Favourite Christmas Music

[Paul Sherratt]

Haven't heard Yogi's xmas hit on the radio for some time

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S4uW2PT-190

[Nick Armstrong]

Bethlehem Down.

Yes, one of my favourites too.

But the piece that's haunted me since I first heard it in the King's Christmas Eve 2010 service is the marvellous setting of Praetorius's Es ist ein Ros entsprungen by Jan Sandström: his Det är en ros utsprungen for two choirs a cappella

That Christmas Eve performance is now on CD/MP3 (and I've downloaded it):

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lessons-Carols-Choir-College-Cambridge/dp/B0094BDOB8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1354980417&sr=8-1

Then there was a lovely new performance of it from Merton Choir, Oxford, in last weekend's Advent 'Early Music Show' - also downloaded now, from their new CD:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Advent-at-Merton-Choir-College/dp/B009MGUIDC/ref=sr_1_1_digr?s=music&ie=UTF8&qid=1354982079&sr=1-1

The piece will get a lot of playing here this festive season

[Lateralthinking1]

Two chaps who I like for having done unusually positive things in 2011-12:

Will Todd

Following on from "The Call of Wisdom" which was specially commissioned for the Jubilee, the carol "My Lord Has Come" -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3m8ryivqefk

On 22nd December, the Will Todd Trio with the Lord Nelson Brass Quintet and Choir of St Martins directed by Andrew Earis will perform a selection of well-known carols in a new set of jazz arrangements - "Christmas in Blue" - at St Martin in the Fields.

Tony Biggin

A very different project from Tony's excellent "A Sussex Overture" -

"Extracts from 4 Christmas Musicals for Children" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRSV9...ature=youtu.be

[MrGongGong]

"Jazz" Christmas carols are one of the abominations of satan IMV

[Lateralthinking1]

"Jazz" Christmas carols are one of the abominations of satan IMV

Oh.

I would expect his characteristic blue notes rather than 1960s television jazz lite.

In my view, he sits in that area of the modern mainstream which doesn't sacrifice subtlety for commercialism. If you are going to appeal to the masses, better that than all the usual rubbish that sells.

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

Tony Biggin

A very different project from Tony's excellent "A Sussex Overture" -

"Extracts from 4 Christmas Musicals for Children" - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qRSV9...ature=youtu.be

Yes, I taught a group of children some songs from "Begin Again at Bethlehem" only this week.

[Lateralthinking1]

Yes, I taught a group of children some songs from "Begin Again at Bethlehem" only this week.

Eine, did they enjoy it? It is great fun and very well done. To my mind, it could hardly be pitched any better. I wonder though if there is a place for it in the modern era? My guess is that there is because young children have fewer preconceived ideas.

I am going to listen to 'The Gates of Greenham' next which you will know. It has apparently been compared with Bernstein?

[Eine Alpensinfonie]

I am going to listen to 'The Gates of Greenham' next which you will know. It has apparently been compared with Bernstein?

That's a work that is not dissimilar to Das Rheingold, with its very simple and sparing opening that appears to be going nowhere, but it develops into something wonderful. Do you have access to the Sain recording with the LPO and John Hywel?

[Lateralthinking1]

That's a work that is not dissimilar to Das Rheingold, with its very simple and sparing opening that appears to be going nowhere, but it develops into something wonderful. Do you have access to the Sain recording with the LPO and John Hywel?

No, not yet, but I am following your advice. Good luck with the teaching. I hope it works out well for everyone involved.

[MickyD]

I love the little In Nativatatem D.N.J.C Canticum, H.414 by Marc-Antoine Charpentier, in the vintage recording by Les Arts Florissants and William Christie.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZOoGEm1tWQo

[ardcarp]

But the piece that's haunted me since I first heard it in the King's Christmas Eve 2010 service is the marvellous setting of Praetorius's Es ist ein Ros entsprungen by Jan Sandström: his Det är en ros utsprungen for two choirs a cappella

It is sort of 'haunting', to the extent that if you were making a cheesy film about Praetorius (why not?) and wanted to hear from him in the after-life, it would make a quite appropriate score. I first sang this piece about 4 years ago and couldn't (still can't) make up my mind whether I love it or hate it. Simple ideas can sometimes be effective, but you could do the same to almost any carol, i.e. get one choir to sing it at a quarter of the usual speed while the other choir sustains some slow notes which, whilst not dissonant exactly, don't quite fit.

[Nick Armstrong]

It is sort of 'haunting', to the extent that if you were making a cheesy film about Praetorius (why not?) and wanted to hear from him in the after-life, it would make a quite appropriate score. I first sang this piece about 4 years ago and couldn't (still can't) make up my mind whether I love it or hate it. Simple ideas can sometimes be effective, but you could do the same to almost any carol, i.e. get one choir to sing it at a quarter of the usual speed while the other choir sustains some slow notes which, whilst not dissonant exactly, don't quite fit.

I see what you mean, but I don't think there's anything cheesy about it.

[Tony Halstead]

I'm a bit surprised that nobody so far has mentioned the sublime 'The Three Kings' by Peter Cornelius.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?gl=GB&hl=en-GB&v=a2dNKv48WJQ

[Tony Halstead]

Also, William Mathias's 'Ave Rex' is a lovely work, a series of 5 carols for chorus, organ and / or orchestra.
I always give it a 'spin' at Christmas time.
I had the great pleasure of playing the organ part in its 1st performance at Swansea's superb Brangwyn Hall about 40 years ago, and on the subsequent recording with David Atherton.
What a pity that Mathias is now somewhat neglected.

[Nick Armstrong]

you could do the same to almost any carol, i.e. get one choir to sing it at a quarter of the usual speed while the other choir sustains some slow notes which, whilst not dissonant exactly, don't quite fit.

I've listened to both versions again. I do think that criticism is a little less than fair. The simplicity of an arrangement, or the fact that a similar approach could have been taken with other tunes, aren't really criticisms per se, are they, if what is produced is effective and touching?

That said, I think it benefits from the more distant, 'numinous' King's performance / recording - that creates something a little more special, I think, than the more direct Merton performance.

Well, at the end of the day, I just like it!