Michael Maliakel & Lesley Nicol Guest on New Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir Recording

 

Michael Maliakel & Lesley Nicol Guest on New Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir Recording

Editor's Note: Description is the label's own.

The Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square are joined by award winning Indian American actor and singer Michael Maliakel (star of Disney's Aladdin on Broadway), and Lesley Nicol (known for role as Mrs. Patmore in Downton Abbey), to present a gorgeous collection of beloved Christmas songs as well as a reading of the Christmas story in Luke 2. Recorded live in 2023 in the Conference Center at Salt Lake City UT, for a collective audience of roughly 60,000.

The Tabernacle Choir & Orchestra at Temple Square Gives us "Season of Light" with Lea Salonga and Sir David Suchet

 

Season of Light: Christmas with the Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, with Lea Salonga and Sir. David Suchet. Mack Wilberg and Ryan Murphy, conductors.

The traditional time-honored stories and beloved tales associated with Christmas are indispensable to the celebrations. 

"Good King Wenceslas," for example, or Dickens's A Christmas Carol, Clement Clarke Moore's "A Visit from Saint Nicolas," Tchaikovsky's The Nutcracker, Hans Christian Andersen's "The Little Match Girl," O. Henry's "The Gift of the Magi," and even a New York Sun newspaper column addressed to a concerned young girl named Virginia. 

Each of these Christmas stories personifies a reminder that this is a time of joy, hope, compassion, mercy, and love. But the greatest Christmas story of all, the one most central to the season, is the story of a Holy Child born in a humble manger. 

That Nativity story begins the ultimate expression of love-a divine love extended to all who ever lived-and is the reason for our eternal hope.

Lavishly decorated with books of all sizes, the stage in the 21,000-seat Conference Center in Salt Lake City became a "library" for The Tabernacle Choir's celebration of these myriad Christmas stories. There were tales told through music, dance, and narrative of excited shepherds on the hills outside of Bethlehem, of heroism during wartime, of sleigh rides and caroling, of the challenges of new motherhood, and of faith in a Savior who would redeem the whole world.

The Choir's special guests at this concert, famed actress and singer Lea Salonga and renowned star of television and film Sir David Suchet, joined in the storytelling and shared their own personal accounts of the truths celebrated at Christmas. With the Choir, Orchestra, and Bells at Temple Square, the Gabriel Trumpet Ensemble, and dancers from the local community, all joined together to proclaim a joyful "Noel!" at the good news of Christ's birth.

1. When shepherds saw the light - Traditional, Arr. Mack Wilberg

2. The Most Wonderful Time of the Year - Music and Text: Eddie Pola and George Wyle, Arrr. Michael Davis

3. Payapang Daigdig - music - Felipe de Leon, text Brigido Batungbakal and Eduardo de Leon, Arr. M. Wilberg

4. And then shall your light break forth (from Elijah) - F. Mendelssohn

5. Ding Dong! Merrily on High - Arr. Ryan Murphy

6. Christmas Together Medley - Arr. Ryan Murphy

    Sleigh Ride - L. Anderson

    I'll be home for Christmas - Walter Kent

    O Holy Night - Adolphe Charles Adam

7. Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming - Kolner Gesangbuch. Arr. M. Wilberg

8. Hosanna in excelsis (Based on Canon in D) - J. Pachelbel, Arr. Mack Wilberg

9. Here we come a-caroling - Arr. Mack Wilberg

10. On Christmas Night ("Sussex Carol") - Arr. Richard Elliott (with themes by Camile Saint-Saens)

11. The Christmas Story - music Mack Wilberg

13. Rocking Carol - traditional Czech, Arr. M. Wilberg

14. Angels from the Realms of Glory - arr. M. Wilberg

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Choir of Bath Abbey Releases New Christmas Album on Regent

 

The Choir of Bath Abbey has released a new Christmas album called Gaudete! Under the direction of Huw Williams, it was released on Regent Records in October 2020. Description is as follows: 

Recorded in January 2020 this is the first recording of the Bath Abbey choirs in 6 years, and their first under their new Director of Music, Huw Williams.

Based around a selection of Christmas favourites, the recording opens with a stunning new arrangement of the well-known medieval carol, Gaudete .

There are also some less-familiar items. Of great interest are Walford Davies's rarely-heard setting for upper voices and piano of William Blake's The Lamb , Adam lay ybounden by Roy Massey, and Huw Williams's own arrangement of Away in a manger - written for Her Majesty The Queen's Christmas day broadcast in December 2015. Huw Williams was Director of Music at St James's Palace at the time, and this arrangement was written at short notice because the broadcast was to take place in a room in Buckingham Palace without accompaniment. With uncertainty over when choirs will be able to sing again, this release will help us all celebrate both the festive season, and the great British tradition of singing which is so evident at Christmas, serving as a welcome reminder of the strength of that tradition amongst church and cathedral choirs and the need to restore the daily round of music-making as soon as it is safe to do so.

Since Bath Abbey's foundation as a Benedictine Monastery in the 8th century, choral music has lain at the heart of its worship. The Abbey Choirs are widely regarded as amongst the finest in Britain, performing to the highest standard. Musical and liturgical highlights of the Christian year include the Abbey's atmospheric services held during Advent and Christmas.  

1. Gaudete* Piae cantiones, 16th century, arr Huw Williams 
2. O come, O come Emmanuel! g l French medieval melody, arr David Willcocks
3. The Lamb g Henry Walford Davies
4. In the bleak mid-winter b l Harold Darke
5. Mary had a baby* Trad Spiritual, arr Malcolm Sargent
6. Long the night g l Trad Ukrainian, arr Roy Massey
7. Ding dong! merrily on high French 16th century, arr Mack Wilberg
8. No small wonder b l Paul Edwards
9. O magnum mysterium g l Morten Lauridsen
10. Once in royal David’s city Henry John Gauntlett, arr Arthur Henry Mann and David Willcocks
11. Adam lay ybounden b l Roy Massey
12. Joy to the world Lowell Mason, arr John Rutter
13. Away in a manger g l Normandy melody, arr Edgar Pettman 
14. Lux aurumque g l Eric Whitacre
15. Lully, lulla, lullay g l Philip Stopford
16. I saw three ships g l Trad English, arr Simon Preston
17. The Sans Day Carol Trad Cornish, arr John Rutter
18. The Sussex Carol Trad English, arr Philip Ledger
19. O come, all ye faithful John Francis Wade, arr David Willcocks 4:03
20. Away in a manger g William James Kirkpatrick, arr Huw Williams
21. Hark! the herald-angels sing Felix Mendelssohn, descant David Willcocks

#choirofbathabbey #christmascarols #carols_of_christmas 

 

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