively rhythm and crisp attack needed for a vibrant and briefly stunning performance. The choir delivers in true Robinson style, I am sure the former Choir Director will be delighted with this performance.
At this point the CD reaches its peak. What is it about St Johns and Tavener? Is there a choir anywhere that performs his works with such passion, presence and beauty? The Naxos recording by St Johns under Christopher Robinson was a thing of rare beauty, but this version of The Lamb soars into the heavens with such clarity and perfect singing, it is hard to find the superlatives to do it justice.The performance makes the CD worth the cover price alone.
Before the recording ends with some more familiar settings, the Finnissy "Telling" grabbed me straight away. The choir, unaccompanied showing perfect harmonic awareness and continuity to demonstrate how moving and colourful choral music can be. A joy to listen to.
One slight gripe, is the use of one or two slightly dated sounding arrangements. A personal thing perhaps but Willcocks' "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day " just sounds dated, and has not worn well. Given some of the fresher interpretations on the recording it seems a shame that some more new ones weren't unearthed.Oddly it is here that the choir does sound a little lacklustre.
The sleeve notes are superb, and the packaging, in particular the photos, goes a long way to show that the Choir is a thoroughly modern set up, although firmly rooted in the past, it is constantly looking forward .
All in all a fabulous CD, under Andrew Nethsinga, the choir continues to march forward, leaving the "Noisy Neighbours" down the road in their wake!
There are so many out there, satisfying the "We need a carol cd for the party" purchaser, "What's cheap?" or "Anything as long as I know them all!" buyer.
This recording does not fall into any of the above categories thank goodness, although perhaps in terms of sales figures it may help!
Yes there are some of the well known traditional carols there, utilising some slightly different arrangements and descants, all which work admirably, but it's where the less run of the mill pieces come in that this recording really scores.James Burton's setting of Balulalow is beautifully sung, and emphasises the intimacy of the St John's chapel with sublime and subtle harmony.
Mathias's A Babe Is Born is full of the open intervals that are his trademark,and is executed with panache by the choir.Richard Rodney Bennett's "Out of your Sleep" reaches back to the late 60's. His output then was different to his current jazz dominated career,writing choral pieces and small scale opera. The tight jazz tinged harmony sits well with the 15th century text and challenges the choir enough to ensure some delicious rhythmical singing, the tenors excelling.
Christopher Robinson's "Make we Joy" shows the choir at its best tackling the lively rhythm and crisp attack needed for a vibrant and briefly stunning performance. The choir delivers in true Robinson style, I am sure the former Choir Director will be delighted with this performance.
At this point the CD reaches its peak. What is it about St Johns and Tavener? Is there a choir anywhere that performs his works with such passion, presence and beauty? The Naxos recording by St Johns under Christopher Robinson was a thing of rare beauty, but this version of The Lamb soars into the heavens with such clarity and perfect singing, it is hard to find the superlatives to do it justice.The performance makes the CD worth the cover price alone.
Before the recording ends with some more familiar settings, the Finnissy "Telling" grabbed me straight away. The choir, unaccompanied showing perfect harmonic awareness and continuity to demonstrate how moving and colourful choral music can be. A joy to listen to.
One slight gripe, is the use of one or two slightly dated sounding arrangements. A personal thing perhaps but Willcocks' "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day " just sounds dated, and has not worn well. Given some of the fresher interpretations on the recording it seems a shame that some more new ones weren't unearthed.Oddly it is here that the choir does sound a little lacklustre.
The sleeve notes are superb, and the packaging, in particular the photos, goes a long way to show that the Choir is a thoroughly modern set up, although firmly rooted in the past, it is constantly looking forward .
All in all a fabulous CD, under Andrew Nethsinga, the choir continues to march forward, leaving the "Noisy Neighbours" down the road in their wake!
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
2 reviews
4 of 4 people found the following review helpful
Captivating 20th Century Christmas Music
2 Dec 2011
Format:Audio CD
This refreshing album of 20th Century English choral music is a welcome change from the usual string of threadbare Christmas offerings from current culture, exquisitely sung by the choir of St. John's, Cambridge. I'm betting most listeners will only recognize a few of the offerings. The rest are reworkings of texts and tunes from many centuries in a variety of textures and voicings by composers such as Tavener, Mathias, Rutter, Warlock, Bennett, Kenneth Leighton, and Willcocks. The singing and playing is flawless, and the recording is both warm and spacious. Truly a palate cleanser.
A delightful Christmas listening experience
21 Dec 2011
Format:Audio CD|Amazon Verified Purchase
What an exceptional Christmas musical experience presented in multichannel surround. The selection and presentation of each number has already made this recording a favoured and frequently played Christmas disc in my household. I highly recommend it.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
|
