Comments on: Kristine’s Much-Less-Endearing-than-Rosalynde’s Christmas Music Confessions (which may nonetheless redeem themselves by being useful for aspiring classical music geeks)

By: Jeff Lindsay

Jeff Lindsay — Mon, 13 Dec 2004 06:43:11 +0000

Just before I read your post, I posted something about musical devotionals on Christmas Eve. In my ward, it has become a wonderful opportunity for sharing the music of Christmas, and one of the best missionary events I’ve ever seen. I’d appreciate any related experiences regarding Christmas Eve services – something that I think is too rare in the Church.

Christmas and music should be inseparable – just like worship and music.

By: Keith

Keith — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 02:02:01 +0000

Part II. We want Part II. Please.

By: Hans Hansen

Hans Hansen — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 01:49:53 +0000

Also, Rutter’s “Magnificat”, a real fun piece of music. And for contrast, J.S. Bach’s “Magnificat”. I also favor the “Messiah” recording by John Eliot Gardiner with the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists; Gardiner restores all of the vocal and choral ornamentation typical of the period, the tempos are dancelike and the balance with the choruses is light, not your typical heavy elephant-galumpfing Motab sound. See the link below and sample some of the pieces

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B0000040VU/002-6574684-0300825?v=glance

By: Kristine

Kristine — Sat, 11 Dec 2004 01:28:04 +0000

Lux Aeterna was going to be in Part II–way to steal my thunder, Hans! Your description is apt, and I heartily second the recommendation.

By: Hans Hansen

Hans Hansen — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 23:39:45 +0000

My choice would be Morten Lauridsen’s “Lux aeterna” (Eternal Light), especially the third section “O nata lux” which tells of the evening of the Savior’s birth. Lauridsen reaches a level of expression and emotion in this piece that transcends earthly surroundings. You can hear samples of this piece at

http://www.amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/B000006OF1/104-7186386-4532732?v=glance

By: D. Fletcher

D. Fletcher — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 22:13:40 +0000

Christmas, for me, is British traditional music, carols and whatnot, partly due to Charles Dickens, A Christmas Carol, Joy to the World, Hark! The Herald Angels Sing, etc. Hence, Boy sopranos. King’s College Choir. Handel, Mendelsohn, Vaughn Williams, Britten, and Rutter. And indeed, all of these have contributed to various collections of carols and Christmas-type pieces.

The David Willcocks arrangement of “O Come All Ye Faithful” found in the Oxford carols books is the best one — I play it on organ every year and literally wail.

By Vaughn Williams, “The blessed son of God only,” which is contained in Hodie I believe, is the most sublime chorale ever written, short of Bach.

And it’s pretty interesting that Messiah, written as an Easter piece, is more associated now with Christmas. Because it’s in English. English composers were… lacking… for almost two hundred years, between Purcell and Elgar. Handel and Mendelsohn, transplanted Germans, took up the slack in the meantime.

Here’s what I’ve accompanied in various programs this Christmas: Handel duet; Do You Hear What I Hear?; Lovers on Christmas Eve (Cy Coleman piece); Pie Jesu (from Lloyd-Webber requiem, done with organ/cello/violin); Christ Child (Hawley Ades); an aria from the Christmas Oratorio by Bach; and O Holy Night, a duet for Jenny and Darrell Babidge (originally a French piece).

Favorite Christmas recordings: Bing Crosby, Nat King Cole, Kathleen Battle, Barbra Streisand, The Bells of Dublin (Chieftains), JingleCats, the soundtrack to Scrooge, and various Messiahs.

I like the Messiah with George Solti and the Chicago best, for the quality of the choruses. For solos, I like Eileen Farrell and Martha Lipton on the MoTab version with Eugene Ormandy and the Philadelphia.

By: Rosalynde Welch

Rosalynde Welch — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:31:49 +0000

Bryce–HOW DID YOU KNOW! (I thought I doctored my bio photo!)

By: Kristine

Kristine — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:12:14 +0000

Don’t worry, Rosalynde–the cheese thread is scaring me, and I love Nutcracker, too. I took Louisa to see it for the first time a couple of weeks ago–bliss!!

By: Bryce I

Bryce I — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:10:46 +0000

Rosalynde –

As long as you’re not a unibrow.

By: Rosalynde Welch

Rosalynde Welch — Fri, 10 Dec 2004 21:02:44 +0000

Kristine, between this thread and Kaimi’s cheese thread, I’ve come to realize that I’m a true middlebrow, with highbrow notes and a few lowbrow undertones.

On Sunday I’m going to hear the King’s College Choir in concert, and they’ll do Britten’s “Ceremony.” I’ve only heard it (the piece; the choir I’ve never heard) live once before, and I’m excited to hear it again. I love a number of King’s College Choir Christmas discs. There’s also a Placido Domingo Christmas recording that I grew up with and love, although most of the pieces are not classical–there’s one in particular, “Long Time Ago in Bethlehem,” that means Christmas to me. And I love the butchered stake Messiah sing along–we do our own family version every year, and butcher it even more sorely, but it’s always a highlight of the season.

And let’s not forget lowbrow classical music (not a contradiction in terms). Elena discovered “The Nutcracker” this year, and listens to it every night as she falls asleep.