Duo Mignarda issues "In Dulci Jubilo: Ancient Music for Christmastide"
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.
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CPO Releases Album of Forgotten Christmas Oratorios
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.
Georg Gebel II: Weihnachtsoratorium: No. 1, Jauchzet, ihr Himmel! Erfreue dich, Erde! (Arr. for Voice, Choir & Orchestra by Bernhard Klapprott)
Stölzel: Ach, dass die Hülfe aus Zion über Israel käme: No. 2, Seelenwollust, Freud und Wonne
Telemann: Dazu ist erschienen die Liebe Gottes, TWV 1:166: No. 7, Lob, Ehr und Dank sei dir gesungen
Graun, C H: Weihnachtsoratorium: No. 19, Ew'ger Sohn, erhaltner Segen
Telemann: Die Hirten bei der Krippe zu Bethlehem, TWV 1:797: No. 1, O Jesu parvule
Stölzel: Ehre sei Gott in der Höhe: No. 6, Des lasst uns alle fröhlich sein
Rolle: Ach, dass du den Himmel zerrissest: No. 7, Werdet voll Freuden, umschränket das Leiden
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Deep Christmas Reflections in Jervaulx Singers "In the Stillness" off Convivium Records
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
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La Grande Chapelle releases recording of José de Nebra Responsorios de Navidad
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.
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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
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Salaputia Brass is Gonna "Let it Swing" with new recording on Berlin Classics
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!
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Norwich Cathedral Choir under Ashley Grote, and the Onyx Brass for Lord of the Dance: Christmas Carols form Norwich Cathedral
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
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New Recording off Signum Classics by Helen Charlston focuses on Elizabethan Christmas
A new recording off Signum Classics focuses on Christmas in Elizabethan times. By mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and viol consort Fretwork, it was released in July 2021.
The recording includes pieces by William Byrd, Anthony Holbourne, Orlando Gibbons, and Martin Peerson.
Signum Classics description is as follows:
With celebrations confined strictly to the 12 days from Christmas Eve to Epiphany, the preceding Advent was regarded as a time of religious introspection, with music composed to mark both fasting and feasting. Byrd’s consort songs for voice and 5 viols encompass this range, from the joyous Out of the Orient Crystal Skies – ending with an exuberant ‘Falantidingdido’, a word whose meaning is lost to history – to his Lullaby, a ‘song of sadnes and pietie’ that became one of Byrd’s most enduringly famous songs.
In 2021, Fretwork celebrates its 35th anniversary. In the past three and a half decades they have explored the core repertory of great English consort music, from Taverner to Purcell, and made classic recordings against which others are judged. In addition to this, Fretwork have become known as pioneers of contemporary music for viols, having commissioned over 40 new works.
Acclaimed for her musical interpretation, presence and “warmly distinctive tone” (The Telegraph), Helen Charlston is quickly cementing herself as a key performer in the next generation of British singers. Helen won first prize in the 2018 Handel Singing Competition and was a finalist in the Hurn Court Opera Competition, and the Grange Festival International Singing Competition.
A Tudor Christmas, Trinity Boys Choir and L'Armonia Sonora
This recording presents music for Advent and Christmas from the Tudor and early Stuart periods but does not attempt to be a historical recreation, more an invitation to imagine the sound world of a period rich in musical expression.
Pragmatism governed many musical practices of the time, either by the frequent re-working of musical scores or through the flexible use of voices and instruments, and this programme wholly embraces this virtue by employing varied accompaniments and by freely changing between instrumental and choral renditions.
In 2018 the eight young voices of Trinity Boys Choir EIGHT and the viol consort L’Armonia Sonora performed much of this music in a Christmas concert in the Tudor Chapel at Ightham Mote in Kent and this environment seemed entirely fitting. The musicians and chamber organ were arranged comfortably on the altar side of the rood screen while the audience sat snugly in the small pews. The resulting intimacy allowed the voices and instruments to speak naturally, sensitively and directly.
Rondeau Records
2011
This beautiful CD contains 22 tracks, all with a Christmas theme, and all datable to when William Shakespeare was alive (1564-1616).
Early music played on reproduction instruments interspersed with period readings, including pieces by Campion, Holbourne, Lawes and Byrd.
Includes a booklet with lyrics and sources.
Track Listing:
1.All you that love good fellows/Carol for Innocent's Day (In sad and ashy weeds)/Hey for Christmas (Dargasons)
2."Rorate coeli" to the tune of Beggar Boy
3.Now Winter nights enlarge [Campion]
4.December (reading)
5."Jurie cam to Jerusalem" to the tune of Dulcina
6.Balulalow (ane sang of the birth of Christ)
7.Lully Lullay/Remember thou, O man
8.Sweet was the song
9.O than the fairest day (reading)/As it fell on a holie eve [Holbourne]
10.New Prince, New Pomp
11.All Sons of Adam
12.Oyle of Barley (Stingo)
13.Beat up a drum for Christmas reigns
14.St. Stephen's Day Carol (Robin)/Christmas is my Name (Now the Spring is come)
15.Tis Christmas Now [Lawes]
16.Christmas, his Masque (reading)
17.The New Year's Gift
18.Coventry Carol
19.The star song (reading)/New-yeers Gift [Holbourne]
20.Twelfe Night, or King and Queene
21.Adorna Thalamum tuum [Byrd]
22.In praise of Christmas (To drive the cold winter away),
2010
Stile Antico's newest program centers on Thomas Tallis's magnificent seven-part Christmas Mass, based on the festive plainchant Puer natus est ("A boy is born")
1 Videte Miraculum - Thomas Tallis 2 Audivi Vocem de Caelo - John Taverner 3 Rorate Caeli Desuper (Gradualia I, 1605) - William Byrd 4 Gloria (Missa Puer Natus Est) - Tallis 5 Tollite Portas (Gradualia I) - Byrd 6 Sanctus & Benedictus (Missa Puer Natus Est) - Tallis 7 Ave Maria (Gradualia I) - Byrd 8 Agnus Dei (Missa Puer Natus Est) - Tallis 9 Ecce Virgo Concipiet (Gradualia I) - Byrd 10 Magnificat - Robert White 11 Puer Natus Est - Plainchant 12 Verbum Caro - John Sheppard
Queen Elizabeth I of England spent much of her reign juggling to maintain her power and position and to keep England peaceful, prosperous and independent.
Realizing that marriage to anyone at all would make the crown subject either to a foreign power or to a domestic faction, she skillfully warded off all suits, whether they were tendered as peace offerings or as passionate proposals (in some cases both happened at once).
She had to balance, too, the antipathies between Catholics and Protestants in her realm: as the daughter of Henry VIII she was herself a Protestant and recoiled at the idea of bowing to papal authority, but she also knew from experience that the persecution of Catholics could lead to bloody insurgency.
Happily, in the field of music – especially music for Christmas, a treasured tradition for hundreds of years – a truce seemed to hold...
WILLIAM BYRD (1543-1623) Prelude and Voluntary
THOMAS RAVENSCROFT (c.1582-1635) Remember, O Thou Man
WILLIAM BYRD From Virgin’s Womb this Day did Spring
ANTHONY HOLBORNE (c.1550-1602) As it fell on a Holie Eve The Cradle The Night Watch
WILLIAM BYRD O magnum mysterium Vidimus stellam Puer natus est
ANONYMOUS (c.1600) Gentil Madonna
ANONYMOUS (c.1600) Sweet was the Song the Virgin Sung
JOHN BULL (c.1562-1628) A Gigge: Dr. Bull’s My Selfe
THOMAS MORLEY (1557-1602) Fantasia La sampogna
WILLIAM BYRD Out of the Orient Crystal Skies
ANONYMOUS (c.1600) ELIZABETHAN DANCE SUITE Pavan of Albarti Gallyard Allemana d’Amor
WILLIAM BYRD Fantasy a4
SHEARMEN & TAILORS CAROL (1591) Lully, Lulla
TOBIAS HUME (c.1569-1645) Harke, Harke A Mery Conceit: The Queens delight
ANONYMOUS (mid 17th century) Divisions on Greensleeves
TRADITIONAL WAITS’ CAROL (1642) The Old Year Now Away is Fled
2004
Imagine yourself in the fine surroundings of the Great Hall of Christ Church, with a programme of Tudor sacred and secular music including music by Henry VIII, one of Christ Church's founders, and choral works by Taverner and others associated with Christ Church during it's first century.
1 Pastime with Good Company 2 Coventry Carol 3 Rorate Coeli 4 Consort No. 3 5 Christe Jesu, Pastor Bone 6 Consort No. 3 7 This Is the Record of John 8 Ave Maria 9 Remember, O Thou Man 10 Consort No. 12 11 While Shepherds Watched 12 From Virgin Pure This Day Did Spring 13 Consort No. 2 14 Laudate Nomen 15 O Nata Lux 16 Magnificat a 4 17 Sweet Was the Song the Virgin Sung 18 Quid Petis O Fili 19 Consort No. 13 20 Hosanna to the Son of David
Gift of Music
1990
Beautiful performances ... consummate musicianship. I recommend this recording without reservation (Viola da Gamba Society of America).
1 This Is the Record of John, Anthem for Voices 2 Christe Qui Lux a 4, for Instrumental Consort No. 3 3 Sing Unto God, for 2 to 5 Voices & Organ 4 Upon My Lap 5 Fantasia a 5, for Instrumental Consort in C Major 6 O Ye Little Flock, Verse Anthem for 4 & 6 Voices 7 Browning a 5, for Instrumental Consort ('The Leaves Bee Greene') 8 Sweet Was the Song the Virgin Sung 9 The Cradle, for Consort 10 Almighty God, Which By the Leading of a Star (The Starre Anthem) 11 Lullaby, My Sweet Little Baby, Madrigal for 5 Voices (Ssatb) & Viols 12 In Nomine a 5, No.2, for Viols, MB28 13 See, the Word Is Incarnate, Anthem for Voices
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Christianity in all its forms excels through its high degree of adaptability. We encounter one of the more fascinating examples of adaptation in Latin American Catholicism that developed in the colonies of "New Spain".
Not least did the veneration of Mary find especially receptive genius loci here, whose musical disposition soon wedded to an artistic concept that was the non plus ultra for the rulers of the Old World. For some composers, the transatlantic regions thus had such appeal that they abandoned their traditional sphere of activity.
One of them was the Italian Ignacio de Jerusalem, who worked at the cathedral in Mexico City; he was joined by the Mexican "home-grown talent" Manuel de Sumaya as well as two Spanish musicians who were only known and beloved in the land of the Aztecs only for their printed works - this yields a truly exquisite mix for Christmas.
The Newberry Consort and EnsAmble Ad-Hoc present A MEXICAN CHRISTMAS, an album of 17th century traditional music for worship and celebration. The collection features pieces commonly heard in both liturgical service and in the streets, and evoke the solemnity and fanfare heard in Mexico City's convents and plazas, with jubilant vocals and lively strings, guitars, and percussion. Organ, harp, bassoon, and a variety of Mexican traditional instruments bring this exuberant and diverse music to life.
Label: Navona Records
2021
Christmas in Puebla, Siglo de Oro, Patrick Allies
Siglo de Oro's programme explores the rich soundworld of this time and place: a sonic landscape ultimately quite different from the one Padilla had left behind in Europe. Evoking a 'Mass' at Christmas Eve affords the opportunity to include a number of villancicos - energetic, dance-like pieces whose captivating mixture of Mexican, Afro-Hispanic and Portuguese influences would have invigorated even the most sober churchgoer.
Delphian
2013
By popular demand, Folger Consort celebrates the holidays with the music of the Spanish empire in the New World, where the interaction between Spanish, Inca, and Aztec cultures produced unique music with indigenous American as well as African elements.
Enjoy the mix of lively early baroque dances and exuberant music by Latin American and Spanish composers for the Christmas season. This 2013 live recording features instrumentalists Risa Browder, Paula Fagerberg, Anna Marsh, Mary Springfels, Charles Weaver, Tom Zajac, and members of the Washington National Cathedral's chamber vocal ensemble, Cathedra.
1. Exultate justi in Domino, Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla 2. Folias Gallegas, Santiago de Murcia 2. Cumbees; Canarios, Murcia 4. Improvisations on Zarambeques and Mariones, after Lucas Ruiz de Ribayaz 5. Por celebrar del Infante, Juan de Araujo 6. Dennos lecencia señores, Trujillo del Peru Codex 7. Niño il mijor que y logrado, Trujillo del Peru 8. Bayle del Chimo, Trujillo del Peru 9. Bayle de danzantes con pifano y tomboril, Trujillo del Peru 10. Lanchas para baylar, Trujillo del Peru 11. Xicochi conetzintle, Gaspar Fernandes 12. Las coflades de la estleya, Araujo 13. Guarda la fiera, Antonio Salazar 14. Ay, Galagueños, Fabian Ximeno 15. Folias, Anonymous 16. Tañe gil u tamborino, Fernandes 17. Eso rigor e repente, Fernandes 18. Españoletas, Ribayaz 19. Tonada donosa, Trujillo del Peru 20. Gloria, Padilla
Renaissance Vocal Music for the festive season by Morales, Victoria, Guerrero, Fernandez, Padilla et al, originally issued in 2003, now budget price. La Colombina at the time comprised the now household names of Maria Cristina Kiehr, Claudio Cavina, Josep Benet and Josep Cabré.
Christophorus
2005
Early Mexican music resounds in this joyful program featuring over two centuries of festive Christmas dances and villancicos from the great cathedrals of Puebla and Mexico City. Accompanied by lively percussion, viola da gamba and vihuela da mano, solos and choruses burst forth in this holiday recording that’s anything but typical!
1. Convidando esta la noche (Juguete y Guaracha a 5) Juan García de Zéspedes (ca. 1619-1678) 4:15 2. Atención, atención (Villancico a 5 de Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe año de 1698) Antonio de Salazar (ca. 1650-1715) 4:15 3. Los que fueren de buen gusto (Xácara a 4 con acompañamiento) Francisco de Vidales (d.1702) 6:30 4. Serenissima una noche (a 4 voces) Fray Gerónimo Gonzáles (fl. 1600) 3:25 5. A siolo flasiquiyo (Negrilla a 4 con acompañamiento y a 6) Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla (ca. 1590-1664) 5:49 6. Al dormir el sol (a 2 con acompañamiento) Sebastián Durón (1660-1716) 7:37 7. Tarara tarara qui yo soy Anton (Negro a 2 con acompañamiento) Antonio de Salazar 3:50 8. Hermoso amor (Romance a 4 de Navidad año de 1671) Juan García de Zéspedes 3:29 9. ¡Hombres, victoria, victoria! (a 5 voces) Francisco Guerrero (1528-1599) 2:30 10. Un ciego que contrabajo (a 3 con acompañamiento) Antonio de Salazar 5:08 11. Ay galeguiños (Gallego a 5 con acompañamiento) Fabián Ximeno Perez (ca. 1595-1654) 5:22 12. Deus in adiutorium meum intende (ad Vesperas) Juan Gutiérrez de Padilla (ca. 1590-1664) 2:21
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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)
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Rebecca Lea Present "The New Winter Songbook" on Convivium Records
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
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Stell ter Hart (Photo courtesy of London Choral Sinfonia's Facebook announcement)
Canadian Composer Stella ter Hart Wins the London Choral Sinfonia's 3rd Christmas Carol Composition Competition
The London Choral Sinfonia has announced that composer Stella ter Hart of has won its 3rd Christmas Carol Composition Competition. This December 2025, her carol was performed at the Sinfonia's annual concert Sinfonia Smith Square Christmas Festival.
The Sinfonia stated in their announcement that they were "overwhelmed by not only the number of entries but also by the standard of pieces and it was a really tough decision for the judges." The judges were LCS Artistic Director Michael Waldron, LCS Composer-In-Residence Owain Park, and Director of Music Publishing at Oxford University Press, Rachel Lindley.
Stella ter Hart's winning piece, 'The Maiden's Heart,' was chosen by the judges, with words also written by ter Hart.
Genesis Brass drops Niemals war die Nacht so klr on Genuin
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.
Christian Sprenger; Max Reger - Macht hoch die Tür (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Christian Sprenger; Martin Luther - Nun komm, der Heiden Heiland (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Anne Weckeßer; Thomas Helmore - O come, O come, Emmanuel (Choral Intro)
Anne Weckeßer; Thomas Helmore - O come, O come, Emmanuel (Accompanying Parts)
Anne Weckeßer; George Frideric Handel - Tochter Zion (Choral Intro)
Anne Weckeßer; George Frideric Handel - Tochter Zion (Accompanying Parts)
Johannes Petzold -Die Nacht ist vorgedrungen (Arr. by Christian Sprenger)
Christian Sprenger - Böhmisches Wintermärchen
Christian Sprenger; Traditional - Kommet, ihr Hirten (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Christian Sprenger - Glocken der Weihnacht
Christian Sprenger; Johann Crüger - Fröhlich soll mein Herze springen (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Christian Sprenger; Traditional - Es wird scho glei dumper (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Anne Weckeßer; Traditional - Niemals war die Nacht so klar (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Christian Sprenger; Traditional - Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Jester Hairston - Mary's Boy Child (Brass Version)
Christian Sprenger; Traditional - God rest you, a little gentleman (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Christian Sprenger; Traditional - Go, tell it to the mountain (Fantasia for brass ensemble)
Christian Sprenger; Traditional - Fröhliche Weihnacht überall – potpourri (Fantasia for brass ensemble) -
Note: The above are not reviews but descriptions from the record label or artists. Edits to descriptions may have been made to condense the description or make grammatical corrections. Many descriptions are cut and pasted, so our apologies for formatting that we could not correct and make congruent with the rest of the post.
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!
Note: The above are not reviews but descriptions from the record label or artists. Edits to descriptions may have been made to condense the description or make grammatical corrections. Many descriptions are cut and pasted, so our apologies for formatting that we could not correct and make congruent with the rest of the post.
You may know the name Lloyd Webber from William Lloyd Webber's famous sons, but William was quite an accomplished composer and organist in his own right. Born in 1914, William was an organist and composer and part of the "modern classical music movement." He instructed pupils at the Royal College of Music until his death in 1982.
According to the British Music Collection website: "Yet his music has remained virtually undiscovered until
recently when works that have lain unpublished and unperformed for many
years have gradually come to light." Julian Lloyd Webber states that his father hid his music to avoid criticism.
Interview with Julian Lloyd Webber
The works listed are not chronological. Name of works are below the videos. If no video exists, I put "No Video" above the title to the piece. I followed the Christmas works by a list of sacred works. A list of Lloyd Webber's work can be found at the websites above. This list below is neither complete, nor exhaustive, and we are happy to receive any communication regarding other Christmas works of Lloyd Webber.
Jesus, Dear Jesus - A Christmas Carol
Chorus and Orchestra/Ensemble
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Six Interludes on Christmas Carols (complete)
Six Interludes on Christmas Carols No. 1 'The Holly and the Ivy'
6 Interludes on Christmas Carols No. 2: Whence is this goodly fragrance?
Six Interludes on Christmas Carols No 3: 'Noël nouvelet'. SeeKevin Mayhew Ltd.
6 Interludes on Christmas Carols: No. 4, Good King Wenceslas
Two Hymns: All Saints Margaret Street 1939 (William Lloyd Webber)
Recorded on the Decca label as a 10" disc (catalogue no. 7546) and released in 1940, this was one of five records made of the choir of men and boys under the tenure of William Lloyd Webber. (father of Andrew & Julian Lloyd Webber) For obvious reasons, no choral records at all were made during the Second World War; the All Saints Margaret Street disc was already recorded and pressed by September 1939.
1. Abide with me
2. Through the night of doubt and sorrow.
No Video
"O Holy Spirit, Lord Of Grace" (Choir and Organ) text: Charles Coffin. Anthem. Publisher Novello & Co
No video
"O lovely day" (Choir and Piano) text: Anne Liddell.. Part-song for Easter: 'O lovely day when Jesus..'
Publisher: Ashdown/Elkin
"O Thou That Art The Light Eternal" (Choir and Organ) text: Erasmus. Anthem. Publisher Ascherberg/IMP
"Praise God, For He Is Kind" (Choir and Organ) text: Bible:Ps.136. Harvest anthem. Publisher unknown or unknown of published.
"Sing of Heavens" (Choir and Organ). text: Bible: Isaiah. Harvest anthem. Publisher: Novello & Co
No. 1, There Is a Green Hill Far Away
No. 2, When I Survey the Wondrous Cross
No. 3, Ride On, Ride On in Majesty No. 4, O Come and Mourn with Me Awhile
(Fountains and all things; The Lord is my firmament; O Lord, in thy power; Come, let us rejoice; Bring sacrifices; Confess unto the Lord.) Anthems. Publisher unknown or unknown if published.
No Video
"Unite To Praise Thy Maker's Name" (Choir and Organ), text: Bryan Rees, after Psalm 103. Hymn-anthem. Publisher: Novello & Co.
"St. Cross written for the Passiontide/ Good Friday words. Prelude" by William Lloyd Webber. SeeKevin Mayhew Ltd.
The Passion Chorale William Lloyd Webber and D Buxtehude
Pub:1995.Bound in:Aria. Publisher: Kevin Mayhew Ltd.
