Comments on: Christmas Music Geekery, Part II–Hodie and Messiah

By: Hans Hansen

Hans Hansen — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 05:38:30 +0000

Other Christmas favorites:

Choral selections: J.S. Bach’s “Christmas Oratorio”, Vaughan Williams’ “Fantasia on Christmas Carols”, Britten’s “A Ceremony of Carols”, Poulenc’s “Quatre Motets pour le temps de Noel”, and Respighi’s “Lauda per la Nativita del Signore”.

Instrumental: Anything by The Canadian Brass.
The London Brass: Have you heard their transcriptions of selections from Tchaikovsky’s “Nutcracker”? It’s on their “Romantic Journey” album.
The series of “A Winter’s Solstice” CDs on the Windham Hill label.

By: Kristine

Kristine — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 02:03:19 +0000

“Virtually noone could by you a CD for Christmas that you would like”

Oh, but they could!–the wonders of the Amazon wish list :)

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:39:09 +0000

I agree with Kristine on the Wilberg-Rutter “malady”. That said, I do enjoy much of Rutter’s Christmas arrangements – as sung by the Cambridge Singers, of course. Gotta have the right production – it’s all about getting the right texture. We like it because it “sounds” like Christmas.

As for the Messiah; well, I can’t leave anything out. I will say this: there’s nothing like hearing the finale as a finale. I’ve heard it performed out of context as a separate piece and well, the yield just isn’t the same. But hearing it after having listened to everything leading up to it – glorious!

By: Jack

Jack — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:38:36 +0000

I agree with Kristine on the Wilberg-Rutter “malady”. That said, I do enjoy much of Rutter’s Christmas arrangements – as sung by the Cambridge Singers. Gotta have the right production – it’s all about getting the right texture. We like it because it “sounds” like Christmas.

By: Keith

Keith — Tue, 14 Dec 2004 01:03:11 +0000

I shouldn’t write while I’m packing for holidays. “Annunciation” is a good slip at Christmas time, but diction is what I meant.

I probably like Wilberg a bit more than you, but I don’t think you’re snotty. You’ve got taste–probably more refined and educated than anyone on the blog. You realize what this means though? Virtually noone could by you a CD for Christmas that you would like. It’s like being an English major and someone wanting to buy you one of those nice books from the mall for Christmas. You just have to be gracious and hope they won’t be around to make you read or listen to the whole thing in front of them.

By: Kristine

Kristine — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 23:55:10 +0000

I agree, Keith, MoTab is massively better in the last couple of years, especially their diction. Still, the choir is just too darn big to do a lot of the things that would be interesting (at least to me–can’t imagine why they haven’t consulted me yet :)). It seems as though Wilberg is suffering to some extent from the same malady as Rutter–being too popular and having to crank out arrangements too quickly so that they become somewhat formulaic and predictable. I still like many of them, but not as a steady diet. (And yes, I’m aware of how snotty it is for me to say that, considering that it would take me a month or so to come up with a simple descant!)

By: Keith

Keith — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 23:34:02 +0000

I like “Behold the Lamb of God” from Messiah. Not as well known as some of the choruses, but still moving a beautiful.

By the way, I agree that Cambridge Singers are wonderful. Dale Warland Singers are great as well. Their Christmas stuff isn’t as available as Cambridge singers, but it is around and worth the effort to find.

Don’t kick out the Tabernacle Choir so soon–especially the recent stuff. The last two Christmas recordings (including the one this year) are really a step up, as have been the recordings in general the last few years. The Wilberg (and some of Bradford) arrangements are great and a better trained choir is singing and annunciating more clearly. The latest Christmas album has a number of Rutter pieces.

By: Kristine

Kristine — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 16:08:01 +0000

Ana, I’m not done–I’m just warming up :) But thanks for mentioning the Cambridge Singers–they are good, and of course more nimble than the Tabernacle Choir, because the group is what, maybe 1/3 as big as MoTab? Anyway, I’ll mention a couple of their recordings in Part III (and try to refrain from overzealous thrashing of John Rutter’s recent compositional endeavors).

By: Ana

Ana — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 15:46:10 +0000

I wanted to wait until you finished, Kristine, before gushing about my love for John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers. You can find CDs here http://www.collegiumusa.com/other/3_christmas2004_index.html

I find Cambridge Singers to be everything MoTab is not: nimble, bright, and with a dazzling repertoire of impeccably selected pieces. They do a bang-up job on Rutter’s own compositions (such as “Candlelight Carol,” which many of us have sung in ward choirs, I think) and arrangements as well as on some by Britten, Vaughan Williams and others.

A great entry point is “The Cambridge Singers Christmas Album” which includes an arrangement of “What is That Lovely Fragrance Wafting,” discussed earlier. (And this translation, I think, could fly for U.S. audiences. Or maybe I’m thinking wishfully.)

Favorites from Messiah for me: “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth,” which my grandfather asked that I prepare to sing at his funeral. That was one of the most difficult but spiritual experiences of my life so far. And the whole sequence including and following “Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs,” based on what I feel is the most weighty and beautiful poetry in the scriptures.

Thanks for the chance to think music for a while before I go off and think words for the day …

By: Kevin Barney

Kevin Barney — Sun, 12 Dec 2004 23:44:14 +0000

Last night I attended Songs of Good Cheer, a charity Carol singing party/concert at the Olde Town School of Folk Music in Chicago. I’ve been every year (this was the sixth year). In introducing “Joy to the World,” the MC (a columnist for the Chicago Tribune) announced that the music was influenced by Handel’s Messiah. But it is a little know fact that Handel originally intended the music to be performed by three banjos; at which, the folk musicians on stage dived into a delightful three-banjo accompaniment as we sang “Joy to the World.”

Great holiday fun.