Notes and Editorial Reviews
“Trebles in Paradise” and “Vocal Paradise” is just where the sublime singing of Etherea Vocal Ensemble will take their listeners with their new holiday album, Ceremony of Carols. Etherea, founded in 2008, is a unique group consisting of seven distinguished women’s voices plus the alto-range singing of founder/director Derek Greten-Harrison – who happens to be a vocal switch-hitter, performing as both a countertenor and a baritone! Together, they achieve music of rare technical craftsmanship, vocal precision and exquisite nuance – plus stunning purity and sweetness of sound, with the addition of the scintillating harp wizardry of Grace Cloutier and subtle organ support from Alan Murchie. Framing a central cluster of individual holiday
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favorites are two beloved carol cycles with harp: Benjamin Britten’s evergreen A Ceremony of Carols and John Rutter’s Dancing Day – both heard here in definitive and enchanting performances. And we guarantee that nobody (except perhaps for those who have experienced Etherea in concert) has ever heard a performance of Good King Wenceslas (one of the central songs) like the one heard here, in which director Greten-Harrison sings both as a choral alto and solo baritone!
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Works on This Recording
1.
A Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28 by Benjamin Britten
Performer:
Grace Cloutier (Harp),
Alan Murchie (Organ),
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1942; England
Venue: Marquand Chapel, Yale University, New Ha
Length: 21 Minutes 20 Secs.
2.
Noel by Charles Gounod
Performer:
Alan Murchie (Organ),
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Period: Romantic
Written: by 1867; France
Venue: Marquand Chapel, Yale University, New Ha
Length: 5 Minutes 1 Secs.
3.
Gabriel's Message (Basque) by Traditional
Performer:
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Period: Medieval
Written: circa 1582; Spain
Venue: Marquand Chapel, Yale University, New Ha
Length: 2 Minutes 31 Secs.
4.
Impromptu, for harp by Reinhold Gliere
Performer:
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Venue: Marquand Chapel, Yale University, New Ha
Length: 4 Minutes 17 Secs.
5.
In dulci jubilo by Traditional
Performer:
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Period: Medieval
Written: 12th Century; Germany
Venue: Marquand Chapel, Yale University, New Ha
Length: 3 Minutes 32 Secs.
Notes: Arrangement: John Rutter
6.
Good King Wenceslas by Traditional
Performer:
Derek Greten-Harrison (Voice),
Alan Murchie (Organ),
Grace Cloutier (Harp),
Derek Greten-Harrison (),
Allison Holst-Grubbe (),
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Written: England
Venue: Marquand Chapel, Yale University, New Ha
Length: 2 Minutes 9 Secs.
7.
I Saw Three Ships, carol by Traditional
Performer:
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Period: Renaissance
Written: circa 1666; England
Venue: Marquand Chapel, Yale University, New Ha
Length: 1 Minutes 50 Secs.
8.
Dancing Day by John Rutter
Performer:
Alan Murchie (Organ),
Grace Cloutier (Harp)
Conductor:
Derek Greten-Harrison
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Etherea Vocal Ensemble
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1974; England
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
Simply Wonderful January 25, 2013
By S E E. (Fullerton, CA) See All My Reviews
"One of the most beautiful and comforting productions I've ever heard. The harpist is obviously the best in class, but does not come across as 'virtuosic' and hence distracting and annoying. Simply a really really nice album, whether for bhackground (in the office) or intentional meditation."
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