If you’re looking for an alternative to the King’s College or other Cambridge-based choirs for your Christmas music listening, here is an excellent choice, a reissue from 1980 when Martin Neary was at the helm of the first-rate, tradition-steeped Winchester Cathedral choir. And although all of the selections are very familiar and commonly-performed these days, it’s hard to tire of hearing such pieces as Herbert Howells’ “A spotless rose”, Elizabeth Poston’s “Jesus Christ the apple tree”, Robert Pearsall’s arrangement of “In dulci jubilo”, or the Cornelius/Atkins setting of “The Three Kings”. Mixed in for good measure are a fine selection of carols/hymns, including “O little town of Bethlehem” (set to Vaughan Williams’ Forest Green tune), “The Holly and the Ivy”, John Rutter’s “Il est né le divin enfant”, and David Willcocks’ arrangements of “I saw three ships” and “O come all ye faithful”. A couple of organ solos performed by Neary nicely round out the program. The singing is excellent, while the recording does have some minor limitations, ranging from inconsistent acoustic perspective between a cappella numbers and pieces with organ, and some harshness in the loudest tutti sections. Nevertheless, this is a sensible reissue that offers both value and variety, one that will provide real pleasure and even offers a rare–and charming–performance of Malcolm Sargent’s arrangement of the Czech “Zither Carol”. [12/21/2004]
