Composer: Sally Beamish, Franz Biebl, Franz Xaver Gruber, Gustav Theodore Holst, John Jacob Niles, Boris Ord, Jan Pieterszoon Sweelinck, Ralph Vaughan Williams, Eric Whitacre, Healey Willan
Performer: Matthew Larkin, Edison Singers
Conductor: Noel Edison
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Naxos
Catalogue: 8574475
Release: 2022
Size: 0.97 GB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. trad.: Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day
02. Holst: In the Bleak Mid-winter (Cranham)
03. Niles: I wonder as I wander
04. Sweelinck: Hodie Christus natus est
05. trad.: Sans Day Carol
06. Ord: Adam lay ybounden
07. trad.: Go tell it on the mountain
08. Whitacre: Lux aurumque
Vaughan Williams: Five English Folksongs
09. No. 5, Wassail Song
10. Beamish: In the stillness
11. trad.: Ding dong! merrily on high
12. trad.: A Virgin most pure
13. Willan: Hodie Christus natus est
14. trad.: Coventry Carol
15. Biebl: Ave Maria
16. trad.: My Dancing Day (Arr. B. Chilcott for Choir)
17. Gruber: Silent Night
18. trad.: The First Nowell
The Christmas carol has its origins in the Middle Ages but it has since embraced a wide variety of musical backgrounds. In this album, religious sentiment is set in many different contexts – from the mystery plays to an African American spiritual, from its origins in Gregorian Chant and 16th-century secular dance to traditional examples rooted in poetry. Some of the most famous and beautiful examples are heard alongside energising contemporary carols to present a tapestry of the genre across the centuries. Canadian chamber choir The Edison Singers was founded in 2019 by Dr Noel Edison, and under his direction has quickly become known for its rich, warm sound, versatility, dexterity and clarity of texture. Annual auditions are held for current and aspiring choristers, which ensures the preservation and integrity of this trademark sound. The ensemble has been praised as one of the finest chamber choirs in Canada making significant contribution to the musical life of local communities. The Edison Singers is committed to presenting Canadian repertoire and collaborating with other artists from across Canada and around the world.