Performer: The Choir of St John’s College Cambridge
Conductor: David Hill
Format: FLAC (tracks)
Label: Hyperion
Catalogue: CDA67576
Release: 2006
Size: 259 MB
Recovery: +3%
Scan: yes
01. Bell
02. anon.: Rorate caeli
03. anon.: Veni, veni, Emanuel
04. anon.: O Sapientia
05. Goldschmidt: A tender shoot has started
06. Howells: Three Carol Anthems – II. A Spotless Rose
07. Olivers: Lo! He comes with clouds descending
08. anon.: O Adonai
09. Naylor: Vox dicentis: Clama
10. anon.: O radix Jesse
11. Bingham: The clouded heaven
12. anon.: O Clavis David
13. Rutter: There is a flower
14. Holst: This have I done for my true love, H128
15. anon.: O Oriens
16. Pott: Lullay my liking
17. anon.: O Rex gentium
18. Warlock: Bethlehem Down
19. anon.: O Emmanuel
20. Lauridsen: O magnum mysterium
21. Wade: Adeste fideles
22. anon.: Hodie Christus natus est
Taking as its starting point their world-famous Advent Carol Service, The Choir of St Johns College, Cambridge, is here on dazzling form in an imaginative and varied programme devised by David Hill. Alongside Christmas classics by Rutter, Warlock, Howells and Holst, we have new works by Judith Bingham and Francis Pott, and Naylors epic Vox dicentis. Many of these works have specific connections to David Hill and his choir, and the resulting conviction of performance is a testimony to their stature. A narrative thread is provided throughout the disc by the seven Great O Antiphons (O Wisdom, O Key of David, etc) which fall on 17 to 23 December in the liturgy. At the close David Hills imaginative arrangement of Bethlehem Down (combining the popular choral version with Warlocks own accompaniment for a solo song version) leads into Morten Lauridsens phenomenally successful O magnum mysterium and a blaze of glory in the Christmas Day hymn O come, all ye faithful. Hodie Christ natus est indeed.