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Product Description
From the Label
In time for the holiday season is a new EMI Classics recording of Christmas carols commissioned especially for the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge for the annual Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, held in the chapel and broadcast on television and radio worldwide. This project has much musical integrity as both followers of the Choir of King’s College, Cambridge and observers of contemporary composition eagerly await the unveiling of the new carol each year. The album includes works written over the past few decades by John Rutter, Jonathan Dove, Richard Rodney Bennett, Peter Maxwell-Davies, Judith Bingham in a 2 CD set.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
18 of 18 people found the following review helpful
Format:Audio CD
An excellent disc in every respect; brilliant singing.
DON'T buy this if you are expecting your usual collection of christmas carols - you won't find any of them here.
This is a sequence of 20 or more especially comissioned carols (the brain child of Stephen Cleobury) for the Annual Christmas Eve carol service at Kings College, Cambridge and, therefore, is a most unusual series of new and varied interpretations on the concept of the word 'carol'. They range from traditional (Rutter) to avant-garde (Birtwhistle). Some are instantly appealing, others take time. The carol by Stephen Paulus is particularly exciting.
Take a risk! - The performances are all excellent with the choir sounding fresh and musical as ever
DON'T buy this if you are expecting your usual collection of christmas carols - you won't find any of them here.
This is a sequence of 20 or more especially comissioned carols (the brain child of Stephen Cleobury) for the Annual Christmas Eve carol service at Kings College, Cambridge and, therefore, is a most unusual series of new and varied interpretations on the concept of the word 'carol'. They range from traditional (Rutter) to avant-garde (Birtwhistle). Some are instantly appealing, others take time. The carol by Stephen Paulus is particularly exciting.
Take a risk! - The performances are all excellent with the choir sounding fresh and musical as ever
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
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3 reviews
9 of 9 people found the following review helpful
Latest from the King's College Choir
20 Dec 2006
Format:Audio CD
I am immensely fond of the various Christmas albums put out by the Choir of King's College at the University of Cambridge. They represent the English tradition at its finest. I especially like the variants of the 9 Lessons and Carols in which biblical lessons are interspersed with the choral renditions. This tradition relates back to 1918 and has been broadcast(and telecast) worldwide since 1928, so I am not alone in my appreciation. This album presents an entirely new body of music in that it contains newer and unfamiliar compositions, some of which have been commissioned in past years for this program. There are 15 selections on the first disk and 7 on the second disk. Like any selection, some of the cuts are better than others, but all are quite beautiful. Whether any will become classics of the caliber of the more established material remains to be seen. But with Stephen Cleobury in charge, as he has been since 1982, long-time fans of the Choir know that a solid and quite enjoyable musical package awaits--especially at this holiday time of year.
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
This may not be appropriate easy listening for trimming the tree, but it is definitely a fine recording.
28 Dec 2005
Format:Audio CD
This is definitely not a CD of traditional Christmas Carols, but I feel it's a little harsh to claim that only two pieces on the entire recording are "melodic". Frankly, I don't even know what that means. To my ears all of the compositions here have what can be called a melody. Personally, I adore the "Fayrfax Carol" by Thomas Ades and cannot see how it would fail to fall under even the most close-minded definition of the word "melodic".
I agree with the previous reviewer that many of the pieces are harmonically abstract but, honestly, what do you expect from a CD of music written by contemporary composers for one of the finest choirs in the world? I would hope there would be no arrangements of "I Saw Three Ships".
If you're looking for a CD of traditional carols, there is no shortage of recordings. However, if you're looking for well-crafted, forward-thinking, modern compositions performed by a group on the cutting edge of choral music, look no further.
I agree with the previous reviewer that many of the pieces are harmonically abstract but, honestly, what do you expect from a CD of music written by contemporary composers for one of the finest choirs in the world? I would hope there would be no arrangements of "I Saw Three Ships".
If you're looking for a CD of traditional carols, there is no shortage of recordings. However, if you're looking for well-crafted, forward-thinking, modern compositions performed by a group on the cutting edge of choral music, look no further.
8 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Flawless performance of unusual (though not always good) music
4 Dec 2005
Format:Audio CD
The Choir of Kings College is one of the best in the world--so of course the recording will sound excellent. In fact, I own several recordings by Kings College and they perform their best on this one. The purity of the sound and superb diction are just unsurpassed. But the music is just not that good. It's often too harmonically strange, overdramatic, and, frankly, too modern.
That's not to say there is not good music--actually, some of the best pieces of music are on this recording. Highlights include: Chilcott's haunting "The Shepherd's Carol" (which is one of the only two melodic pieces on the entire recording), Part's energetic "Bogoroditse Dyevo", Dove's dramatic "The Three Kings", Rutter's typical, but comparatively good "What sweeter music" (the other melodic piece), Weir's majestic "Illumniare Jerusalem" and Woolrich's sublime "Spring in Winter". There are a few honorable mentions--Berkeley's "In Wintertime" & Goehr's "Carol for St. Stephen"--but the other half of the recording is pretty much awful. The choir & Stephen Cleobury sound good trying--but the composers haven't given them much of value to work with.
An interesting addition to a music lover's collection, but I can't imagine it being enjoyable to someone looking for Christmas carols.
That's not to say there is not good music--actually, some of the best pieces of music are on this recording. Highlights include: Chilcott's haunting "The Shepherd's Carol" (which is one of the only two melodic pieces on the entire recording), Part's energetic "Bogoroditse Dyevo", Dove's dramatic "The Three Kings", Rutter's typical, but comparatively good "What sweeter music" (the other melodic piece), Weir's majestic "Illumniare Jerusalem" and Woolrich's sublime "Spring in Winter". There are a few honorable mentions--Berkeley's "In Wintertime" & Goehr's "Carol for St. Stephen"--but the other half of the recording is pretty much awful. The choir & Stephen Cleobury sound good trying--but the composers haven't given them much of value to work with.
An interesting addition to a music lover's collection, but I can't imagine it being enjoyable to someone looking for Christmas carols.
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