From: mvalinis@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu (Michael J Valinis)
Subject: Re: Christmas CD
Organization: The Ohio State University
Date: Sun, 20 Dec 1992 17:09:08 GMT

Here's my suggestion for a great Christmas CD.  I just picked it up a fer days 
ago, & if it were possibly to wear out a CD, this one would be over the hill by
now.  Recorded 1991, on Nimbus 5310:

Celebration - Christmas Fanfares and Carols

BBC Welsh Chorus
John Hugh Thomas, conductor

Huw Tregelles Williams, organ
Chris Stock, Mark Walker, percussion

Fanfare Trumpeters of the Welsh Guards
Lt. Col. P. Hannam, BEM, musical director

Aled Jones, reader (*)

-------
 1. O Come, all ye faithful - anon. arr. Willcocks
 2. Mary had a Baby - arr. Malcolm Sargent
 3. "Noel: Christmas Eve, 1913" - Robert Bridges *
 4. Jesus Christ the Apple Tree - Elizabeth Poston
 5. Marcello's Speech from _Hamlet_ (Act 1, sc. 1) -Shakespeare *
 6. Christmas Night (French Melody) - arr. John Rutter
 7. The First Nowell - anon. arr. Willcocks
 8. Memories of Christmas (extract) - Dylan Thomas *
 9. Bell Carol - William Mathias
10. Fendigaid Nos - Alun Hoddinott
11. Here is the Little Door - Herbert Howells
12. The Oxen - Thomas Hardy *
13. Once in Royal David's City - arr. Willcocks
14. De Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy - arr. sargent
15. Tua Bethlem Dref - Edward Arthur
16. Carol (Amlyn ac Amig) - Saunders Lewis *
17. Tawel Nos - Geraint Lewis
18. O Little Town of Bethlehem - Walford Davies
19. Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day - John Gardner
20. Sweet Was the Song - William Mathias
21. A Cristmas Carol (extract) - Charles Dickins *
22. God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen - anon. arr. Willcocks
23. Still, still, still (German melody) - arr. Philip Ledger
24. Ar fore dydd Nadolig (trasitional Welsh) - arr. John Hugh Thomas
25. Christmas Landscape - Laurie Lee *
26. Hark! the Herald Angels Sing - Mendelssohn arr. Willcocks

Total playing time: 75:34 (You get your money's worth!)

This album has some wonderful things on it.  Nos. 1, 7, 13, & 26 are the well 
known Willcocks arrangements, but with the marvelous addition of the herald 
trumpets, which in my opinion sound as much like regular trumpets as a good 
pipe organ sounds like an electric parlor organ.  The Welsh pieces are a real 
find. I especially like the two pieces by William Mathias; "Swete was the Song"
is especially interesting to me since it was commissioned in 1988 by he 
Worthington (Ohio) United Methodist Church, which is located about 1/2 mile 
from where I'm now typing.  Anyone familiar with the traditional "Tomorrow 
Shall Be My Dancing Day"  will be blown away by John Gardner's rendition.  It 
is not an arrangement, but an originally composed jazzy, syncopated 
reinterpretation of the text.  Elizabeth Poston's "Jesus Christ the Apple Tree"
is a minor masterpiece, as far as I'm concerned, though this performance is not
as good as the one by the BBC Chorus on James Galway's first Christmas album.  
The readings are not just plunked in haphazardly, but actually complement the 
song selections (Read: Some actual thought went into the planning of this 
album).  And yes, the reader Aled Jones is THAT Aled Jones, one-time boy 
soprano Wunderkind, who now has added acting and narrating to his music 
achievements.  If you haven't gotten the drift of this posting yet, I DO 
recommend this CD... it's a great blend of the traditional and the unusual.  
There isn't one thing on here that leaves me unmoved.
-- 
*>   Michael J. Valinis   -=+<*>+=-   mvalinis@magnus.acs.ohio-state.edu   <*
*>=>  "Music is your own experience, your thoughts, your wisdom. If you  <=<*
*>+>=> don't live it, it won't come out of your horn." -Charlie Parker <=<+<*
*>=>+>=>+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+=+<=<+<=<*
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