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Contemporary Christmas music
Truro Cathedral Choir
Andrew Wyatt organ
directed by Christopher Gray
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Description

A unique Christmas album for 2021. In May of this year, the boys, girls, lay vicars and choral scholars of Truro Cathedral Choir, under its director, Christopher Gray, embarked on recording a full-length album – possibly the first UK cathedral choir to do so since national lockdown began in 2020. It was made under social distancing conditions, and Truro Cathedral Choir rose enthusiastically to the occasion, their musicianship and creativity shining through while meeting the evolving challenges of the pandemic.

Track List

People, look east – Peter Tranchell arr Peter Marchbank b
3:30
Nowell sing we – Gabriel Jackson g
2:06
Once in royal David’s city – H J Gauntlett, arr Philip Stopford b
3:46
The bells of the city of God – Alexander Campkin*g
4:53
I sing of a maiden – Julian Philips b
3:38
While Mary slept – Helena Paish*g
4:14
Infant holy – Becky McGlade*b
3:24
Coventry Carol – Richard Allain g
4:04
The Magi’s Dream – James Whitbourn b
3:20
In the bleak midwinter – Becky McGlade g
4:11
There is no rose – Russell Pascoe*b
3:31
I sing of a maiden – Neil Cox*g
3:23
The dawn of redeeming grace – Judith Bingham Organ solo
5:28
All my heart this night rejoices – Richard Shephard*b
3:08
I sing of a maiden – Russell Pascoe*g (Piano: Christopher Gray)
2:54
Away in a manger – William J Kirkpatrick, arr Gary Cole b
2:56
Illuminare, Jerusalem – Judith Weir g
2:27
All the world tonight rejoices – Sasha Johnson Manning *b
3:50
Variations on ‘Greensleeves’ – David Briggs Organ solo
8:23

 b denotes Truro Cathedral Choir with its boy choristers
g denotes Truro Cathedral Choir with its girl choristers    

* First recording

Total Playing time: 72:58

Production credits

Recorded 11, 12, 14, 15 May 2021 in Truro Cathedral by kind permission of the Dean and Chapter

Recording engineer and producer: Gary Cole

Recording assistant: Pippa Cole

Sample audio extracts

Reviews

‘The choristers shine in this soothing programme.’ ★★★★ BBC Music Magazine Christmas 2021

‘All the World Tonight Rejoices gathers together contemporary Christmas music for mostly unaccompanied choir and delivers that vital sense of mystery and anticipation…as well as a sure sense of a cohesive album ‘sound’. This choir has always punched above its weight and this album… maintains standards with confident, stylish, text-led singing.’ Gramophone Christmas Edition 2021

‘…a wonderful ambitious and superbly executed album.’ planethugill.com

‘All the pieces, including those I’ve not specifically mentioned, are very good contributions to the Christmas repertoire and we can only congratulate Truro Cathedral for their collective foresight in encouraging so strongly the composition of new pieces. Congratulations, too, to Christopher Gray and his excellent choir who perform the music with skill and commitment.’ John Quinn MusicWeb, December 2021

‘This is both daring and successful… An impressive recording, which stays in the mind.’ Organists’ Review March 2022

‘All in all, then, much to be savored on this superb compilation—the unusual and arresting repertoire; the beautiful singing by both groups of trebles along with the excellent lay clerks and choral scholars; the glorious organ superbly played; and the exhilarating sense of an ever-more-accomplished tradition of flne liturgical music…’ The American Organist November 2022

‘If you buy no other Christmas recording this year, this must, for sure, be it! ’ Cathedral Music Magazine 2/22

‘…this was an ambitious undertaking, but carried off with outstanding success – it is a disc to which I shall return with pleasure, and not only at Christmas.’ Church Music Quarterly December 2022


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