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Star Of Wonder


Release Date: 12/17/1993 
Label:  Reference Recordings   Catalog #: 21   Spars Code: DDD 
Composer:  Franz Xaver Gruber,  John Rutter,  Alfred S. Burt,  Heinrich Schütz,   ... 
Performer:  Marcella DeCray,  Matthew Walsh,  Katherine Trieste,  James Meyer
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper,  William Ballard
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists,  Ringmasters
Number of Discs: 1 
Recorded in: Stereo 
Length:  1 Hours 57 Mins. 

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Notes and Editorial Reviews


Festive music for the holiday season performed by an outstanding mixed chorus with pipe organ, harp, flute and bellringers! Recorded in the glorious cathedral acoustics of Saint Ignatius Church, San Francisco. "...Magical...the sound is impressively transparent." --Fanfare
Festive music for the holiday season performed by an outstanding mixed chorus with pipe organ, harp, flute and bellringers! Recorded in the glorious cathedral acoustics of Saint Ignatius Church, San Francisco. "...Magical...the sound is impressively transparent." --Fanfare Read less

Works on This Recording

1. Silent Night by Franz Xaver Gruber
Performer:  Marcella DeCray (Harp)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: Classical 
Written: 1818; Austria 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 20 Secs. 
Language: English 
Notes: Arranged: Malcolm Sargent
Harp accompaniment composed by Marcella De Cray. 
2. Nativity Carol by John Rutter
Performer:  Matthew Walsh (Organ)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1963; England 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 40 Secs. 
Language: English 
3. Come, dear children by Alfred S. Burt
Conductor:  William Ballard
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Ringmasters
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1952; USA 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 1 Minutes 35 Secs. 
Notes: Arranged: Hawley Ades 
4. Cantiones sacrae, Op. 4: Cantate Domino, SWV 81 by Heinrich Schütz
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: Baroque 
Written: 1625; Germany 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 50 Secs. 
Language: Latin 
5. Missa "O magnum mysterium": Gloria by Tomás Luis de Victoria
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: Renaissance 
Written: by 1592; Spain 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 25 Secs. 
Language: Latin 
6. Gaudete omnes by Hieronymus Praetorius
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: Renaissance 
Written: 1599; Germany 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 53 Secs. 
Language: Latin 
7. Caroling, caroling by Alfred S. Burt
Conductor:  William Ballard
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Ringmasters
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1954; USA 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 1 Minutes 22 Secs. 
Notes: Arranged: Hawley Ades 
8. Nativity by Richard Dirksen
Performer:  Katherine Trieste (Flute)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: USA 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 30 Secs. 
Language: English 
9. Christmas perspectives: Green growth from the holly by Roger Nixon
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1980; San Francisco, CA, U 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 30 Secs. 
Language: English 
10. Christmas Carol by Kirk Mechem
Performer:  Marcella DeCray (Harp)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: USA 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 40 Secs. 
Language: English 
11. Sir Christčmas by William Mathias
Performer:  Matthew Walsh (Organ)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: Wales, UK 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 1 Minutes 20 Secs. 
Language: English 
12. A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28: Interlude by Benjamin Britten
Performer:  Marcella DeCray (Harp)
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1942; England 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 30 Secs. 
13. Die Weihnachtsgeschichte, Op. 10 "Christmas Story": Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen by Hugo Distler
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1933; Germany 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 58 Secs. 
Language: English 
14. Motets (4) pour le temps de Noël: no 1, O magnum mysterium by Francis Poulenc
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1951-1952; France 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 30 Secs. 
Language: Latin 
15. Virga Jesse floruit in E minor, WAB 52 by Anton Bruckner
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: Romantic 
Written: 1885; Vienna, Austria 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 20 Secs. 
Language: Latin 
16. We'll dress this house by Alfred S. Burt
Conductor:  William Ballard
Orchestra/Ensemble:  Ringmasters
Period: 20th Century 
Written: 1954; USA 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 1 Minutes 30 Secs. 
Notes: Arranged: Hawley Ades 
17. What child is this? by Traditional
Performer:  Matthew Walsh (Organ), James Meyer (Bass)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: Renaissance 
Written: 16th Century; England 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 55 Secs. 
Language: English 
Notes: Arranged: David Willcocks 
18. Noël nouvelet by Traditional
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Written: France 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 10 Secs. 
Notes: Arranged: Kenneth Malucelli
This selection juxtaposes the French carol "Noël Nouvelet" with "The First Noel." 
19. Adeste fideles "O come, all ye faithful" by John Francis Wade
Performer:  Matthew Walsh (Organ)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: Classical 
Written: by 1782; England 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 2 Minutes 35 Secs. 
Language: English 
Notes: Arranged: David Willcocks 
20. Deck the Halls by Traditional
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Written: Wales, UK 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 1 Minutes 30 Secs. 
Language: English 
Notes: Arranged: Kenneth Malucelli 
21. We three kings by John Henry Hopkins Jr.
Performer:  Katherine Trieste (Flute), Marcella DeCray (Harp)
Conductor:  Ralph Hooper
Orchestra/Ensemble:  San Francisco Choral Artists
Period: 20th Century 
Written: England 
 Venue:  St Ignatius Church, San Francisco, CA 
Length: 3 Minutes 39 Secs. 
Language: English 
Notes: Arranged: Stephen Paulus 

Sound Samples

Silent Night (Stille Nacht) (arr. M. Sargent)
Nativity carol
We Three Kings of Orient Are (arr. S. Paulus)
Come, Dear Children (arr. H. Ades)
Cantiones sacrae, Op. 4: Cantate Domino canticum novum, SWV 81
Missa O magnum mysterium: Gloria
Gaudete omnes
Caroling, Caroling (arr. H. Ades)
The Nativity
Green Growth the Holly
Christmas Carol
Sir Christemas
A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28: No. 7. Interlude
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Lo! How a Rose, E'er Blooming)
4 Motets pour le temps de Noel, FP 152: No. 1. O magnum mysterium
Virga jesse floruit, WAB 52
We'll Dress the House (arr. H. Ades)
What Child Is This? (arr. D. Willcocks)
Noel Nouvelet (arr. K. Malucelli)
O Come All Ye Faithful (arr. D. Willcocks)
Deck the Hall (arr. K. Malucelli)

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