VAUGHAN WILLIAMS
Fantasy On Christmas Carols. Wassail Song.
HOWELLS
A Spotless Rose.
WARLOCK
Lullaby my Jesus. Balulalow. Benedicamus Domino. Bethlehem Down.
HOWELLS
Sing Lullaby.
IRELAND
The Holy Boy.
HOLST
Christmas Song.
DELIUS
Sleigh Ride.
FINZI
In Terra Pax
•
David Hill, cond; Ch of Winchester Cathedral; Waynflete Singers; Bournemouth SO
•
DECCA ELOQUENCE 480 6554 (66:07)
“Children and the common people are accustomed to transform the great and sublime into a sport, and even a farce,” writes Goethe. This observation might serve to explain the wide variety of Christmas music offered to the modern consumer, ranging from O
Magnum Mysterium
to
Frosty the Snowman
. Of course the repertoire on this disc is far from farcical, perhaps sporty at times as in
Sleigh Ride
, or
Wassail Song,
but distant enough from the sublime to create the cozy, decorous Victorian picture of the Christmas holiday, which protects one from considering the
magnum mysterium
of the event, that is being celebrated. There are many great choral institutions in England, and the Winchester Cathedral Choir, as well as the Waynflete Singers, rank high among them, with their beautiful blended sounds, pristine intonation and faultless diction. They are solidly supported by the opulent and graceful accompaniments of the Bournemouth Symphony. Exemplary as well is the recording of choir, soloists, organ, and orchestra, so expertly handled by sound engineers Simon Eadon and Philip Siney. Although the production is almost two decades old, it is still the best of its genre.
Raymond Beegle
