The John Rutter Christmas Album
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Binding : Audio CD
ProductGroup : Music
Manufacturer : Collegium
Label : Collegium
Publisher : Collegium
Studio : Collegium
ReleaseDate : 2002-09-24
Lowest Used Price: USD $6.94
Lowest New Price: USD $7.61
Top of the British Classical Charts for 10 Weeks! Billboard Top Ten Classical Recording - December 2002! This album gathers together most of the carols I have composed over the years, plus a sprinkling of my arrangements of traditional carols, grouped to form a program which narrates, reflects upon, and celebrates the Christmas story. I have always enjoyed carols ever since I first sang them as a member of my school choir, and it was not long before I began to write carols of my own-in fact my first two published compositions were the Nativity Carol and the Shepherd's Pipe Carol. For any musician involved in choral music, Christmas is an especially joyous time, and I am indeed happy that it has played a part in my musical life for so many years- JOHN RUTTER
John Rutter Chirstmas music (2009-01-06)
I LOVE this CD! Rutter's own music and his arrangements of the music of others and of ancient carols, as sung by the Cambridge Choir, is uplifting and joy-full.
The perfect accompaniment to the season.
Highly recommended.
Excellent album (2008-12-20)
I cannot add much to what other reviewers (who gave 5 stars) have already said, except I agree with them. Oh, I can add that this album has the best rendition of "Angel's Carol" I have every heard. You can actually hear the various choral sections (including basses) singing their solo parts. Since I sing the bass part, I "auditioned" several other choral versions of "Angel's Carol" but I found their recordings sounded "muddy". Very difficult to distinguish the Altos from the Tenors, etc. Not so with this album and the Cambridge Singers have recorded a first class album of John Rutter's Christmas music. Fantastic!
Christmas just came to my apartment (2008-11-25)
Christmas has come a bit early to my little apartment. Tonight I purchased The John Rutter Christmas Album. I'm listening to it on my laptop right now...
How amazing, delicate and worshipful this music is. Exquisite voices, perfectly balanced and harmonized by Rutter's arrangements.
There are so many favorites on this album. One delight is the Donkey Carol. It is written in an unever 5/8 time, so you have the feeling of being carried on a clumsy donkey!
Another is I Saw Three Ships. Very light and happy, with a key change that is like the opening of a flower. How Rutter does it, I can only marvel. "And he did whistle, and she did sing on Christmas Day in the morning!"
This is a perfect album to get you in the mood for Christmas. Light a few candles, turn down the lights, and put on this collection of music. There are 23 tracks, so you get a very good value. (Many of these have been published on earlier albums.)
A caveat (2008-11-12)
However wonderful, these are not new recordings, but a compilation of old ones from various CDs, so that if you have recordings of Rutter's carols, you might want to compare titles and dates of issue before you order this one. This should have been made clear in Rutter's own editorial note.
John Rutter Christmas album (2008-02-08)
excellent! Inever heard a Rutter that I didn't like. This cd reinforces my enjoyment of his music.
