Feminine Voices
celebrates the female voice and the Christmas season, with a
kaleidoscopic selection made up of the Magnificat, "Ave Maria" and carols,
each of which is more wonderful than the last.
Eight female composers
feature in the programme that Christopher Lowrey and the singers of the
Altera ensemble have devised, with works by Hildegard von Bingen, Imogen
Holst, Germaine Tailleferre, Cecilia McDowall, Joanna Marsh, Barbara
Strozzi, Elizabeth Poston, and a world premiere by Kerensa Briggs.
Male
composers are also included, with works by John Rutter, who has written
many Christmas carols, and Benjamin Britten's famous Ceremony of Carols,
a work now generally performed by boys' choirs but which was originally
written for the women of the Fleet Street Choir.
The version recorded
here is Britten's original: "seven Christmas carols for women's voices
and harp! Very sweet and full of charm". Altera and the harpist Li Shan
Tan perform this magical and spellbinding music with delight.
1. O viridissima, virga - Hilidgard Von Bingen
2. Welcome Joya and Welcome Sorrow - Imogen Holst
3. Hymn to the Dawn - Gustav Holst
4. Magnificat - Joanna Marsh
5. Ave Maria - Cecilia McDowell
6. There is no rose - Adrian Peacock
7. I sing of a maiden - Ian Shaw
8. O Maria Quam pulchra es' - Barbara Strozzi
Coventry Carol - Kerensa Briggs
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree - Elizabeth Poston
Sonate pour harpe (Lento) - Germaine Tailleferre
A New Years Carol - Benjamin Britten
Ceremony of Carols -
Dancing Day - John Rutters arr.
The First NowellDavid Price and the Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral present a selection of traditional and contemporary Christmas carols. They are joined by organists Sachin Gunga, Kim Chin and The Band of His Majesty’s Royal Marines Collingwood.
“The music of Advent and Christmas is rich and deep in the Anglican tradition and here on this album we give you a flavour of a Portsmouth Christmas. We have drawn on all the varied and wonderful events that Portsmouth Cathedral contributes to – from Christmas tours to Antwerp, Carol Services on board HMS Victory for The Second Sea Lord, live broadcasts on BBC TV and Radio as well as our regular round of services here in the Cathedral… We hope you enjoy this snapshot of a Portsmouth Cathedral Christmas” – David Price[1] Fanfare For Once In Royal David’s City, Once in Royal David’s City – [George Arthur Richford, Traditional, arr. David Willcocks]
1 Fanfare For Once In Royal David’s City, Once in Royal David’s City – [George Arthur Richford, Traditional, arr. David Willcocks]
2 Veiled in darkness – [Glenn Rudolph]
3 Advent Prose – [Plainsong]
4 Bethlehem Down – [Peter Warlock, arr. David Hill]
5 Let us light a candle – [June Clark]
6 In dulci jubilo – [Dieterich Buxtehude]
7 Two Advent Carols: People, look East – [Traditional arr. Barry Ferguson]
8 The Angel Gabriel – [Traditional arr. Edgar Pettman]
9 The Truth from Above – [Traditional arr. Ralph Vaughan Williams]
10 Nova, Nova! – [Bob Chilcott]
11 There is no rose – [Philip Stopford]
12 Joys Seven – [Traditional arr. Stephen Cleobury]
13 Nativitas: Reflection 8: O magnum mysterium – [Philip Moore]
14 Ding Dong! Merrily on High – [Traditional arr. Mack Wilberg]
15 The Sans Day Carol – [John Rutter]
16 The First Nowell – [Bob Chilcott]
17 All bells in paradise – [John Rutter]
18 Fanfare For Hark The Herald, Hark the Herald Angels Sing – [George Arthur Richford, Traditional arr. David Willcocks]
https://signumrecords.com/product/the-first-nowell/SIGCD943/#
I will always remember Johannes Martin Kranzle' s and Hilko
Dumno's Winterreise journey as the most vivid I have experienced. A Winterreise
of the now, where one had the feeling of actually accompanying the journey.
A
Winterreise in which one had the distinct feeling of walking arm in arm with
the artists, in which the boundary between stage and auditorium had been
removed - not through contrived pathos or deliberate artistry but through the
sheer authenticity and forthright passion of these two supremely generous
artists. - Victor Medem, Director of the Schubertiada Vilabertran
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9799288--franz-schubert-winterreise
From Forte to Piano - A Christmas Instrumental Journey
Gerhard Weinberger (organ), Irmgard Gorzawski, Birte
Kulawik, Hans Jörg Mammel (tenor), Roland Pöntinen (piano), Christina Bjørkøe
(piano), David Erler, Matthias Lutze
Michaelstein Telemann Chamber Orchestra, Les Amis de
Philippe, Saxon Vocal Ensemble, Batzdorfer Hofkapelle, Orchester der Kölner...
Release date: 21st Nov 2025
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9824336--from-forte-to-piano-a-christmas-instrumental-journey
The Miro Quartet invites you to gather around the warmth of the
holiday Hearth-a deeply personal and joy-filled album that celebrates
the spirit of the season through the voices of today's most compelling
composers. Whether your traditions include Christmas, Hanukkah, Kwanzaa,
or simply quiet reflection by the fire, this album captures the essence
of holidays as a time of connection, memory, and hope.Featuring works
by composers such as Anna Clyne, Clarice Assad, Gabriel Kahane, Reena
Esmail, and Paola Prestini, each piece is a musical keepsake-an
imaginative reworking of a holiday tune chosen by the composer and
infused with personal meaning. From Renaissance hymns to familiar carols
like Jingle Bells, and from West African rhythms to tender string
lyricism, this vibrant collection reflects the rich diversity of how we
celebrate, remember, and come together. Hearth follows the Miro
Quartet's acclaimed PENTATONE release Ginastera String Quartets (2025),
honoured as a Gramophone Editor's Choice, one of The New York Times' '5
Classical Music Albums You Can Listen to Right Now,' and recipient of
Pizzicato's Supersonic distinction. Also available are the
GRAMMY-nominated Home (2024) and Beethoven Complete String Quartets
(2021). With this release, we are proud to share these musical stories -
each one a gift, wrapped in sound, from our hearts to yours.
Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir at Temple Square 2024.
Released in 2025 on Prima Classic, In dulci jubilo is Mignarda’s second Christmas album, complementing Christe Redemptor. While Christe Redemptor focuses on 15th- and 16th-century polyphonic motets, In dulci jubilo offers a more intimate selection of beloved historical hymns and carols.
Arranged directly from original sources for the evocative pairing of solo voice and lute, the program includes traditional carols from Germany, the British Isles, and France. Rooted in historical practice — where such arrangements were central to 16th-century domestic music — Mignarda brings these timeless works to life with sensitivity, authenticity, and stylistic variety. The album’s title, In dulci jubilo (“In Sweet Rejoicing”), captures the spirit of this joyful collection — an intimate celebration of Christmas music that resonates not only for the holiday season but throughout the year.
https://primaclassic.com/release/duo-mignarda-in-dulci-jubilo/
Clarice Jensen fourth solo album, In holiday clothing, out of the great darkness, showcases Jensen's distinctive compositional approach, in which she improvises and layers her cello through shifting loops and a chain of electronic effects, exploring a series of rich, drone-based sound fields.
Pulsing, visceral and full of color, her work is deeply immersive, marked by a wonderful sense of restraint and an almost hallucinatory clarity. Jensen sets new parameters for this new album, placing the acoustic sound of the cello at the fore, and affecting the sound only through a few effects (octave displacement, delay, tremolo and looping).
The solo cello works of J.S. Bach are a central backdrop to this new album, as they display a rich range of voices created by one instrument. Having found ways to expand the sound and voice of the instrument through electronics, Jensen found it fitting to return to Bach's works as a way to touch back in with the tradition of the instrument.
1 In Holiday Clothing, Out of the Great Darkness Part 1
2 From a to B
3 2,1
4 1,2
5 In Holiday Clothing, Out of the Great Darkness Part 2
6 Unity
In the Shadow of Bach - Forgotten Christmas Oratorios
Monika Mauch (soprano), Kai Wessel, Nico van der Meel, Peter
Kooij (bass), Britta Schwarz, Veronika Winter, Anne Bierwirth, Georg Poplutz
(tenor), Matthias Vieweg, Markus Schäfer (tenor), Wilfried Jochens, Ingrid
Schmithüsen, Lena Susanne Norin, Klaus Mertens (bass-baritone), Gundula Anders. Release date: 21st Nov 2025\.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9824337--in-the-shadow-of-bach-forgotten-christmas-oratorios
Discover this collection of contemporary carols alongside well-known favourites, which seeks to draw the listener deeper into the remarkable story of the birth of the Christ Child.
Performed by North Yorkshire’s professional soloists’ choir Jervaulx Singers with Charlie Gower-Smith and pianist Alison Frances Gill, this selection of carols features contemporary compositions alongside well-known favourites.
1. The Shepherd's Carol - Bob Chilcott
2. Puer Nobis - Richard Rodney Bennett
3. Die Konige - Peter Cornelius, arr. Clytus Gottwald
4. Lullay, my liking - Thomas Hewitt Jones
5. In the Stillness - Sally Beamish
6. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree - Elizabeth Poston
7. Must winter come so soon - Samuel Barber
8. In dulci jubilo - M. Praetorius/J.S. Bach/Robert Lucas Pearsall
9. The Infant King - arr. David Willcocks
10. Noel (Op. 43, No. 1)
11. Silent Night - Franz Gruber, arr. Darius Battiwalla
12. In the Bleak Midwinter - Becky McGlade
13. Nativity Carol - John Rutter
14. Adam Lay Ybounden - Matthew Coleridge
15. Away in a Manger - Trad. arr. Reginald Jacques
16. Noel des enfants qui n'ont plus maisons - Claude Debussy
17. There's a song in the air - John Hearne
18. Cantique de Noel - Adolph Adam, arr. Lawrence Williams
https://conviviumrecords.co.uk/product/in-the-stillness/#
John Rutter is one of the most iconic figures of English choral music today, a symbol of its vitality and high standards. Graham Ross brings together the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge (the celebrated choral institution that the composer himself directed in the mid-1970s) and The Dmitri Ensemble to pay homage to this great gentleman of modern musical history with a wide range of his works, some of them recorded here for the very first time.
SIR JOHN RUTTER (b. 1945) A Clare College Celebration · A Clare Benediction (3'18) · Ave Maria (2'59) · The Lord bless you and keep you (Five Orchestral Meditations, No.5) (2'36) · A Ukrainian Prayer (a cappella) (3'11) · A Gaelic Blessing (1'46) Bard's Eye View · I. O mistress mine (1'54) · II. Shall I compare thee to a summer's day (3'06) · III. Sigh no more, ladies (1'54) · Nativity Carol (4'20) · Christ is the morning star (4'29)
Nativity Carol (4'20)
Christ is the morning star (4'29)
Sheperd's Pipe Carol (2'58)
Carol of the magi (4'52)
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day (3'02)
Candelight Carol (4'00)>
Mary's Lullaby (3'19)
What sweeter music (4'35)
The Gift of Life (version with chamber ensemble) ·
I. O all ye works of the Lord (7'40) ·
II. The tree of life (6'14) ·
III. Hymn to the Creator of Light (7'08) ·
IV. O Lord, how manifold are thy works (7'21) ·
V. The gift of each day (3'20) ·
VI. Believe in life (5'29)
The enormous popularity enjoyed by the works of José de
Nebra, the leading Spanish composer in the mid-18th century, is a cause for
surprise. His manuscripts are scattered across archives throughout Spain and
the Americas. José de Nebra rose to be one of the organists of the Spanish
Royal Chapel in 1724 and its vicemaestro from 1751.
Following the 1750
prohibition of performing villancicos in the royal institution, Nebra composed
a complete series of Christmas Day responsories for the Matins service. From among
the different versions, La Grande Chapelle offers the full version from 1752,
which is unquestionably one of the indispensable works of Spanish Baroque
music.
The performance of this collection, following the study and
transcription of the musical sources still in existence, represents a premiere
of great musicological and artistic interest.
https://laudamusica.com/en/discografica/
Delos is thrilled to announce a new collaboration with GRAMMY® Award-winning vocal ensemble Chanticleer. Famed for it's "accuracy of intonation, purity of blend, of color and swagger of style" (Boston Globe), the group makes it's label debut with Joy to the World.
This new Christmas collection blends tradition with innovation, combining Renaissance motets and fresh arrangements of classic carols with contemporary compositions, including two new commissions from Joanna Marsh.
Showcasing the ensemble's extraordinary ability to move seamlessly and expertly between styles, Chanticleer's first Delos release conjures a wintertime world of magic, light, and wonder.
Joy to the World - Lowell Mason
This Endris Night - Sarah Quartel
Rorate caeli - Michael Praetorius
O magnum mysterium - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Quim vidistis pastores - Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina
Ecce virgo concipiet - Cristobal de Morales
Once in Royal David's City
I Wonder as I wander - John Jacob Niles
A Christmas Fanfare (Angelus ad virginem)
Ding Dong Merrily on High
Good King Wenceslas / Little Girl Blue
And the Trees Do Moan
Winter's Garland: Hands and the Hour - Joanna Marsh
Winter's Garland: In Winter's House - Joanna Marsh
O Come, All Ye Faithful - John Francis Wad
Silent Night - Franz Xaver Gruber
https://outhere-music.com/en/albums/joy-world
Let It Swing - Christmas with Salaputia Brass Salaputia Brass
When the twelve “guys” (Latin: salaputia) of the brass ensemble Salaputia Brass set out to reinvent Christmas, you can look forward to the successful group's new album at Berlin Classics. It is titled “Let it swing – Christmas with Salaputia Brass” and is already the ensemble's fifth album. It features Christmas classics, reimagined in sophisticated arrangements and staged with jazzy lightness. Anyone who thinks they've heard everything there is to hear in “All I Want For Christmas Is You,” “Driving Home for Christmas,” or “Let it Snow” will be surprised here. Familiar melodies in a fresh guise!
https://www.berlin-classics-music.com/en/album/885470043753-let-it-swing-christmas-with-salaputia-brass/
Norwich Cathedral Choir, under the direction of Ashely
Grote, sing with superlative passion and intelligence, with their beautifully
rounded sound being enhanced by the magnificent Romantic-era Cathedral organ,
newly restored in 2023.
The programme combines new works by Sally Beamish, Bob
Chilcott, and Will Todd, with beloved Christmas carols drawn from all time
periods, elevated to new heights by the Onyx Brass Ensemble, supplying a
majestic and brilliant gilding. Particularly noteworthy are Ashley Grote’s own
arrangements of the title track, Lord of the Dance, and O Come Emmanuel,
showcasing his creative spirit and his deep sympathy with the text.
O Come O Come, Emmanuel - Anonymous
Away in a Manger - William J. Kirkpatrick
Once in Royal David's City - Henry John Gauntlett
Lord of the Dance
The First Nowell - Traditional
Alleluis! A New Work is come on Hand - Bob Chilcott
In the Stillness - Sally Beamish
O Little Down of Bethlehem - Traditional
In dulci jubilo - Traditional
I Saw Three Ships - Traditional
It Came Upon the Midnight Clear - Traditional
Silent Night - Franz Xaver Gruber
Midwinter - bob Chilcott
While Shepheard Watched Their Flocks by Night - Anonymous
My Lord has come - Will Todd
O come, All Ye Faithful - Anonymous
Sussex Carol - Traditional
Hark! The herald-angels sing
Jingle Bells - James Lord Pierpont
We wish you a merry Christm
https://cathedral.org.uk/news/new-norwich-cathedral-choir-album/
Following their debut EP Serenity, Meridian and Irene Messoloras
return to Signum Classics with their first holiday release—A Meridian
Christmas. Recorded at All Hallows Gospel Oak, London, this enchanting
Christmas collection captures the spirit of the season with warmth,
clarity, and elegance.
Shaped by Meridian’s signature blend, the album offers a soundscape
of carols and seasonal works that is both intimate and classic. From Ben
Parry’s tender All Through the Night to Carol Jennings’s cheerful Ding
Dong! Merrily on High and Ola Gjeilo’s festive The Holly and the Ivy,
each piece captures a distinctive mood of the season. The program
further features Paul Manz’s E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come, offering
a moment of quiet yearning and hope, and A Great and Mighty Wonder
arranged by Erling Pederson, resounding in radiant proclamation.
Together, these works trace the season’s arc—from quiet reflection to joyful celebration.
Meridian
Meridian is a London-based
professional chamber choir founded and directed by Irene Messoloras.
With a sound defined by clarity, balance, and expressive depth, the
ensemble brings together early and contemporary repertoire to create a
richly contemplative musical experience.
Meridian’s members are drawn from
outstanding ensemble backgrounds such as Tenebrae, the Monteverdi Choir,
and The Sixteen. This combination weaves together a broad variety of
choral experience, giving the choir an exceptional range of vocal power
and colour.
Irene Messoloras
Irene Messoloras is an award-winning
conductor dedicated to inspiring musicians and audiences through
excellence in choral performance. Based in Southern California, she
leads professional, university, and community ensembles on renowned
stages worldwide.
- Ding Dong! Merrily On High (Traditional, arr. Carolyn Jennings)
- A Great and Mighty Wonder (Michael Praetorius, arr. Erling Pederson)
- E’en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come (Paul Manz)
- All Through the Night (Traditional, arr. Ben Parry)
- The Holly and The Ivy (Traditional, arr. Ola Gjeilo)
https://signumrecords.com/product/a-meridian-christmas/SIGCD967/
Editors note: Although not a Christmas album, it definitely lends to the cold. The album includes Dellaira's Arctic Explorations, Scene 9 "Christmas": December 25, Christmas, Monday (Kane, Chorus).
Michael Dellaira has become one of America’s leading opera
composers, receiving acclaim and awards for compelling stage works including
The Leopard (Naxos 8.669052-53). Based on Elisha Kent Kane’s expedition to find
the Northwest Passage in the mid-19th century, Arctic Explorations is a study
on the human desire to discover what lies beyond the boundaries of our
experience. The effects of global warming and the plight of the Inuit in one of
the most beautiful but endangered places on earth also forms part of the
narrative.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9812390--michael-dellaira-arctic-explorations
"This anthology of sacred works – all of which could be used in the liturgies of the Christmas festivities – features some of the leading musicians active in Venice in the 16th and 17th centuries. They range from the earliest, Andrea Gabrieli, who died in 1585, to the most recent, Francesco Cavalli, who died almost a century later, in 1676. At the centre of this broad chronological span we encounter not only veritable giants like Giovanni Gabrieli and Claudio Monteverdi, but also prominent musicians connected to them, such as the Saxon composer Heinrich Schütz, Giovanni Bassano and Alessandro Grandi.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9810233--natale-veneziano
Editor's Note: Although not a Christmas album, it does contain Rorem's Festive Alleluias and "O magnum mysterium." Included is his Seven Motets for the Church Year which includes "While all things were in quiet silence (Christmas) and "Before the morning star begotten" (Epiphany).
Ned Rorem, renowned for his vivid art songs and unapologetic
diaries, also composed a vast and underappreciated body of choral works. This
album, featuring St Martin's Voices, showcases selections from his impressive
choral output spanning seven decades.
From the playful intricacies of Festive Alleluias (1992) to
the lush harmonies of Two Psalms and a Proverb (1962), Rorem’s music for
chorus — often imbued with religious texts despite his devout atheism — reveals his
gift for blending homophony with subtle counterpoint.
The album includes
pieces like the lyrical "Sing my soul, his wondrous love" (1955), the haunting "Canticle
of the Lamb" (1971), and the entrancing "O Magnum Mysterium" (1978), offering a
compelling cross-section of Rorem’s choral imagination.
With rich emotional depth, innovative text-setting, and
surprising rhythmic shifts, these works — many previously overlooked — finally
receive the attention they so richly deserve.
1. Festive Alleluias
2. How lovely is your dwelling place
(arr. for choir and string quartet by Tom Shorter)
3. Sing my soul, his wondrous love
4. O magnum mysterium
5. Canticle of the Lamb
6. Little lamb, who made thee?
(arr. for choir and string quartet by Tom Shorter)
Seven Motets for the Church Year
7. While all things were in quiet silence (Christmas)
8. Before the morning star begotten (Epiphany)
9. Lay up yourselves (Ash Wednesday)
10. Praise him who was crucified (Easter)
11. God is gone up (Ascension)
12. Today the holy spirit appeared (Pentecost)
13. Rejoice we all in the Lord (All Saints)
Two Psalms and a Proverb
14. Behold how good and how pleasant it is
15. Wounds without Cause
16. How long wilt thou forget me, O Lord
Four Madrigals
17. Parting
18. Flowers for the Graces
19. Love
20. An Absent Friend
Ode to Man
21. Strophe A
22. Antistrophe A
23. Strophe B
24. Antistrophe B
25. Love divine, all loves excelling
Discover this collection of twenty-one songs reflecting contemporary
experiences of, and attitudes towards, the winter season, performed by
soprano Rebecca Lea and pianist Caroline Jaya-Ratnam.A new collection of twenty-one
songs reflecting contemporary experiences of, and attitudes towards,
the winter season from composers spanning a range of experiences and
backgrounds. Many, though not all, are settings of secular texts.
Whilst
more traditional winter themes do recur within the songs – those of
cold, loss, stillness, grief and darkness – those of belief, faith, and
hope, offer an emotional counterbalance.
Each individual composer
approaches and explores these themes from their own perspective, lending
their voice to a musical tapestry, expressing what it means to reflect
upon and celebrate the season of winter today.
The songs are to be published by Hal Leonard as an anthology in November 2025.
01: Dust of Snow - Jamie W. Hall
02: North - Errollyn Wallen
03: On White Meadows - Judith Weir
04: Sundowning - Ben Nobuto
05: Winter Spell - Héloïse Werner
06: Frost Fair - Adam Gorb07: The Darkest Midnight - Eoghan
Desmond
07: The Darkest Midnight – Eoghan Desmond
08: Winter Fragments - Jessica Dannheisser
09: Christmas Eve at Sea - Cecilia McDowall
10: Cradle Song - Helen Neeves
11: Natural State - James Weeks
12: Twelfth Night - Martin Bussey
13: The Core of Time - Cheryl Frances-Hoad
14: Villanelle: New Year's Eve - Peter Foggitt
Niemals war die Nacht so klar (The night had never been so clear)
Genesis Brass, Christian Sprenger
"Macht hoch die Tür" (Lift Up Your Heads, Ye
Mighty Gates) is the opening of the new Christmas album that Christian Sprenger
is releasing with his brass ensemble genesis brass on GENUIN. And with that,
the door is already wide open for an hour of the finest Advent and Christmas
brass music, arranged and composed by Christian Sprenger and Anne Weckeßer. The
repertoire ranges from classics such as "Tochter Zion" (Zion’s
Daughter) or "Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen" (My Heart Shall Leap
for Joy) to evocative soundscapes like a "Böhmisches Wintermärchen"
(Bohemian Winter’s Tale). The ensemble, made up of musicians from Berlin’s
leading orchestras, performs with vitality, richness of sound, and infectious
joy.
Release date: 28th
Nov 2025. Digital release.
Label: Genuin
Plongez dans la magie de Noël avec ce double vinyle qui rassemble les plus beaux chants et les plus belles mélodies de Noël par les plus grands artistes du catalogue Warner Classics/Erato.
Mon beau sapin, Casse-Noisette de Tchaïkovski, Minuit chrétiens, Il est né le divin enfant, Amazing Grace, Douce nuit, Le Messie de Haendel, l'Oratorio de Noël de J.S. Bach, Les anges de nos campagnes, le Gloria de Vivaldi, le Canon de Pachelbel, Silent Night, l'Ave Maria de Schubert, Entre le boeuf et l'âne gris, We Wish you a Merry Christmas, L'Arlésienne de Bizet...Avec la Maîtrise Saint-Pierre-aux-Liens de Bulle, Gautier Capuçon, Sir Simon Rattle, Barbara Hendricks, Choeur du King's Collegue de Cambridge, Maurice André, la Maîtrise Notre-Dame de Paris, Lucienne Renaudin Vary, Philippe Herreweghe, John Nelson, Kiri Te Kanawa, Thibaut Garcia.
Disc: 1
1 | THE NUTCRACKER BALLET OP 71 MINIATURE OVERTURE |
2 | We Wish You a Merry Christmas |
3 | L'Arlésienne, Suite No. 1: I. Prelude |
4 | Entre le b¿uf et l'âne gris (Orch. Pegg) |
5 | Silent Night, H. 145a-g |
6 | Minuit, Chrétiens |
7 | Il est né le divin enfant (Arr. Ekdahl) |
Disc: 2
1 | Herz und Mund und Tat und Leben, BWV 147: Chorale. "Jesu, Joy of Man's Desiring" (Instrumental Version) |
2 | El noi de la mare (Arr. Llobet for Guitar) |
3 | In dulci jubilo (1976 Remastered Version) |
4 | Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas (Arr. Allhoff for Trumpet and Orchestra) |
5 | Mon beau sapin (Orch. Stornetta) |
6 | Amazing Grace |
7 | THE NUTCRACKER BALLET OP71 ACT2 N12 TREPAK RUSSIAN |
8 | Douce nuit (Orch. Batchelar) |
Disc: 3
1 | Messiah, HWV 56, Pt. 2: Chorus. "Hallelujah" |
2 | WEIHNACHTS ORATORIUMCHRISTMAS ORATORIOORATORIO D |
3 | I Saw Three Ships (Arr. Rutter for Choir & Organ) |
4 | Les anges dans nos campagnes (Orch. Batchelar) |
5 | THE NUTCRACKER BALLET OP 71 ACT 1 NO 9 WAL |
6 | GLORIA IN EXCELSIS DEOGLORIA RE MAJ RV589 |
7 | Sanctus (Based on Pachelbel's Canon) |
Disc: 4
1 | THE NUTCRACKER BALLET OP 71 ACT 2 VARIATION I |
2 | Jingle Bells (Arr. Ekdahl) |
3 | Il est né le divin enfant |
4 | Silent Night / Stille Nacht (Arr. Lenaerts) |
5 | Agnus Dei, Op. 11 (Barber Adagio) [Excerpt] |
6 | Ave Maria, Op. 52 No. 6, D. 839 (Orch. Ducros) |
Celtic Woman's brand-new album Nollaig - A Christmas Journey
features Christmas favorites and Yuletide classics along with brand-new
composition "Nollaig na mBan" and some Irish songs with a Christmas twist.
Each song is a window into a winter's evening all wrapped in a feeling
of joy. The word `Nollaig' is Irish for `Christmas.' It is also the name
for December and is a given name for many people born within the month
of December. For Celtic Woman, it epitomizes the spirit of the Christmas
season.
- God
Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
- Nollaig Na Mban
- Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
- River
- Codail a Linbh
- Silent Night
- Wexford Carol
- Little Drummer Boy
- Don Oíche ÚD I Mbeithil
- Silver Bells
- In the Bleak Midwinter/Goin' Home [Medley]
- Bells of Dublin/Christmas Eve/Navan in the Snow [Medley]
- Auld Lang Syne
A magical duet harp and vocal album of Christmas songs:
Nordic Celtic originals and stunning new arrangements of timeless
classics! Every track on Nordic Nights has its own unique flair. Combining
harps, voices, and a fair bit of Christmas magic, Nordic Nights will be the
perfect soundtrack for your Holiday season for years to come!
https://www.harptwins.com/product-page/nordic-nights-cd-autographed
Christmas comes in new and unexpected guises – like last leaf’s fall, in Rowan Williams’s poem Advent Calendar.
Following three acclaimed Delphian recordings of Tudor music, Toby Ward and Ensemble Pro Victoria bring fresh, contemporary colours to the seasons of Advent and Christmas; the mood is quiet anticipation, guarded joy, sometimes even fear and uncertainty, as the Virgin – the spotless Rose at the still centre of it all – sings her son to sleep amidst death and persecution.
Williams narrates the Nativity story, around which the choir weave Hugo Distler’s searching polyphonic variations; Piers Connor Kennedy’s "Nowel el el" for harp and just six men’s voices is an intimate companion piece – or contrast – to Britten’s famous carol cycle, and has its first recording here by the group for which it was written.
1. Advent Calendar - Piers Conner Kennedy
2-16. Seven Choral Variations from Die Weihnachtsgeschichte, Op. 10 - Hugo Disler
17-28. Noel el el - Pier Conner Kennedy
29. A spotless rose - Herbert Howells
30. O Oriens - David McGregor
31. Lulla, Lullaby - William Byrd
32. Lully, Lulla, Lullay - Philip W.J. Stanford
33. Es ist ein Ros enstsprugen - Michael Praetorius and Melchor Valpius
https://www.delphianrecords.com/products/nowel-advent-and-beyond
The new album "Nutcracker Unwrapped" of saxophonist Asya Fateyeva tells
the tales of the winter and Christmas season in a brand new arrangement
of the Tchaikovsky classic „Nutcracker“ by composer Wolf Kerschek.
This
piece for saxophon and orchestra, where Fateyeva is joined by the
Staatsphilharmonie Rheinland-Pfalz is complemented by other Christmas
favorites for saxophon and vocal ensemble that were recorded together
with Niniwe Vocal Art. Part of the album are for example: "Carol of the
Bells," "Corpus Christi Charol," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas," and "Rosu Dejte."
1 March & Walk
2 Sugarhigh Fairy
3 Tarantulas Bite
4 In Between
5 3-Pack
6 Sketches of 1001 Nights
7 Dance to the East
8 Pas de Doux
9 Valse des
Fleurs No. 2
10 O
Jesulein Zart
11 Rosu Dejte
12 The Snow It Melts the Soonest
13 Noël Nouvellet
14 Corpus Christi Carol
15 Carol of the Bells
16 Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas
17 Weihnachts Medley
18 Adeste Fideles
19 Es ist ein Schnee Gefallen
O HOLY NIGHT: Christmas carols from St John’s
The second album from the Choir of St John’s with their new
music director – Christopher Gray.
At the centre of the programme are the atmospheric Quatre
Motets pour le temps de Noël by Francis Poulenc, and the heartfelt Three
Carol-An-thems by Herbert Howells who directed the Choir here at St John’s
during the Second World War. Other items include the beautiful carol John
Rutter wrote for the Choir in 1985, "There is a flower," and the haunting "Peace
on earth" by Master of the King’s Music, Errollyn Wallen.
“My aim with this album has not been to break new ground
with repertoire, but to ensure that classics remain fresh for the current
generation” – Christopher Gray
“A superb disc, beautifully presenting a procession os
stellar performances with detailed notes and in sterling sound.” – Classical
Explorer
“The recording quality is of the excellent standard that all
of John’s own label recordings have established” – MusicWeb International
1 O Holy Night – Adolphe Adam
2 In the stillness – Sally Beamish
3 Noel: verbum caro factum est (Multitude of Voyces Edition, 2020) – Tamsin Jones
4 Sussex Carol – Traditional arr. Philip Ledger
5 There is a flower – John Rutter
6 There is no rose – Anonymous
Three Carol-Anthems: – [Herbert Howells]
7 A Spotless Rose
8 Sing Lullaby
9 Here Is The Little Door
10 In dulci jubilo – Robert Lucas Pearsall
11 Peace on Earth – Errolyn Wallen
12 When Jesus our lord was born in Bethlehem…Say, where is he
born…There shall a star from Jacob come forth - Felix Mendelssohn
13 Stille Nacht – Franz Xaver Gruber arr. Simon Morley
Quatre motets pour le temps de Noël – Francis Poulenc
14 I. O Magnum mysterium
15 II. Quem vidistis pastores dicite
16 III. Videntes stellam
17 IV. Hodie Christus natus est
18 In the Bleak Midwinter – Becky McGlade
19 The Three Kings – Jonathan Dove
https://signumrecords.com/product/oholynight/SIGCD913/#
Christmas music from Flanders. Who doesn't know them, Christmas hits like "Nu zijt wellekome" (Now you are welcome) or "Hoe leit dit kindeken" (How does this child lie?). Centuries-old songs, anchored in our collective memory, and still very much alive. Although Christmas is a Christian holiday, these songs are not liturgical church music, but originated in the atmosphere of private devotion—in living rooms and monasteries rather than churches. Many medieval and early modern song manuscripts and hymn books circulated in bourgeois and urban environments.
1. Veni Redemptor Gentium
Composer: Erik Van Nevel, Upon The Chant
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
2. Maria Die Soude Naer Bethlehem Gaen
Composer: Willem Ceuleers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
3. Nu Sijt Wellekome
Composer: Piet Stryckers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
4. O Salich Heylich Bethleem
Composer: Piet Stryckers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
5. Laet Ons Met Herten Reine
Composer: Guilelmus Messaus
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
6. Stella Quam Viderunt Magi À 6
Composer: Johannes Le Febure
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
7. Videntes Stellam
Composer: Orlandus Lassus
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
8. Er Is Een Kindeke Gheboren
Composer: Piet Stryckers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
9. Een Seraphinsche Tonghe
Composer: Piet Stryckers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
10. O Nacht, O Blyde Nacht
Composer: Piet Stryckers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
11. In ‘T Stalleken Van Bethlehem
Composer: Piet Stryckers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
12. Hoe Leit Dit Kindeken
Composer: Piet Stryckers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
13. O Kersnacht, Schooner Dan De Daegen
Composer: Piet Stryckers, Willem Ceuleers, Erik Van Nevel
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
14. Sarabande – Dulcedo Jesu & Ballo
Composer: Franciscus Munninckx
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
15. Quoniam Tus Solus Sanctus
Composer: Charles-Joseph Van Helmont
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
16. O Herders, Laet U Bocxkens En Schaepen
Composer: Willem Ceuleers
Artist(s): Currende, Erik Van Nevel
This album feels like a significant milestone on many levels, and one I am
particularly proud of. It will be the twelfth album release for LCS, which puts
us level with Taylor Swift as of December 2025, and as our second Christmas
album, technically now puts us one ahead of Taylor.
This release also coincides
with the LCS’s 10th Anniversary and provides a nice link to our very first
album, O Holy Night.
I opened my welcome notes to "O Holy Night" by proclaiming
“The world surely does not need another album of Christmas music”, and so now
feel especially bound to justify why we’re back doing it again.
"O Holy Night" (of which I remain extremely proud), is a
carefully-chosen selection of many lesser-known carols, with five traditional
‘congregational’ carols (and their ubiquitous descants) interspersed.
There is
a clear framework, with the listener being introduced to more unusual – mostly
a capella – choral works, around which the big well-known carols act as
signposts along the way. I’m pleased to say it remains extremely popular to
this day.
On Christmas Night comes from a very different angle. This
album is full of well-known Christmas titles and melodies, but nearly all in
new and interesting arrangements. "Ding Dong! Merrily on High," "Silent Night," and :Away in a Manger" all appear as premiere recordings of new arrangements – and
new imaginings – of these much-loved Christmas melodies.
Our collaboration with the composer Owain Park has been long
and fruitful. As composer-in-residence, LCS has commissioned several
orchestrations and arrangements from Owain over the years.
Many have
become mainstays of our annual appearance at the Sinfonia Smith Square
Christmas Festival, and are firm favourites of audiences and performers alike.
I’m delighted many of these appear on this album: I hope his skilfull arrangements for chamber orchestra will not only give joy to the listener, but
also more options to other groups at Christmas when full symphonic forces may
not be available.
The Christmas Suite of Alec Rowley is a little gem and is
always well-received by audiences, allowing the strings to take the spotlight
in a conscious nod to the LCS orchestra, which did not feature on O Holy Night.
It wouldn’t be an LCS project without a couple of curveballs
and something completely new. I’m delighted to say that LCS has commissioned
the orchestration for Jim Clements’ symphonic-scaled Awake, Glad Heart!, a
piece I first heard in its original version for choir and organ on my gap year.
A suitably high-energy and rousing conclusion to the track list is provided by
Iain Farrington’s toe-tapping Nova, nova.
The final nod goes to my desert island Christmas track, "O
Holy Night." As the title track of the first LCS album, it appears there in a
specially-commissioned, technicolour arrangement by Max Pappenheim. It is
fitting, therefore, that Owain Park has orchestrated it for this album, to even
greater technicolour splendour.
I hope there’s something timeless and yet fresh about
everything on this disc, and I also hope it’s a recording people will enjoy
coming back to each festive season. Who knows, maybe we’ll end up with as many
streams as Taylor…
Michael Waldron
ON CHRISTMAS NIGHT
Percy Fletcher (1879-1932)
1. Ring Out, Wild Bells*
Orchestrated by Owain Park
Jim Clements (b.1983)
2. Awake, Glad Heart!*
Emma Bell, soprano
Traditional arr. Bob Chilcott (b.1955)
3. Silent Night*
Howard Blake (b.1938)
4. Walking in the Air
Malakai Bayoh, treble
Harold Darke (1888-1976)
5. In the Bleak Midwinter
Alec Rowley (1892-1958)
Christmas Suite
6. I Prelude
7. II Siciliana
8. III Minuet
9. IV Sarabande
10 V Bourrée
11. VI Fughetta
12. VII Finale
Gustav Holst (1874-1934)
13. Christmas Day*
Martha McLorinan, mezzo-soprano
Jimmy Holliday, bass
Orchestrated by Owain Park
Traditional arr. Bob Chilcott (b.1955)
14. Away in a Manger*
Traditional arr. Max Pappenheim (b.1983)
15. O Holy Night*
Emma Bell, soprano
Orchestrated by Owain Park
Traditional arr. Mack Wilberg (b.1955)
16. Ding Dong! Merrily on High*
Orchestrated by Owain Park
Iain Farrington (b.1977)
17. Nova, nova*
London Choral Sinfonia
Michael Waldron
Emma Bell, soprano
Malakai Bayoh, treble
Martha McLorinan, mezzo-soprano
Jimmy Holliday, bass
*World Premiere Recording
The 2024 Concordia Christmas Concert
Experience the Emmy Award-winning Concordia Christmas
Concerts! "Our Eyes, at Last, Shall See Him" the 2024 Concordia
Christmas Concert, features 300 student musicians performing works by J.S.
Bach, Ottarino Respighi, Elaine Hagenberg, Mack Wilberg, René Clausen, Paul J.
Christiansen, and more.
- Campanae Parisienses - Ottarino Respighi
- O Radiant Dawn - James MacMillan
- Of the Father's Love Begotten - arr. Joseph Kemper
- Once in Royal David's City - arr. Jared Campbell
- Do You Hear What I Hear? - arr. René Clausen
- Ave Generosa - Ola Gjeilo
- The Wonder of This Night - Stanford Scriven
- To Thee My Heart I Offer - Elaine Hagenberg
- Noèl Ayisyen (A Haitian Noël) - Emile Desamours
- Noel:
Verbum Caro Factum Est - Tamsin Jones
- Oba Ti De - Jeffery Ames
- I Am So Glad Each Christmas Eve - arr. Joseph Kemper
- Kling, no klokka! (Chime the Bells!) - arr. Matthew Culloton
- Silent Night - arr. René Clausen
- Go Tell It on the Mountain - arr. Evelyn Simpson-Curenton
- Sanctus (from Requiem) - Heather Sorenson
- Entrance Scene (from Advent Motet) - Gustav Schreck
- When Clarions Sound - Mack Wilberg
- Hark, the Herald Angels Sing - arr. Aaron David Miller
- Nunc Dimittis (The Song of Simeon) - Alexander Gretchaninoff
- Compline - arr. René Clausen
https://www.concordiarecordings.com/product/our-eyes-at-last-shall-see-him/FXAXXYWQ3BKNWM2DM42BXCH3?cp=true&sa=false&sbp=false&q=false&category_id=4
Tchaikovsky: The Nutcracker Suite, Op. 71a
Alexander Ffinch
Release date: 28th Nov 2025
Label: Divine Art
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9828326--tchaikovsky-the-nutcracker-suite-op-71a
Singing, especially at Christmas, is an age-old tradition
that the Wuppertaler Kurrende consciously and diligently upholds. Among the
many Christmas carols, the "Quempas" stands out as a significant
piece, sung in various regions of Germany for centuries. In the Wuppertaler
Kurrende’s 100-year history, Quempas concerts have been a staple of the concert
calendar for over 70 years. In addition to the Quempas, artistic director Lukas
Baumann has curated a diverse programme for the album, spanning from the Renaissance
to contemporary music. This includes a specially commissioned composition by
Alwin Michael Schronen.
The album features well-known Christmas classics presented
in a new light: with introductions, interludes, and postludes, the Lautten
Compagney Berlin and soprano Johanna Rosa Falkinger bring a fresh
interpretation to familiar Christmas carols, which are not always heard in
their traditional arrangements. With its eleven instrumentalists, the ensemble
creates a richly textured soundscape, enhancing not just the Quempas but the
entire festive repertoire.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9726254--quempas
On its new CD from BR-KLASSIK, the Bavarian Radio Chorus,
directed by Howard Arman, presents Christmas music from Italy. With his Lauda
per la natività del Signore, Ottorino Respighi modernised the medieval nativity
play of the same name by the religious lyricist Jacopone da Todi. He had
already explored art forms of the past in adaptations of early music,
re-creations and free works based on Gregorian chants. In this piece, he
assigned the medieval verses to three soloists - the angel (soprano), the
Virgin Mary (mezzo-soprano), and the shepherd (tenor) - as well as a chamber
choir.
Accompanied by selected woodwind instruments reminiscent of the music of
Italian shepherds, and by four-handed piano and triangle, the miracle of
Christmas is brought to life in a simple yet impressive way.
Francesco Paolo Frontini is remembered less for his
compositions than for his many collections of Sicilian folk songs. From his
Canti religiosi del popolo siciliano (Religious Songs of the Sicilian People,
published in 1938), a collection of 22 songs for voice and piano underlaid with
Sicilian dialect verses and their Italian translations, Howard Arman selected
eight songs and arranged them for choir and instruments.
Like Frontini, who
already included regional variants from Catania, Palermo, and other parts of
the Mediterranean island, Arman also arranged different regional versions of
two songs. The melody of the Italian Marian carol O sanctissima, which is one
of the most popular Christmas carols in the German-speaking countries with its
opening verse O du fröhliche, could possibly also have originated from Sicily.
The arrangement is once again by Howard Arman.
https://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9795281--italian-christmas-respighi-and-frontini
Editor's Note: Although not a Christmas album, it does contain L. Edlund's Gloria and J. Sandstrøm's "Det ‘r en
ros utsprungen."
Released on the occasion of the Swedish Radio Choir’s
centenary, this recording brings together works that testify to the richness
and the vitality of the internationally acclaimed Swedish choral tradition.
The
programme features twelve extremely varied works, demonstrating the openness,
versatility and flexibility of the Swedish Radio Choir and its
multi-award-winning conductor, Kaspars Putniņš. It also pays tribute to the
pioneering work of the choir’s long-standing choirmaster Eric Ericson, whose
work has influenced and inspired composers from many generations.
The older
works, by Ivar Widéen, Lars Johan Werle, Lars Edlund and Ingvar Lidholm, draw
on ancient, secular and religious traditions, from Gregorian chant and
madrigals, and combine clear melodic lines, glissandos, chants, whispers and
traditional harmonies to create a language that is both modern and accessible.
More modern works by Anders Hillborg, Britta Byström and Johannes Pollak and
explore the human voice and its possibilities in every conceivable way.
Staffan
Storm, Ulrika Emanuelsson and Anna-Karin Klockar pay tribute to the great
Swedish Romantic Hugo Alfvén in pieces composed for the 150th anniversary of
his birth.
Finally, Arne Lundmark and Jan Sandström adapt existing folk and
religious pieces and ‘expand’ the musical content, offering a vision that is
both personal and respectful of the original work. The Swedish Radio Choir and
Kaspars Putniņš invite you to celebrate a century of Swedish musical history.
VOCES8 Foundation Orchestra, Jack Liebeck (violin), VOCES8
Foundation Choir, Barnaby Smith (countertenor), Katie Jeffries-Harris
Rose Ever Blooming honors the role of Mary in the story of Jesus, highlighting the importance of family and the eternally strong bonds between mother and son. Inspired by poetry by Patricia Monaghan, we have constructed a libretto featuring twelve of these poems. Traditional Christmas carols are woven together with this poetry, acting as musical touchstones while also supporting the themes and narratives in Monaghan's poetry.
Each divine moment of the Christmas story is presented here with a human counterpart. These poems portray Mary in all her humanity and as a reluctant hero of the Christmas story. In Rose Ever Blooming, Mary's story is presented as a reflection from the end of her life, beginning with the Annunciation and ending with her own list of Beatitudes, praising the ordinary and the everyday blessings we take for granted.
We see the onset of motherhood as a metamorphosis from ordinary girl to one who will "bring forth the future." A new Magnificat, not praising an entity outside ourselves, recognizes the divine within all of us. It was refreshing to tell Mary's story through her eyes, and Monaghan's brilliant portrayal of her character shines through in these sensitive and poignant poems.
- Jocelyn Hagen and Timothy C. Takach
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Lo, How a Rose
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
The Beginning of the Story
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Annunciation: With a Sound Like Wing
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Gabriel's Message
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
And Then It Was Over
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Miracles
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
A Stranger Tells Us the News
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Life After Angels
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
C. Takach:
Resurrection
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Magnificat
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
I Said Yes to Hope
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Beatitudes y
- Jocelyn Hagen, Timothy C. Takach:
Woman Clothed With the Sun
https://voces8.foundation/shop/rose-ever-blooming-voces8-foundation-choir-and-orchestra
Born in Manchester (1963) in the northwest of England, Sasha
Johnson Manning studied at London’s Royal Academy of Music.
Upon graduation,
she established a career as a professional singer and choir director and also
taught.
Though she had written much for local choirs, her compositional skills
were significantly encouraged through a formal association with the Saint Louis
Chamber Chorus where she became its ‘Composer-in-Residence,’ creating an
8-movement ‘Requiem’ (Regent REGCD255).
In parallel with her growing reputation in the Midwest,
Sasha has been applauded in the UK for her appealing and affecting music, with
‘The Manchester Carols’ (a collaboration with the poet, Carol Ann Duffy)
enjoying much popularity.
Another notable commission came from the BBC,
resulting in ‘The People’s Passion’, a work performed both in the UK, and far
beyond, in Europe, Africa and the USA.
For those who know Sasha primarily as a choral composer,
this instrumental anthology will come as a surprise, but it provides important
testimony to her versatility as an artist.
Each month Third Baptist Church in Saint Louis, Missouri,
features in their Sunday services solo keyboard works on a theme recognizing
the religious season and time of year.
‘A Year at Third’ was commissioned to
fulfill that role. Modelled on ‘The Seasons’ by Tchaikovsky, the twelve short
pieces are beautiful studies, capturing the different character of the twelve
months of the year in quintessentially English styles.
The recording concludes with two Christmas works for piano
and String Quintet – the second an extended work in three movements – featuring
rhapsodic treatments of well-known Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany carols.
All the music on the disc is recorded here for the first
time.
with Chantal Incandela (track 13) and Anita Hagerman (tracks
14–16) double bass
conducted by Philip Barnes (tracks 13–16)
A Year at Third: 12 studies for Solo Piano
1 January: Melody of the cold earth, richness of kings’
gifts, new growth and promise of wholeness
2 February: The redemptive power of love
3 March: ‘Lead me to the rock that is higher than I’
4 April – Palm Sunday: An excitable crowd, perhaps not fully
comprehending the true significance of what it is they are witnessing
5 May: The green hill
6 June: The Eternal Father
7 July : Be confident! Trust Jesus! God is our hope and
strength!
8 August: Like as the hart
9 September: Finding God in the darkest depths
10 October: Affirmation
11 November: Awake, my soul
12 December: O come, O come, Emmanuel
13 On Christmas Day (for Piano and String Quintet)
A Christmas Rhapsody (for Piano and String Quintet)
14 I O come, O come, Emmanuel
15 II Whence is that goodly fragrance flowing?
16 III How brightly shines the morning star
https://www.regent-records.co.uk/product/sasha-johnson-manning-a-year-at-third/
See You Again
Eunike Tanzil (piano), Christian Badzura (synthesizer)
When Augustus Reigned (Doxastikón Idiómelon for Christmas Vespers) [Instrumental Version]
Christmas Spirit
Dance of the Caribou
Winter Holiday (No. 4 from Four Seasonal Sketches)
O viridissima virga
Chloe Flower & English National Opera Chorus
Peace on Earth
Chloe Flower & English National Opera Chorus
Is There Anybody Here That Loves My Jesus
December (No. 12 from Das Jahr, H. 385)
We Toast the Days
Chloe Flower & English National Opera Chorus
O viridissima virga [A Cappella Version]
English National Opera Chorus
Song for Snow (Piano, Choir and Orchestra Version)
Chloe Flower & English National Opera Chorus
December (No. 12 from Das Jahr, H. 385) [Popsical Remix]
This heartfelt collection of carols and contemporary choral favorites
captures the spirit of Christmas through radiant harmonies, timeless
melodies and the Grant Park Chorus’ signature artistry. From the quiet
reflection of Silent Night and In The Bleak Midwinter to the shimmering mystery of O Magnum Mysterium, the album offers movements of both serenity and joy. Beloved traditional melodies like The Holly and the Ivy sparkle alongside classics like Jesus Christ the Apple Tree.
Jesus Christ the Apple Tree - Elizabeth Poston
The Holly and the Ivy - Virgil Thomson
Veni, Veni Emmanuel - arr. Michael John Trotta
In the Bleak Midwinter - Becky McGlade
Silent Night - arr. Dede Duson
O Magnum Mysterium - Tomás Luis de Victoria
O Magnum Mysterium - Morten Lauridsen
Fum, Fum, Fum - arr. Alice Parker and Robert Shaw
The Huron Carol - arr. Eleanor Daley
The Wexford Carol - arr. Matthew Culloton
Lully, Lulla, Thou Little Tiny Child - Kenneth Leighton
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly - arr. Matthew Cullotonhttps://www.grantparkmusicfestival.com/news-stories/songs-of-the-season-a-choral-celebration-of-christmas/
EP from Lyyra and Vision String Quartet.1. This Christmas
2. Silent Night
3. The Christmas Song
New EP This Christmas. Lyyra collaborates with the amazing @visionstringquartet to give you some new Christmas faves to listen to all season!!!!
https://www.lyyramusic.com
In this debut album, baritone Jonas Müller and the Tomasi
Musso Guitar Duo present Schubert's Winterreise, for which the accompaniment
has been arranged for two guitars.
This creates a new dimension demanding of a
different approach from the singer, who must now internalise what the piano
used to provide.
This is particularly in keeping with the idea that Winterreise
is not simply a collection of songs composed by a travelling horn player, but
that the existential encounter between the stranger and the hurdy-gurdy man
gives rise to new songs that have never been heard before and can only be sung
together.1.Gute Nacht
2.Die Wetterfahne
3.Gefror’ne Tränen
4.Erstarrung
5.Der Lindenbaum
6.Wasserflut
7.Auf dem Flusse
8.Rückblick
9.Irrlicht
10.Rast
11.Frühlingstraum
12.Einsamkeit
13.Die Post
14.Der greise Kopf
15.Die Krähe
16.Letzte Hoffnung
17.Im Dorfe
18.Der stürmische Morgen
19.Täuschung
20.Der Wegweiser
21.Das Wirtshaus
22.Mut
23.Die Nebensonnen
24.Der Leiermann
https://www.oehmsclassics.de/artikel/31990/Jonas_M%C3%BCller___Tomasi_Musso_Guitar_Duo_Franz_Schubert__Winterreisehttps://www.prestomusic.com/classical/products/9785072--schubert-winterreise
As winter approaches and the lights twinkle in the windows, a time of reflection and music begins for many. For Marina Baranova, born in Kharkiv and a resident of Germany for many years, Christmas is far more than just a festive occasion. It's a moment where cultures, traditions, and personal stories converge. With her new album, "The Star of Mendelssohn," she invites listeners to cross this bridge between worlds—and rediscover Mendelssohn.
Baranova, whose musical roots are diverse and vibrant, understood music as a universal language from an early age.
Influenced by the Eastern European piano school and a home filled with Bach, Mozart, jazz, and blues, her childhood fostered the openness that characterizes her work today. Christmas was initially foreign to her — her Jewish heritage and Soviet upbringing meant she largely ignored the holiday for a long time.
It was only through her children that Christmas became a personal experience for her: "For me, Christmas is a festival of love that possesses utopian potential. It is a time when people come together, empathy and understanding grow, and differences can be overcome," says Baranova.
The Star of Mendelssohn
1 "The Midwinter Night's Dream" Christmas Scherzo
2 Songs With Words: Greensleeves extended, Op. 19 No. 6
3 Songs With Words: Daughters of Zion extended, Op. 67 No. 2
4 Songs With Words: Auld Lang Syne extended, Op. 30 No. 1
5 Es wird ein Stern aus Jacob Aufgehn
6 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Improvisation in E
Major
7 Drinking Song, Op. 75 No. 3
8 Songs With Words: O come, All Ye Faithfull extended, Op.
19 No. 1
9 God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
10 Auf Flügeln des Gesanges
11 From the Christmas Tree Suite: Carillon
12 From the Christmas Tree Suite: In dulci jubilo /The
Sheperds at the Manger
13 The Sense of Cohesion
14 Hark! The Herald Angels Sing - Improvisation in F-Sharp
Major
https://www.berlin-classics-music.com/en/album/885470044132-the-star-of-mendelssohn/
A super Christmas CD with carols from all eras, performed by
the choir of Llandaff Cathedral.
1 When all is dark - Terence Chalston
2 O come, O come, Emmanuel - 15the Century Melody
3 A tender shoot - Kerensa Briggs
4 Magnificat on Plainsong themes - Gerald Near
5 Organ: Toccata on Veni Emmanuel! - Andrew Carter
6 O nata lux de lumine - Anna Lapwood
7 The holly and the ivy - June Nixon
8 Adam lay ybounden - Philip Stopford
9 Long ago, prophets knew - Piae Cantiones arr Stephen Moore
10 Joseph and the angel - Haflioi Hallgrimssohn
11 Away in a manger - Paul Edwards
12 All bells in paradise - John Rutter
13 Organ - Celtic Lullaby - Noel Rawsthorne
14 Caril y seren - Gareth Glyn
15 O come all ye faithful - J F Wade arr David Hill
16 Infant holy - Polish carol arr Mack Wilberg
17 Organ - Adoration - Florence Price
18 I saw three ships - arr Philip Marshall
19 O magnum mysterium- Ivo Antognini
20 Organ - Sortie on Mendelssohn - David Bednall
https://www.prioryrecords.co.uk/Lapwood-Llandaff-Cathedral-Choir-Moore-Carols
New York-based early music ensemble Concordian Dawn presents
Veni Redemptor Gentium, a joyful and introspective celebration of the Christmas
season centred around songs from the 13th – 15th centuries, plus two
world-premiere recordings of works by Australian-born composer David Yardley.
1. This Holy Tym Oure Lord Was Born
Kennedy, Hedberg (voice and percussion), Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice and
percussion), McCargar (voice and percussion), Mor (recorder and percussion),
Seligmann (vielle)
2. Isaiah and Sybil’s Prophecies
McCargar (voice), Thompson (harp), Mor (ney), Seligmann (vielle), Evans,
Karageorgiou
3. Gabriel fram Heven King
Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice)
4. Veni, redemptor gentium
Kennedy, Hedberg (voice), Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice)
5. Kuando el rey Nimrod
Mor (voice and percussion), Seligmann (vielle), Hedberg (voice and percussion),
Thompson (voice and percussion), McCargar (percussion)
6. Alma
redemptoris mater
McCargar (voice)
7. Ave, regina caelorum/Alma redemptoris mater
Evans, Hedberg (voice), Mor (recorder), Thompson (harp)
8. Orientis partibus
Mor (recorder), Seligmann (vielle), Thompson (harp), McCargar (percussion)
9. Alle psallite cum luya
Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice), Seligmann (percussion), Mor
(percussion)
10. Psallite regi glorie: Thompson (voice and harp)
11. Hail Mary, full of grace
Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice)
12. Personent Hodie
Seligmann (vielle), Thompson (harp), Mor (percussion)
13. Beata viscera
Kennedy (voice), Seligmann (vielle)
14. Vox Clamantis in Deserto
Evans, Hedberg (voice), Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice), Seligmann (vielle)
15. Dum medium silentium
McCargar (voice), Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice)
16. Magnificat
Evans, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice)
17. Now make we mirthe all and sum
Evans, Karageorgiou
18. Quem pastores laudavere
Mor (recorder), Seligmann (vielle), Thompson (harp), McCargar (percussion)
19. Verbum caro factum est
Evans, Hedberg (voice), Thompson (voice)
20. Ther is no rose of swych vertu
Kennedy, Hedberg (voice), Karageorgiou (voice), Mor (recorder), Seligmann
(vielle), Thompson (harp)
21. In Adventu Domini
Karageorgiou, Thompson (voice), McCargar (voice)
22. Be mery, be mery
Evans, Hedberg (voice), Karageorgiou, Mor (recorder), Seligmann (vielle),
Thompson (harp)
https://www.avie-records.com/releases/veni-redemptor-gentium/
24 Christmas carols from every corner of the German-speaking world – freshly arranged and with cheeky charme.
Anyone who has ever strolled through a Christmas market during Advent knows: amidst the scent of mulled wine, the sounds of pan flutes, and children's choirs, familiar melodies mingle with the hectic bustle.
For those who, after all the hustle and bustle, wish to channel the many impressions into a harmonious flow, the CD "vollxlied xmas" offers the perfect solution: a collection for Advent and Christmas that beautifully combines tradition and new discoveries.
With each of the 24 tracks, Ensemble Nobiles opens a new sonic world. The foundation of this Advent calendar is a dramaturgy of diversity, emphasizing the opportunity for sonic rediscoveries, even of well-known melodies.
The four Sundays of Advent stand out from the other pieces. Guest choirs accompany the singers, lending these tracks a special brilliance.
Ensemble Nobiles' ninth album follows their 2020 release, vollxlied – Made in Germany, which invited listeners on a musical journey through German-speaking countries, spanning styles, regions, and eras – this time with a Christmas theme.
Christmas carols from every corner of the German-speaking world – freshly arranged and with a cheeky charm.
https://www.ensemblenobiles.de/shop
Weihnachten
in the 17th century
German Christmas Music
Michael Praetorius (1571-1621)
1) Nun komm der Heiden Heiland
Matthias Weckmann (1616-1674)
2) Dialogus: Gegrüsset seist du, Holdselige
Vincent Lübeck (1654-1740)
3) Wilkommen, süsser Bräutigam
Christoph Bernard (1628-1692)
4) Fürchtet euch nicht
Michael Praetorius
5) Von Himmel hoch da komm ich her
Heinrich Schmelzer (c1620-1680)
6) Venite ocius! transeamusad Bethlehem
Dietrich Buxtehude 1637-1707)
7) Salve Jesu, patris gnate BuxWV 94
8) Herr nun lässt du deinen Diener BuxWV 37
9) In dulci jubilo BuxWV 52
Apollo Ensemble
Agnes van Laar, Janneke Stoute soprano
Michiel Meijer bass
David Rabinovich, Daphne Oltheten violin
Robert de Bree, Emma Huijsser recorder
Annemarie Kosten-Dür, Agnieszka Papierska viola
Cassandra Luckhardt viola da gamba
Thomas Oltheten dulcian
Marion Boshuizen organ
https://apollo-ensemble.nl/recording/weihnachtenin-the-17th-century/
https://www.etcetera-records.com/product/weihnachten-in-the-17th-century-german-christmas-music-apollo-ensemble-agnes-van-laar-janneke-stoute-michiel-meijer/
A major priority of the baroque age was making the delights of the afterlife palpable here on earth. With a selection of baroque pastorale music and sacred songs, René Clemencic and his Consort take us on a journey to that earlier era.
Introductory texts on each composer as well as song texts enrich the booklet of these CD, which should be on the shelves of all music lovers of authentic Christmas music.
Four extraordinary voices meet the magic of Christmas: the
German Gents! This phenomenal vocal ensemble presents its festive repertoire —
a masterful mix of traditional German and international Christmas songs,
complemented by timeless classics in a cappella style. Their album Winter
Wonderland combines all of this and will be released on November 21, 2025
With their unmistakable sound and perfect harmony, the four
singers bring the most wonderful time of the year to life – sometimes
contemplative, sometimes full of joie de vivre, with “Let it snow,” “Last
Christmas,” “O Tannenbaum,” and other Christmas evergreens.
1 Let It Snw!
2 Winter Wonderland
3 Sleigh Ride
4 Rudolph, the Red-Nosed Reindeer
5 Last Christmas
6 Jingle Bells
7 O Tannenbaum
8 Leise rieselt der Schnee
9 Maria durch ein Dornwald ging
10 Feliz Navidad
11 Los
Peces en el Río
12 Stille
Nacht, heilige Nacht
https://www.berlin-classics-music.com/en/album/885470044217-winter-wonderland/
The Wise Men and the Star. Album by The Sixteen
Christmas simply wouldn’t be Christmas without the iconic
voices of The Sixteen providing a soundtrack to the season. Celebrated for
collections that provide an alternative to the customary festive offerings,
this new album from the world-renown choir is no exception.
No other festival in the Christian year has inspired
so many composers and such a variety of musical styles as Christmas. The Wise
Men and the Star features a veritable cornucopia of yuletide music from the
premieres of three new works to traditional carols including "Away in a manger" and "In the bleak midwinter," and modern classics such as Eric Whitacre’s "Lux
aurumque" and Mykola Leontovich’s "Carol of the bells." This new album promises
something for everyone.
Margaret RIZZA
1. O Sapientia
Eric WHITACRE
2. Lux Aurumque
Bernard ROSE
3. Our Blessed Lady's Lullaby
Oliver TARNEY
4. The Wise Men and the Star
James McCARTHY
5. Peaceful was the Night
Traditional (arr. Willcocks)
6. Away in a manger
Traditional (arr. Willcocks)
7. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
Traditional
8. Deck the hall with boughs of holly
Gareth TRESEDER
9. Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
Celilia McDOWALL
10. Brightest Star
Alec ROTH
11. Lullaby Carol
Reena ESMAIL
12-14. A Winter Breviary
Peter CORNELIUS
15. The Three Kings
Jeremy DIBBLE
16. Dormi, Jesu! (A Lullaby) *
Kim PORTER
17. Benediction *
Peter HAYWARD
18. The Christ-Child's Lullaby *
John IRELAND
19. New Prince, New Pomp
Gustav HOLST
20. In the bleak midwinter
Margaret RIZZA
21. As Joseph was a-walking
BONUS TRACK
Mykola LEONTOVICH
22. Carol of the Bells
Total running time: 76.08
* World Premiere Recording
https://cororecords.com/products/the-wise-men-and-the-star
Designed and created based on the film of the same name by Michael McGlynn. ANÚNA, A Whisper of Paradise is the complete soundtrack of the film of
the same name, newly remastered with added tracks (plus a bonus on the
digital release of "Siúil a Rúin).
The film is available to download in its shiny 2025 release form now from anuna.ie/shop 1. The Wexford Carol
2. O Holy Night
3. Ríu Ríu
4. An Oíche
5. The First Day
6. Gaudete
7. Away in a Manger
8. Jerusalem
9. St. Nicholas
10. Amhrán na Gaoithe
11. Dúlamán
12. Noel Nouvelet
13. Midnight
14. Pie Jesu
15.Danny Boy
16. Kells
17.
Siúil a Rúin (Bonus Track)
The newest release in the collectable ‘A Year at..’ series
takes us to the glorious baroque church of St Philip in the heart of
Birmingham, which became the Cathedral of the new Birmingham Diocese in 1905.
The Cathedral is renowned for its graceful Italianate architecture and the
remarkable late nineteenth-century stained-glass windows, many by Edward
Burne-Jones.
In this first recording from Birmingham under musical
director, David Hardie, we are taken on a musical journey through the church’s
year from Advent to Christ the King.
Alongside the great festivals, Birmingham Cathedral,
situated at the heart of Britain’s ‘Second City’, as well as celebrating the
cultural and demographic diversity of this great city, has a special mission to
support the vulnerable and marginalised in society. The recording features
musical items performed during the year to recognise all aspects of its
mission.
Advent
1 Rorate caeli – Humphrey Clucas
Christmas
2 The holly and the ivy – June Nixon*
3 In silent night – Mitchell B Southall
Epiphany
4 There shall a star from Jacob come forth
– Felix Mendelssohn*
Candlemas
5 Nunc dimittis – Gustav
Holst
Racial Justice Sunday
6 Resignation – Florence Price
Annunciation
7 Ave Maria – Ben Ponniah
Lent and Passiontide
8 Ex ore innocentium – John Ireland* 3:32
Easter
9 Ye choirs of new Jerusalem – Charles Villiers
Stanford*
Ascension
10 Offertoire pour la fête de l’Ascension
– Théodore Dubois Organ solo: David Hardie
Pentecost
11 Come down, O Love divine – William Henry Harris*
Trinity
12 Great Lord of Lords – Charles Wood
Corpus Christi
13 Panis angelicus – César Franck*
14 Corpus Christi Carol – Judith Bingham*
Harvest
15 Let the people praise thee, O God – William
Mathias*
Dedication Festival
16 Locus iste – Anton Bruckner
All Saints
17 Give us the wings of faith – Ernest Bullock*
All Souls
18 In paradisum – Philip Moore
Safeguarding Sunday
19 A Child’s Prayer – James MacMillan
Christ the King
20 Let all mortal flesh keep silence – Edward
Cuthbert Bairstow
https://www.regent-records.co.uk/product/a-year-at-birmingham/
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