Bill Ives leads the men and boys'
Choir of Magdalen College, Oxford, in a diverse selection of carols for Advent and Christmas. The collection includes plainsong, Renaissance and Baroque motets, and anthems and carols from the 19th and 20th centuries. There are only a few widely familiar pieces, such as "O come, O come, Emmanuel"; "Gesù Bambino"; "In dulci jubilo"; and "Hark! The herald angels sing," and a handful likely to be known to fans of English cathedral singing, including "Of the Father's heart begotten,"
Mathias' "Sir Christèmas,"
Gardner's "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day," and
Britten's "A Hymn to the Virgin." The other works, though, are attractive, fit well on the album, and should appeal to listeners looking for Christmas music from slightly off the beaten path. The selections provide a nice timbral variety, ranging from unaccompanied plainsong to the boys alone, the men alone, small ensembles, and the full choir accompanied by organ. The tone of the album is mostly reverent, but the choir comes close to cutting loose in the
Mathias and
Gardner, and several of the familiar carols.
Ives' interpretations vary from the conventional often enough (for instance, in his snappy take on "O come, O come Emmanuel") that even the familiar works sound fresh and distinctive. The choir's tone is full and warm, but it's deployed at full strength rarely enough that when it is, it really pops. There are a few cadences where the intonation is a little dicey, but the singers correct themselves so quickly that it's not likely to be an issue for casual listening. Several
Bach and
Buxtehude chorale preludes, played by organist
Martin Ford, are interspersed among the vocal selections. The sound is nicely resonant.