An English Christmas

Bob Chilcott A great and mighty wonder; Jesus Christ the apple tree; John Rutter Shepherd’s Pipe Carol; All bells in paradise; Was I the lamb; James MacMillan Advent Antiphon; Judith Weir Drop down, ye heavens, from above; John Gardner Tomorrow shall be my dancing day; Thomas Hewitt Jones What child is this?; Cecilia McDowall O Oriens; Harold Darke In the bleak mid-winter; Traditional: In dulci jubilo (Arr. for Choir by Robert Lucas de Pearsall); This is the truth sent from above (Arr. for Choir by Ralph Vaughan Williams); Roxanna Panufnik Sleep, Jesus, sleep; Gustav Holst In the Bleak Mid-winter; Herbert Howells O Mortal Man; Edmund Sears It came upon the midnight clear (Arr. for Choir and Orchestra by Arthur Sullivan); Silent night (Arr. for Choir by John Rutter); Kerensa Briggs A Tender Shoot; Gabriel Jackson Toccata.

Choir of Merton College Oxford, Oxford Contemporary Sinfonia, Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra, Benjamin Nicholas

Eleanor Hicks (soprano), Áine Smith (soprano), Christopher Watson (tenor)Oliver Kelham (tenor).

Delphian DCD34377
https://www.delphianrecords.com/
We are fast approaching Advent, the four weeks building to Christmas, and several recordings have reached the top of my listening pile as we prepare for the festivities.

The relationship between Merton College and Delphian has proved magical. Ben Nicholas has convinced me of the merits of college and cathedral choirs accompanied by orchestral forces in the great anthems of the English choral tradition with previous releases. Their sound is beautifully balanced, intonation and diction superb, and on this well-curated disc there's variety that sets it apart—ancient and modern sitting comfortably together, glitz alongside traditional sounds.

Bob Chilcott's A great and mighty wonder opens the celebration with real Christmas spirit. There's rhythmic energy and resonance, especially from the back row, in Cecilia McDowall's O Oriens and James MacMillan's fine Advent Antiphon.

Joined by the Oxford Philharmonic and Contemporary Sinfonia, the choir under Nicholas' direction glows with an Advent luminescence that stirs genuine excitement about Christmas.

I would have welcomed the optional percussion in John Gardner's terrific Tomorrow shall be my dancing day, but it's still an exciting performance. The programme includes both Harold Darke's and Holst's renditions of In the Bleak Midwinter. Rutter contributes his Shepherd's Pipe Carol, All bells in Paradise and Was I the Lamb, showing different sides of this eclectic composer. Kerensa Briggs' a cappella A Tender Shoot is beautifully sung.

There is much to enjoy on this well-presented disc that oozes festive warmth, with expressive contributions from the various organists. Gabriel Jackson's short but thrilling Toccata—part of his larger Christmas Story—rounds off a splendid album.