Reviews
GMCD 7314 Noël Nouvelet
Church Music Quarterly
NOËL NOUVELET
Vasari Singers/Jeremy
Filsell/Jeremy Backhouse
Guild GMCD 7314
‘A
uniquely fresh mix of new and favourite Christmas carols’ proclaims the front of
the CD booklet. The singing certainly has the freshness and clarity that one
associates with this fine choir and unique elements are provided by such tracks
Naji Hakim’s virtuosic arrangement of Ding dong! merrily on high;Malcolm
Sargent’s Hawaiian Lullaby (you’ll either love it or hate it – just
remember that Christmas is a time for having fun!); and Ward Swingle’s
arrangement of Christmas Song (Chestnuts roasting on an open fire).
The stylistic breadth of the Vasari Singers is dazzlingly demonstrated on this
recording. They are equally at home in the dreamy-cheesy Hawaiian Lullaby;
the tongue-in-cheek knock-about of Andrew Carter’s arrangement of The twelve
days of Christmas; the wholesome muscularity of Mendelssohn’s
Frohlokket ihr Völker auf Erden; the bitter-sweetness of Leighton’s
Coventry Carol; the haunting chill of Judith Weir’s Illuminare,
Jerusalem; and the ecstatic mysticism of Morten Lauridsen’s O magnum
mysterium.
A very fine disc.
Church Magazine Quarterly
Tuesday 23rd December 2008
A uniquely fresh mix of new and
favourite Christmas carols proclaims the front of the CD booklet. The singing
certainly has the freshness and clarity that one associates with this fine choir
and unique elements are provided by such tracks as Naji Hakim's virtuosic
arrangement of Ding Dong! merrily on high; Malcom Sargent's Hawaiian Lullaby
(you'll either love it or hate it - just remember that Christmas is a time for
having fun!); and Ward Swingle's arrangement of Christmas Song (Chestnuts
roasting on an open fire).
The stylistic breadth of the
Vasari Singers is dazzlingly demonstrated on this recording. They are equally at
home in the dreamy-cheesy Hawaiian lullaby; the tongue-in-cheek knockabout of
Andrew Carter's arrangement of The Twelve days of Christmas, the wholesome
muscularity of Mendelssohn's Frohlokket ir Volker, the bitter-sweetness of
Leighton's Coventry carol; the haunting chill of Judith Wier's Illuminare,
Jerusalem, and the ecstatic mysticism of Morten Lauridsen's O magnum mysterium.
A very fine disc. Essential
listening.
INTERNATIONAL RECORD REVIEW DECEMBER 2007
The ‘Kuyrie from Whitborn’s
Missa Carolae is subtitled
'Noël Nouvelet', which means variously 'new', 'novel' or even 'novelty' - and
this is the title of a new CO of Christmas carols, new and old, from Guild, sung
by the Vasari Singers, conducted by Jeremy Backhouse, with organist Jeremy
Filsell As with many of the COs in this round-up, the music chosen is far from
conventional.
There are few traditional carols here,
but my attention was fully held throughout - not least because of the superb
singing. We know from many of this choir's London concerts just what a good body
of singers it is, but even so I was consistently impressed by the sheer quality
of their artistry here - intonation, phrasing and enunciation are all of an
exceptional standard. There is much modern music here - but none which will
offend the genuine music lover. I was pleased to encounter
Judith Weir's
II/uminare Jerusalem and
Torme's The Christmas Song
in Ward Swingle's arrangement. This outstanding disc ends
with a dazzling a cappella
version of
The Twelve Days off Christmas
by Andrew Carter, which contains some delightful musical
puns and jokes. This is a fabulous CD, brilliantly recorded (Guild GMCD7314, 1
hour).
Klassik com Wednesday December 12 2007
Neues aus dem Weihnachtsrepertoire
Vasari Singers singen::
Weihnachtslieder
Interpretation: 4 Star
Klangqualität: 4 Star
Repertoirewert:4 Star
Booklet: 3 Star
Auf das Konto der Vasari Singers gingen in den vergangenen Jahren
etliche herausragende Aufnahmen bestechend interpretationssicherer Chorarbeit.
Für ‚Guild’ tätigte das Vokalensemble unter Jeremy Backhouse die Ersteinspielung
von Marcel Duprés ‚La France au Calvaire’. Auch eine Aufnahme von Brahms’
Deutschem Requiem in der Fassung mit zwei Klavieren sangen die Vasari Singers
für dieses rührige Label ein. Eine CD mit Weihnachtsstücken aber stand bislang
auf der Soll-Seite des Ensembles. Nun – und man muss sagen: endlich – ist dieses
Desiderat kein Desiderat mehr: ‚Noël nouvelet’ heißt das Weihnachtsalbum der
Vasari Singers. Der Titel ist Programm.
Alt und Neu
Das französische Weihnachtslied ‚Noël nouvelet’, mittig auf der CD
platziert, gibt in seinem klanglich intrikat kalkulierten, aber wenig
avantgardistischen Arrangement von Stephen Jackson gleichsam das Motto dieser
wirklich herausragenden Weihnachtsplatte vor: traditionelle, fast ausschließlich
englisch-amerikanische Weihnachtslieder in moderat-modernen Sätzen in
Kombination mit originellen Originalkompositionen, die ihrerseits bis zu einem
gewissen Grade bereits zu Klassikern der Chorliteratur geworden sind, allen
voran selbstredend Felix Mendelssohn Bartholdys ‚Frohlocket ihr Völker auf Erden’
– der ‚Opener’ für so manchen Weihnachtsgottesdienst hierzulande und das einzige
deutsch vorgetragene Stück dieser CD, aber auch die vor allem im
englischsprachigen Raum bekannt gewordenen Stücke wie zum Beispiel Judith Weirs
‚Illuminare Jerusalem’, Morten Lauridsens ‚O magnum mysterium’, John Gardners
‚Tomorrow shall be my dancing day’ oder Michael Heads ‚The Little Road to
Bethlehem’. Zeitgenössische Musik in weihnachtszeitgemäßer Tonalität – die
Botschaft der Engel will schließlich von allen Ohren verstanden werden.
Die Vasari Singers unter Jeremy Backhouse’ Leitung können mit ihrem
schlüssig zusammengestellten Programm nur Pluspunkte sammeln. Die Stimmgruppen,
wie im Übrigen auch die hervorragenden Chorsolistinnen und –Solisten, zeichnen
sich einzeln durch die enorme Spannkraft eines transparent an der Linie
orientierten, einzigartig unirisierenden Klang aus, der in der Vereinigung aller
einer klaren Phrase Struktur gibt, dass man sich an diesem wirklich
individuellen Chorklang gar nicht satt hören möchte. Nicht nur wird hier
textdeutlich artikuliert, nicht nur greift die Dynamik plastisch Raum, auch
Jeremy Backhouse hat mit seinem immer sicheren Gespür für das richtige Tempo und
rhythmischer Geste Anteil an diesen Einspielungen, die zum Besten gehören
dürften, was uns der diesjährige Weihnachtsplattenmarkt beschert. Noch dazu mit
zwei Plattenpremieren: Malcolm Sargents stimmigem Arrangement des ‚Hawaiian
Lullaby’ und Andrew Carters karikierendem Satz zu ‚The Twelve Days of
Christmas’. Die Vasari Singers intonieren hier mit Lust und Laune. Gleiches
evoziert diese Scheibe.
Erik
Daumann
Cathedral Music, December 2007
Absolutely recommended
Well this CD certainly does what it says on the label - present a uniquely fresh
mix of new and favourite Christmas carols. The excellent Vasari Singers open
their Christmas programme with an a capella Mendelssohn motet where the
ensemble is crisp and resonant. The sopranos and altos are on good form
contributing much to this disc. Lauridsen's powerful O magnum mysterium
is one of those pieces that should be heard
more often. In fact the repertoire on this disc has been carefully chosen. When
assembling the programme around the word 'Nouvelet' it was interpreted in its
broadest sense. So we have a traditional Christmas but with a fresh, modern
twist. Of particular note is Hakim's arrangement of Ding dong!. Other
carols like Rathbone's sumptuous arrangement of Silent night and the lush
setting of Away in a manger immediately conjure up the feeling of
Christmas so evocatively sung are they. The recital ends with Andrew Carter's
firmly tongue in cheek showpiece arrangement of The twelve days of Christmas.
Listen out for all the different tunes cleverly woven into a composition to
highlight the different subject of the verses. A thoroughly enjoyable collection
of Christmas which will be enjoyed by anyone finding it in their stockings on
Christmas day.
Absolutely
recommended.
Patrick Mayhew
MusicWeb Wednesday November 28 2007
Noël
Nouvelet
Felix
MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847)
Frohlocket ihr Völker auf Erden [1:22]
Michael HEAD
(1900-1976)
The Little Road to Bethlehem [3:08]
Bob CHILCOTT
(b. 1955)
Shepherd’s Carol [2:56]
German 14th Century arr.
John RUTTER
(b. 1945)
Quem pastores Laudavere [1:42]
John RUTTER
Mary’s Lullaby* [3:34]
Kenneth LEIGHTON
(1929-1988)
Coventry Carol [3:06]
Jonathan RATHBONE
(b. 1957)
Corpus Christi Carol [4:25]
Judith WEIR
(b. 1954)
Illuminare Jerusalem* [2:43]
Morten LAURIDSEN
(b. 1943)
O magnum mysterium [6:02]
French trad. arr.
Stephen
JACKSON
(b. 1951)
Noël Nouvelet*[4:15]
Naji HAKIM
(b. 1955)
Ding dong! Merrily on high [2:14]
Humphrey CLUCAS
(b. 1941)
Love came down at Christmas* [2:04]
Paul EDWARDS
(b. 1956)
No small wonder* [2:38]
Franz GRUBER
arr.
Jonathan RATHBONE
Silent Night [3:55]
John GARDNER
(b. 1917)
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day*[1:51]
Arr.
Nigel SHORT
(b. 1953)
Away in a manger* [3:09]
Arr.
Malcolm
SARGENT
(1895-1967)
Hawaiian Lullaby [2:14]
Mel TORMÉ
arr.
Ward SWINGLE
(b. 1927)
Christmas Song [3:20]
English trad. arr.
Andrew
CARTER
(b. 1939)
The Twelve Days of Christmas [5:17]
 Vasari
Singers/Jeremy Backhouse
*Jeremy Filsell (organ)
rec. St. Jude’s, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, 10-12 November 2006
texts and translations included
GUILD
GMCD7314
[60:06]
What do you want when
you look for a CD of Christmas music? I would guess a mixture of old and new,
with the old cunningly renewed and with the new not too unfamiliar in idiom or
content. If that is what you want, then you certainly have it in this disc, and,
what is more, you also have a disc whose musical standards in terms of both the
music and the performance are extremely high.
Mendelssohn’s brief but
very festive motet gets the collection off to a splendid start, followed by
Michael Head’s lovely carol, strangely by no means as frequently performed now
as it was in the past. There follows a selection of varied delights. Old
favourites coming up remarkably fresh include Judith Weir’s "Illuminare
Jerusalem" and Andrew Carter’s imaginative treatment of "The twelve days of
Christmas". Of the pieces new to me my own favourites are Naji Hakim’s
wonderfully exuberant "Ding dong! Merrily on high" and Morten Lauridsen’s moving
"O magnum mysterium", but it is difficult and possibly unhelpful to pick out
individual items when one of the main attractions of the disc is the careful and
sensitive programming which ensures that each item is heard to the best
advantage. When added to performances which are committed and sensitive without
any of the self-conscious exactitude to which some choirs are prone, and a clear
but atmospheric recording, the disc recommends itself.
Rather than list the
pleasures of each item in turn in a repeat of John Quinn’s earlier review, let
me simply recommend this as one of the most enjoyable Christmas discs I have
heard for many years, and one which I am certain will rapidly become an old
favourite to be looked forward to in anticipation each
year.
John Sheppard
Muso Magazine,
December 2007
A welcome addition to any
Christmas CD list
One of the best amateur chamber choirs in the country, the
Vasari Singers are renowned for their Christmas performances. But they are also
known for their love of new music, and here, alongside some lesser-known
favourites in new arrangements, are five world premiere recordings.
As conductor Jeremy Backhouse says, the choir has '
dressed up the traditional in new clothes', paying tribute to modern classics
such as Coventry carol and Tomorrow shall be my dancing day. It
also celebrates the new with Jonathan Rathbone's scrunchy Corpus christi
carol and Humphrey Clucas's Victorian-esque Love came down at Christmas.
There's plenty of fun too, with a rousing rendition of Mel
Torme's Christmas song arranged by Ward Swingle, which really suits the
choir's delicate soprano section. Malcom Sargent's arrangement of Hawaiian
lullay is also here, adding to a really eclectic collection.
Occasionally there's no mistaking that the choir is an
amateur one, with the odd bit of dodgy tuning here and there, and a few raggedy
entries. But the joy and vigour with which they sing and the innovativeness of
these arrangement make this a welcome addition to any Christmas CD
list.
Hazel Davis
MUSIC OMH COM 13 NOVEMBER 2007
Christmas
comes early for the Vasari Singers with this varied disc of seasonal carols.
The
chamber choir has performed to acclaim over Christmas since the 1980s, as the
brief but informative programme note explains; the group has a "long-held
aspiration to dress up the traditional in new clothes" and to introduce new and
possibly diverse works into the (for me) staid festive repertoire.
Hence this
disc, as well as housing five world premiere CD recordings, boasts a fine
collection of arrangements and unusual interpretations of familiar numbers. The
Coventry Carol in its original form (dating from the sixteenth century,
with anonymous composer) stands among my favourite carols, but here the Vasari
Singers present the yet more haunting arrangement by Kenneth Leighton, with its
soaring yet elegant soprano solo rising from the choral textures.
The
performance here is beautifully rendered: Fiona McWilliams' solo is
balanced on a knife-edge, and it is this quality that makes her delivery so
affecting. Her cries of By, by in the second stanza are poignantly
fragile, and she will soon be helplessly brushed aside by the men's thunderous
shout of Herod the king/In his raging (a wonderful moment to perform for
the tenors and basses).
Ding dong!
Merrily on high
is likewise presented in an arrangement, specifically a bouncy, bluesy
interpretation from Naji Hakim, though this track perhaps showcases one
of the flaws of the disc. Though the exuberance of the performances is never in
question (this exuberance is an admirable quality of the choir that I remember
from when I saw them live last year, performing Will Todd's Mass in Blue),
various technical concerns threaten to distract from the greater picture.
The
intonation here and at various points on the CD is occasionally suspect (though
the sopranos make a more than fair stab at the cruel top note at Ding dong!'s
conclusion), some vocal entries are imperfect and sometimes I sense that a
reliance on the sprightly rhythm draws attention from the text's meaning. Given
consistently excellent performances, however, are the premieres. The
disconcerting harmonic progressions of Jonathan Rathbone's Corpus Christi
Carol make for involving listening, though the work's wide dynamic contrasts
would undoubtedly be more effective live, in an immediate acoustic.
The whole
is conducted thoughtfully by Jeremy Backhouse, while Jeremy Filsell
accompanies clearly and responsibly on the organ. John Gardner's Tomorrow
shall be my dancing day benefits greatly from Filsell's rhythmically
incisive organ scaffolding. If the whole is let down by some intonation
imprecisions and consequent ensemble uncertainties, the choir's professionalism
and gratifying warmth of expression make this a very worthwhile purchase.
-
Dave Paxton
Noël
Nouvelet
Felix MENDELSSOHN
(1809-1847)
Frohlocket ihr Völker auf Erden [1:22]
Michael HEAD
(1900-1976)
The Little Road to Bethlehem [3:08]
Bob CHILCOTT
(b. 1955)
Shepherd’s Carol [2:56]
German 14th Century
arr.
John RUTTER
(b.
1945)
Quem pastores Laudavere [1:42]
John RUTTER
Mary’s Lullaby* [3:34]
Kenneth LEIGHTON
(1929-1988)
Coventry Carol [3:06]
Jonathan RATHBONE
(b. 1957)
Corpus Christi Carol [4:25]
Judith WEIR
(b. 1954)
Illuminare Jerusalem* [2:43]
Morten LAURIDSEN
(b. 1943)
O magnum mysterium [6:02]
French
trad.
arr.
Stephen JACKSON
(b. 1951)
Noël Nouvelet*[4:15]
Naji HAKIM
(b. 1955)
Ding dong! Merrily on high [2:14]
Humphrey CLUCAS
(b. 1941)
Love came down at Christmas* [2:04]
Paul EDWARDS
(b. 1956)
No small wonder* [2:38]
Franz GRUBER
arr.
Jonathan RATHBONE
Silent Night [3:55]
John GARDNER
(b. 1917)
Tomorrow shall be my dancing day*[1:51]
Arr. Nigel SHORT
(b. 1953)
Away in a manger* [3:09]
Arr. Malcolm SARGENT
(1895-1967)
Hawaiian Lullaby [2:14]
Mel TORMÉ
arr.
Ward SWINGLE
(b. 1927)
Christmas Song [3:20]
English trad.
arr.
Andrew
CARTER
(b. 1939)
The Twelve Days of Christmas [5:17]
Vasari
Singers/Jeremy Backhouse
*Jeremy Filsell (organ)
rec. St. Jude’s, Hampstead Garden Suburb, London, 10-12 November 2006
texts and translations included
GUILD
GMCD7314
[60:06]
The
Vasari
Singers
have a substantial number of recordings to their credit so I was a little
surprised to learn that this is their first Christmas disc. Their conductor,
Jeremy Backhouse, directs them in a stimulating programme, which combines some
familiar carols, albeit some of them in new guises, and an enticing number of
newer Christmas compositions.
The first thing to say about this recital is that not only is the singing
consistently superb but also the attention to detail is tremendous. I wouldn’t
normally follow Christmas carols in a score but several of the pieces, including
those by Judith Weir, Morten Lauridsen and Andrew Carter, are contained in the
enterprising collection of carols entitled Noël! (ed. David Hill, Novello,
2000). Out of interest I followed the music of those pieces as I listened.
Although Jeremy Backhouse introduces one or two interpretative ideas of his own,
all the detailed markings included by the composers are fully respected. That
may sound like a very obvious point but it shows the care that has gone into
this production. Backhouse and his singers certainly haven’t approached this
assignment as “just a disc of carols” and it makes a world of difference.
The listener will be struck from the very outset by the fresh, joyful singing in
the Mendelssohn item, which makes an excellent curtain-raiser here. The
performance of Michael Head’s lovely Christmas song is distinguished by some
extremely pure singing on the part of the Vasari’s sopranos. I prefer this
little gem in its choral dress rather than as a solo song.
Moving further into the programme, I greatly enjoyed the performance of Rutter’s
Mary’s Lullaby. Some people turn their noses up at Rutter’s Christmas
music but I’m not among them. At its best it’s melodious and communicative and
Mary’s Lullaby is one of his best. It’s sung quite beautifully
here. But it was a very shrewd piece of programme building to follow it with the
Kenneth Leighton piece, which reflects the more serious side of the Incarnation
and the events surrounding it in music that’s astringent, though not excessively
so. Fiona McWilliams contributes a marvellous soprano solo in the Leighton.
Jonathan Rathbone’s Corpus Christi Carol also reflects the darker side of
the human condition – I’m not sure the text is truly a Christmas one, but no
matter. This is a fine setting that seems to involve a semi-chorus placed
remotely, as in Britten’s Hymn to the Virgin. The music flows but
is quite intense, as befits the subject matter. I was also impressed with
another, very different setting, Naji Hakim’s exuberant and harmonically
extravagant version of Ding dong! Merrily on high (2001). Most of the
pieces on this disc require an expert choir to bring them off, but none more so
than this Hakim piece.
More familiar is Morten Lauridsen’s rapt O magnum mysterium. This
luminous piece is well on the way to becoming a modern Christmas classic. The
music looks relatively simple on the printed page, especially as it’s quite slow
moving, but don’t be deceived: it requires the utmost control from the choir.
There’s a wonderful clarity of texture about this superb Vasari performance but
this is not attained at the price of the sense of mystery, which this piece
should always create. The choir is just as successful in the spare, angular
harmonies and demanding rhythms of Judith Weir’s Illuminare Jerusalem.
This is given a thrillingly alert and clear performance.
A few of the settings require organ accompaniment and what a luxury it is to
have a virtuoso of the calibre of Jeremy Filsell on hand. He comes into his own
particularly in Stephen Jackson’s inventive setting of Noël Nouvelet. In
fact, it’s no disrespect to any choir undertaking this piece to say that a great
deal of the interest lies in the organ part. The writing for organ is no mere
pastiche but, appropriately, sounds very French indeed. Filsell makes a telling
contribution to this rich, sophisticated arrangement. He’s also involved, though
a little less critically, in John Gardner’s Tomorrow shall be my
dancing day. The music is marked “fresh and lively” and that’s exactly how
it’s done here. In fact, I can’t ever recall hearing it taken so briskly but,
with crisp articulation from the choir, the chosen tempo works brilliantly. This
truly exuberant performance makes other accounts that I’ve heard sound cautious
and my only regret is that Jeremy Backhouse, like many other conductors, eschews
Gardner’s optional percussion parts.
Two standards are heard in new arrangements. Jonathan Rathbone’s version of
Silent Night is correctly described by Jeremy Backhouse as “sumptuous”. It
stays on just the right side of the sweetness line and I enjoyed it very much.
The hushed last verse, in dense harmonies, is particularly effective and is
underpinned by some lovely, very low notes in the bass part. Equally successful
is Nigel Short’s take on Away in a manger. As Backhouse says, it is
“lush”, but I think it also captures the essential tenderness of this modest,
well-loved little carol.
To conclude the proceedings we’re offered three sweetmeats. I’m afraid I’ve
never had a sufficiently sweet tooth to enable me to enjoy Sir Malcolm Sargent’s
carol arrangements. For me they’re very much of their time and that time passed
a good few years ago. However, the Vasari’s gorgeous rendition of Hawaiian
Lullaby almost persuaded me. I needed no persuasion, however, to lap up Ward
Swingle’s arrangement of Mel Tormé’s enduring secular standard, Christmas
Song. Swingle is the choir’s patron and Jeremy Backhouse writes of this
arrangement that Swingle “released [it] from his private archive for us alone.”
Well, if by some chance Ward Swingle should ever read this review can I urge him
that this warm, stylish and, in a nice sense, sentimental arrangement is far too
good to remain unpublished, especially when sung as well as it is here.
The last word is with Andrew Carter and his arrangement of The Twelve Days of
Christmas. Written as long ago as 1971, though revised two years later,
this is, incredibly, its first recording. As the days unfold nothing untoward
seems to be happening until we get to the sixth day of Christmas, which is where
the mischief begins. I won’t spoil the surprises for those who’ve not heard the
arrangement before. Suffice to say, Carter throws umpteen musical jokes into the
mix and the whole thing is tremendous fun. Needing a very skilled choir to bring
it off, I suggest that it receives here possibly the best performance it can
ever have had.
This is one of the finest and most enjoyable Christmas discs to come my way in a
very long time, combining some quite stretching musical fare with some fun
items. Offhand, I can’t think of a better disc of Christmas music for you to
find under your tree on December 25th.
John Quinn
Page revised Monday March 02 2009
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