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King's Singers Christmas
The King's Singers
David Hurley
Robin Tyson
Paul Phoenix
Philip Lawson
Gabriel Crouch
Stephen Connolly
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"on the Signum label, this premier ensemble has found a
recording team that shows the group's talent to an even higher
engineering standard than we've ever heard before in previous issues
from EMI and RCA ... absolutely first-class musicianship, ,
top-notch arrangements, and always thoughtfully chosen, entertaining
repertoire ... if you love Christmas music
recordings, well, what are you waiting for? This is one of the best
ever" ClassicsToday.com
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"nothing
fazes them, however tough the demands, and there is a combination of
precision and warmth to the singing, captured in sympathetic
acoustics"
Daily Telegraph |
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"The King's Singers' style is beautifully detailed, and even the most
familiar carols sound fresh" Classic FM Magazine |
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"Precise
intonation, instinctive articulation, a downy, luxuriant tone, all
captured in an excitingly lifelike recording"
International Record Review |
Signum Records is delighted to release The King's Singers debut album
on the Signum label.
King’s Singers Christmas comprises 24 carols for each day of
Advent, and a bonus 25th track which pays homage to one of their
famous songs. Featured on the disc are such celebrated carols as Away in a
Manger, specially arranged for the group and other traditional carols
performed in their original versions.
Even though nearly every piece on this disc could be heard in an
English church carol service, the variety of musical styles covered is
immense. Five centuries of music are represented here including works from
various different countries.
"As a group that spends much of its life on the road, we are fortunate
to be able to gather music from many cultures and traditions beyond our
own" says Gabriel Crouch. "Several pieces collected on our travels have
found their way onto this playlist, including La Peregrinaçion by the
Argentinian Ariel Ramirez, and the Polish-Ukranian song Szczo to za
Prediwo, which we first heard performed by a choir from Warsaw at a King’s
Singers workshop".
In addition to the choice of traditional Christmas carols we have
chosen pieces by Peter Warlock, John McCabe, John Rutter, Bo Holton and
our own Philip Lawson, as representative of the living tradition amongst
English institutions for commissioning new carols. A King’s Singers
Christmas album would not be complete, however, without a little musical
twist or two. These are delivered in the form of Tchaikovsky’s The Crown
of Roses which has been arranged by the great jazz arranger Jeremy Lubbock
and a new version with Christmas words by Philip Lawson of the perennial
King’s Singer’s favourite You are the New Day, sung to the accompaniment
of a String Quartet.
 Click here to see
a video of Paul Phoenix, the King's Singer's tenor, talking about the disc
and how it came about (3.7Meg)
Click here to see
a video of track 20 (2.8Meg)
 Click here to read the Times
article by John Allison about The King's Dingers Christmas |
| 1 |
Veni, veni Emmanuel (Trad. arr. Lawson) |
[3:05] |
| 2 |
Angelus ad Virginem (Trad. ed. the KS) |
[1:58] |
| 3 |
This is the truth sent from above (Trad. arr. Ralph
Vaughan Williams) |
[2:39] |
| 4 |
Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (Praetorius) |
[1:46] |
| 5 |
Es ist ein Ros’ entsprungen (Praetorius) |
[2:44] |
| 6 |
There is no rose (Anon. ed. Stevens) |
[2:25] |
| 7 |
Coventry Carol (Anon.) |
[2:45] |
| 8 |
Nowell sing we now (Bo Holten ed. the KS) |
[3:53] |
| 9 |
Remember, O thou man (Ravenscroft) |
[3:10] |
| 10 |
In dulci jubilo (Trad. harm. J.S.Bach) |
[0:56] |
| 11 |
Lullay my liking (Philip Lawson) |
[4:27] |
| 12 |
Bogoroditsye Dyevo (Arvo Pärt) |
[1:04] |
| 13 |
The Lamb (John Tavener) |
[3:23] |
| 14 |
Maria durch ein’ Dornwald ging (Trad. arr. Lawson) |
[3:40] |
| 15 |
O little one sweet (Trad. harm. J.S.Bach) |
[2:12] |
| 16 |
Bethlehem Down (Peter Warlock) |
[3:59] |
| 17 |
The Crown of Roses (Tchaikovsky arr. Lubbock) |
[3:12] |
| 18 |
To us in Bethlem City (John McCabe) |
[2:48] |
| 19 |
Szczo to za prediwo (Trad. arr. Barwinski) |
[2:23] |
| 20 |
There is a flower (John Rutter) |
[3:54] |
| 21 |
La Peregrinaçion (Ramirez arr. Knight) |
[3:09] |
| 22 |
Away in a manger (Melody W.J.Kirkpatrick arr. Lawson) |
[2:33] |
| 23 |
Noël nouvelet (Trad. arr. Lawson) |
[2:23] |
| 24 |
Stille Nacht (Gruber arr. Rutter) |
[3:17] |
| 25 |
Born on a New Day (David arr. Knight/Lawson) |
[2:49] |
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Total running time: |
[70:49] |
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