A Victorian Christmas re-created, with the world-renowned boys' choir of Magdalen College, Oxford singing carols, plus church bells, choirs, brass groups, music boxes and parlour piano, in a musical evocation of Christmases past. A Victorian Christmas re-created, with the world-renowned boys' choir of Magdalen College, Oxford singing carols, plus church bells, choirs, brass groups, music boxes and parlour piano, in a musical evocation of Christmases past. Read less
A Comfortable CompilationNovember 29, 2017By Ralph Graves (Hood, VA)See All My Reviews"The general public may think that Christmas carols have been around forever. Music lovers know that the Victorian Era is the source for most of the evergreen carols we still sing today. "Carols for Victorian Christma"s captures some of the charms of the era. The disc presents both sacred and secular carols as they might have been heard in the late 1800s. The choir of Magdalen College, Oxford performs favorites such as We Three Kings, God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen and Good Christian Men, Rejoice. The Harrogate Choral Societys rendition of Handels Hallelujah Chorus is charming in its directness and sincerity. The Fine Arts Brass Ensemble perform O Little Town of Bethlehem and Landlord fill the Flowing Bowl. Martin Souter, organist contributes a Brahms chorale prelude, O Holy Night, and other selections. The mix of organ and choir reinforces the impression of a Victorian church service. But the disc also includes a player piano plunking out "Auld Lang Syne." Vintage turn of the century disc players (large-scale music boxes) give us favorites such as Hark the Herald Angels Sing, and Good King Wenceslas. And they also give us a sense of what holiday music might have sounded like in a comfortable upper-class home. And comfortable, I think, is the word that best describes this collection. Many of the selections are more than familiar. And theyre performed in a way that would have been familiar to Victorians even those who never attended a classical music concert."Report Abuse