Notes and Editorial Reviews
Dale Warland's group stands on more than 30 years of first-rate performances and acclaimed recordings, and this one from 2002 is a fine representative of its sound and singing style, and of its well-loved Christmas repertoire. It's a warm, unaffected, unforced sound colored by natural resonance rather than the excessive vibrato that defines so many American choirs. The ensemble's legato technique is exemplary, and while all sections of this professional choir are superb, the sopranos are particularly notable for their uniformly lustrous tone. The repertoire titles will be very familiar to Christmas choral music fans, although the particular arrangements may not.
Some of these
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lesser-known settings include Donna Schultz's Il est né, Kirke Mechem's Fum, fum, fum! and Patapan, and director Warland's own Huron Carol and O little town of Bethlehem (set to the Forest Green tune). There are several fine Stephen Paulus contributions--Gabriel's Message and Three Nativity Carols--along with Jan Sandström's delightfully spooky and increasingly popular version of Es ist ein Ros entsprungen. Traditional favorites such as Wilhousky's Carol of the Bells and Norman Luboff's Joseph Dearest also make welcome appearances, and the disc concludes with Malcolm Sargent's (yes, that Malcolm Sargent) simple and lovely arrangement of Silent Night. Harp, oboe, percussion, and bells add occasional strokes of color, and the sound is ideal. In other words, this is a solidly performed, well-recorded program of the old and new (often combined in the same piece) that will fit nicely into any Christmas music collector's library.
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
Festgesang "Hark! The herald angels sing" by Felix Mendelssohn
Performer:
Jay Johnson (Hand Bells),
Kathleen Robinson (Oboe)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1840; Germany
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Carol Barnett.
2.
The Holly and the Ivy by Traditional
Performer:
Kathleen Robinson (Oboe),
Kathy Kienzle (Harp)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: England
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 3 Minutes 33 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Stephen Paulus.
3.
Carol of the Bells by Traditional
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: Ukraine
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 1 Minutes 25 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arrangers: Peter Wilhousky; Mykola D. Leontovich.
4.
Gabriel's message by Traditional
Performer:
Kathy Kienzle (Harp)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: Basque Provinces
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 4 Minutes 4 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Stephen Paulus.
5.
Il est né, le divin enfant by Traditional
Performer:
Brian Kremer (Percussion),
Jay Johnson (Percussion),
Kathy Kienzle (Harp),
Kathleen Robinson (Oboe)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: 15th Century; France
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 2 Minutes 25 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Donna Gartman Schulz.
6.
The Virgin's cradle song by Edmund Rubbra
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 1 Minutes 31 Secs.
Language: French
7.
Susanni by Traditional
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: Germany
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 1 Minutes 33 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arrangers: Alice Parker; Robert Shaw.
8.
Prepare the Way, O Zion by Traditional
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: Sweden
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 3 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Margareta Jalkéus.
9.
Fum, fum, fum by Traditional
Performer:
Kathy Kienzle (Harp)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: Mexico
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 0 Minutes 57 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Kirke Mechem.
10.
Sweet was the song of the Virgin by Traditional
Performer:
Jeffrey Van (Guitar),
Marie Spar Dymit (Soprano)
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 2 Minutes 18 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Alf A. Houkom.
11.
Joseph, lieber Joseph mein by Traditional
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: Germany
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 2 Minutes 59 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Norman Luboff.
12.
What wonderful tidings by Traditional
Performer:
Kathy Kienzle (Harp),
Kathleen Robinson (Oboe)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 3 Minutes 9 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Stephen Paulus.
13.
O little town of Bethlehem by Henry Walford Davies
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 4 Minutes 8 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Dale Warland.
14.
Ai, nama mamina by Andrejs Jansons
Performer:
Brian Kremer (Percussion),
Jay Johnson (Percussion)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Written: Latvia
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 2 Minutes 1 Secs.
Language: Latvian
Notes: This selection is performed in Latvian.
15.
Patapan by Traditional
Performer:
Kathy Kienzle (Harp)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: Burgundy, France
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 1 Minutes 26 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Kirke Mechem.
16.
The friendly beasts by Traditional
Performer:
Kathy Kienzle (Harp),
Brian Steele (Baritone),
Lynette Johnson (Alto),
Jeffrey Van (Guitar)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Medieval
Written: France
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 4 Minutes 0 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Jeffrey Van.
17.
The Huron carol by Traditional
Performer:
Kathleen Robinson (Oboe)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century; Canada
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 3 Minutes 26 Secs.
Notes: Arranger: Dale Warland.
This selection is sung in English and Latin.
18.
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day, Op. 75 no 2 by John Gardner
Performer:
Brian Kremer (Percussion),
Dwight Bigler (Piano),
Jay Johnson (Percussion)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1965; England
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 2 Minutes 14 Secs.
Language: English
19.
Silent Night by Franz Xaver Gruber
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Classical
Written: 1818; Austria
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 3 Minutes 45 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Sir Malcolm Sargent.
20.
This endere nyghth by Anonymous
Performer:
Kathy Kienzle (Harp),
Kathleen Robinson (Oboe)
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: circa 1600; England
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 4 Minutes 34 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranger: Stephen Paulus.
21.
Musae Sioniae: Es ist ein' Ros' entsprungen by Michael Praetorius
Conductor:
Dale Warland
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Dale Warland Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: by 1609; Germany
Date of Recording: 01/2002
Venue: Aquinas Chapel, St. Thomas U., St. Paul
Length: 3 Minutes 48 Secs.
Language: German
Notes: Arranger: Jan Sandström.
Sound Samples
Il est ne, le divin enfant (arr. D. Gartman Schultz)
Dormi Jesu, Op. 3, No. 1, "The Virgin's Cradle Song"
Susanni (arr. A. Parker and R. Shaw)
Prepare The Way (arr. M. Jalkeus)
7 Carols for Christmas (arr. K. Mechem): 7 Carols for Christmas: Fum, fum, fum! (arr. K. Mechem)
Sweet Was the Song the Virgin Sang
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing (arr. C. Barnett)
Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine (arr. N. Luboff)
3 Nativity Carols: No. 1. The Holly and the Ivy
3 Nativity Carols: No. 2. This Endris Night
3 Nativity Carols: No. 3. Wonder Tidings
O Little Town of Bethlehem (arr. D. Warland)
3 Latvian Carols: No. 3. Ai, nama mamina
The Friendly Beasts (arr. J. Van)
Carol of the Bells (arr. P. Wilhousky)
Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (arr. J. Sandstrom)
Huron Carol (arr. D. Warland)
7 Joys of Christmas: No. 4. Patapan
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
Gabriel's Message (arr. S. Paulus)
Silent Night (Stille Nacht) (arr. M. Sargent)
Customer Reviews
Average Customer Review: 
( 1 Customer Review )
Beautiful voices! December 21, 2012
By Tiffany Susan Griffith (Hermosa Beach, CA) See All My Reviews
"This album has beautiful arrangements with beautiful vocals."
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