A Ceremony of Carols CD

Angelic voices, harp and organ warm your heart with the glad tidings and inspiring music of Christmas, including Benjamin Britten's dazzling "A Ceremony of Carols" and "Hymn to Saint Cecilia"-composed during a dangerous crossing of the North Atlantic in 1942. You'll also delight in ethereal Christmas songs by Gabriel Faure, and in the beautiful "Cantiques de Noel" from Renaissance France. Exquisitely sung by the Oxford Girls' Choir.

A Ceremony of Carols Op 28 Benjamin Britten (1913-76)
1 Processional
2 Wolcum Yole
3 There is no rose
4 That yonge childe (Imogen Gardam, alto)
5 Balulalow (Georgina Whittington, soprano)
6 As dew in Aprille
7 This little babe
8 Interlude
9 In freezing winter night (Felicity Souter, soprano, Rosie Dilnot, alto)
10 Spring Carol (Clemency Stephenson, Eleanor Thompson, sopranos)
11 Deo gratias
12 Recessional
13 Allegretto Pastorale Op 11 (from Messe du Jour de Noël, 1842) Alexandre Boëly (1785-1858)

Music for female voices Gabriel Fauré (1845-1924)
14 Maria, mater gratiae Op 47/2
15 En prière Op 46/1 (Olivia Knops, soprano)
16 Le Ruisseau Op 22 (Anna Shackleton, soprano)

17 Andante con moto in G minor Op 45/7 Alexandre Boëly

18 On Christmas Night Danielle Perrett

Cantiques de Noël by Nicolas Denisot (Paris, 1553), harmonized by Richard Vendome, with matching Préludes for organ (Op 15, 1847) by Alexandre Boëly
19 Seigneur Dieu ouvre la porte
20 Espritz divins
21 Voicy la premiere entrée (Gabriella Efthimiou, solo)
22 Reveillez vous reveillez pastoureaux
23 Quel estonnement vient saisir mon ame
24 Suz bergiers en campaigne (Henrietta Gullifer, solo)
25 Sus sus qu'on se reveille
26 Le vermeil du Soleil
27 Lyre ce n'est pas en ce chant (Anna Souter, solo)

Oxford Girls' Choir
Richard Vendome, conductor and organ
Danielle Perrett, harp