Like a Christmas tree on which every family member has placed his or her favorite ornament–an assortment that inevitably ranges from the beautiful and finely crafted to the funky and even ugly–this collection of carols and songs from all over the world varies in quality but overall makes a satisfying impression. Fans of Christmas music will recognize and appreciate most of the selections, from “Stille Nacht” and “The Little Drummer Boy” to “Cantique de Noël”, “I wonder as I wander”, and “In dulci jubilo”. But there also are many tunes not so well known outside their home countries–the Bohemian lullaby “Haje, muje andilku”, a beautiful and touching Russian Cossack song “Bajuschki Baju”, the sweet Italian song “Dormi, dormi”, the lovely German traditional song “Leise rieselt der Schnee” (enhanced by the presence of children’s voices), and the lushly scored Neapolitan tune “Quando nascette Nino” (which begins oddly like Handel’s “He shall feed His flock”), well sung by tenor Ernesto Grisales. We also hear some decidedly non-Christmas pieces–“Didn’t my Lord deliver Daniel”, “Swing low, sweet chariot”, “Nobody knows”–along with the beloved Bach/Gounod Ave Maria and Franck’s Panis Angelicus.
The singing–which is mostly done by adult soloists with substantial voices–varies from excellent to embarrassing, this last embodied in the absolute worst rendition of “White Christmas” you’ll ever hear, mangled by a soprano and tenor who have no concept of the pop-style they’re trying to capture, all of which is sabatoged by a horrendous arrangement. For the most part, however (except for a goofy, overwrought “Jingle Bells”) the orchestral arrangements and vocal performances are quite good, and some are really excellent. Special mention should go to soprano Simone Nold and mezzo Graciela Alperyn, whose singing is always tasteful and interpretively consistent with the music. A children’s chorus appears on a few of the tracks and several of the pieces are scored for more than one voice. I must admit that after “Jingle Bells” (track 2) I thought of moving on to a different recording–but as the program progressed I found myself enjoying it more–especially hearing tunes I’d rarely or never heard before. There are no texts or translations–so you just have to sit back and listen, which after all is really the point. The sound places singers forward in the mix–slightly disorienting but something you get used to. In general, a pleasant, uneven, unfailingly interesting Christmas CD.