Notes and Editorial Reviews
Over the past couple of decades, the Christmas recordings of John Rutter and his Cambridge Singers have claimed such a solid and widely enjoyed presence among choral music fans that we have to say that this group and its director/composer/arranger have long ago passed from phenomenon to tradition. This new release, which contains 19 previously issued but newly re-mixed tracks along with four never-before released selections, is both a celebration of that legacy and a re-affirmation of Rutter's uniquely influential contributions to a special genre that began years ago with his acclaimed carol arrangements and his now-classic anthem "What sweeter music". While this disc does not feature
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Rutter's own compositions--those can be found on an earlier companion disc,
The John Rutter Christmas Album --it does offer many of his carol arrangements (notably the infectious "Somerset Wassail") along with some of the finest by such masters as David Willcocks, H. Walford Davies, and Healey Willan (whose rarely-heard setting of "What is this lovely fragrance?" is happily included rather than the fine but ubiquitous Willcocks version).
The program also provides a very healthy dose of original pieces, from Victoria's O magnum mysterium, Handel's For unto us a child is born, Kenneth Leighton's Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child, and Britten's A New Year Carol, to Sweelinck's double-choir Hodie Christus natus est, John Tavener's The Lamb, and Peter Warlock's Balulalow and I saw a fair maiden. The disc ends with Vaughan Williams' rousing Fantasia on Christmas Carols. As you might expect, there's not a dull moment during this very generously filled 77-plus-minute CD, and there's so much joy and beauty in these well-chosen, perfectly sung pieces that a simple numerical rating doesn't do it justice. The sound is appropriately full, vibrant, clear, and dynamic. Add this to your list.
--David Vernier Read less
Works on This Recording
1.
The holly and the ivy by Henry Walford Davies
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 53 Secs.
Language: English
2.
Blessed be that Maid Mary by Traditional
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Written: England
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 32 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: David Willcocks
3.
Somerset Wassail by Traditional
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Written: England
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 5 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: John Rutter
4.
Shepherds in the field abiding by Traditional
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 52 Secs.
Notes: Arranged: David Willcocks
This selection is sung in English and Latin.
5.
The infant king by Traditional
Performer:
Caroline Ashton (Soprano)
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 48 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: David Willcocks
6.
What is this lovely fragrance? by Traditional
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Written: France
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 3 Minutes 23 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: Healey Willan
7.
Gabriel's message by Traditional
Performer:
Ruth Holton (Soprano)
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Written: Basque Provinces
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 50 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: David Willcocks
8.
Still, still, still by Traditional
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Written: Austria
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 13 Secs.
Language: English
Notes: Arranged: John Rutter
9.
Quittez pasteurs by Traditional
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Written: France
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 27 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: John Rutter
10.
Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle by Traditional
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Written: France
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 2 Secs.
Language: French
Notes: Arranged: John Rutter
11.
Personent hodie by Anonymous
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Period: Medieval
Written: 1582; Sweden
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 1 Minutes 43 Secs.
Language: Latin
Notes: Arranged: John Rutter
12.
L'enfance du Christ, Op. 25: L'adieu des bergers by Hector Berlioz
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Period: Romantic
Written: 1850-1854; France
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 3 Minutes 37 Secs.
Language: English
13.
Minuit, Chrétiens "O holy night" by Adolphe Adam
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Period: Romantic
Written: France
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 4 Minutes 37 Secs.
Language: English
14.
O magnum mysterium by Tomás Luis de Victoria
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: by 1572; Spain
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 4 Minutes 0 Secs.
Language: Latin
15.
Hodie Christus natus est by Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: Netherlands
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 50 Secs.
Language: Latin
16.
Messiah, HWV 56: For unto us a child is born by George Frideric Handel
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Period: Baroque
Written: 1742; London, England
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 4 Minutes 8 Secs.
Language: English
17.
In dulci jubilo by Samuel Scheidt
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Period: Baroque
Written: by 1650; Halle, Germany
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 3 Minutes 21 Secs.
Notes: This selection is performed in Latin and German.
18.
Carols (3), Op. 25: no 2, Lully, lulla thou little tiny child by Kenneth Leighton
Performer:
Caroline Ashton (Soprano)
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1948; England
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 3 Minutes 7 Secs.
Language: English
19.
A New Year Carol by Benjamin Britten
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1971; England
Date of Recording: 01/1989
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 15 Secs.
Language: English
20.
Balulalow by Peter Warlock
Performer:
Karen Kerslake (Soprano)
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1919; England
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 1 Secs.
Language: English
21.
I saw a fair maiden by Peter Warlock
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1927; England
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 2 Minutes 58 Secs.
Language: English
22.
Fantasia on Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughan Williams
Performer:
Stephen Orton (Cello),
Stephen Varcoe (Baritone)
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers,
City of London Sinfonia
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1912; England
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 11 Minutes 27 Secs.
Language: English
23.
The Lamb "Little Lamb, who made thee?" by John Tavener
Conductor:
John Rutter
Orchestra/Ensemble:
Cambridge Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: 1982; England
Date of Recording: 04/1993
Venue: Great Hall, Univ. College School, London
Length: 3 Minutes 24 Secs.
Language: English
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