To Bethlehem: Christmas Carols & Motets

Kantorei of Kansas City;
Munce, Chris

RES 10175

The one familiar item here is Silent Night, heard in an imaginative, ear-stretching arrangement by the Swiss composer Ivo Antognini. The original's outlines and rhythms are discernible, but this feels like a new work. Otherwise, Chris Munce's Kansas City choir Kantorei give us a Christmas anthology mixing mostly Renaissance and contemporary Christmas music. Their singing is exceptionally good: flawless intonation coupled with an irresistible warmth and depth. The austerity of some of the earlier works is offset by the exuberance of the performances, the motets by one Blasius Ammon full of bouncing affirmation. The newer carols won't scare any listeners, though the most memorable are the ones with the best tunes. A pair by Matthew Culloton work brilliantly by glancing affectionately backwards, borrowing liberally from In dulci Jubilo. An appealing collection, and the recording has plenty of depth and presence. • Classic CDs, Dec'16

CD

Muzyka klasyczna

Resonus Classics

27-11-2017

5060262790823