One of the Priory catalog’s strengths is the fact that its recordings are made on location in many of Britain’s most notable cathedrals and less-famous but still-distinctive churches. But the grandest spaces, such as that of York Minster, don’t always make the most friendly acoustic environments for recording choirs and organs. This first volume in Priory’s four-disc Christmas Joy series features some terrific repertoire–much of it not found on other traditional choral Christmas compilations–in generally fine performances; but you’ll have to accept a tradeoff of detail for a kind of atmospheric integrity. That is, if you were standing in the middle of the church, this big, resonant, somewhat swampy sound is very close to what you’d actually hear. Of course, that will be just perfect for many listeners, and others who love Christmas choral music will find so much of interest in the music that any sonic “interferences” will be negligible.
Yes, there are the almost obligatory favorites–O come, all ye faithful, Once in Royal David’s city, Ding dong! merrily on high, O little town of Bethlehem, Hark! the herald angels sing–and a few more staples such as Joubert’s beautiful setting of There is no rose, G.R. Woodward’s Up! good Christen folk, and listen, and E. Pettman’s Sing lullaby. But the program really shines due to the presence of rarely heard original pieces such as Edmund Rubbra’s lovely anthem That Virgin’s Child, William Walton’s tricky little dance All this time, and Herbert Howells’ gently undulating Sing Lullaby. I wasn’t at all impressed with the curiously schmaltzy, cumbersome, and poorly balanced The Shepherds heard the angels (by choir member Richard Shephard), but conductor Philip Moore contributes some very pleasing arrangements of This is the truth, We Three Kings, and Silent Night–and a very nice original setting of Watts’ Cradle Song. There are no notes on the musical selections, but full texts and attributions are provided.
