The Christmas Story / Paul Hillier, of Voices - Harmonia Mundi - HAR 807565 - 0

Inspired by the much-loved service of Nine Lessons and Carols given every Christmas Eve in England, this recording presents the Nativity story told through plainchant, motets, 17th-century dialogues and traditional folk carols. Paul Hillier leads Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova Copenhagen in music he has culled and arranged from Italian, German, Danish, English and American sources.

"Paul Hillier always presents something unique, the musical selections invariably containing some surprises, the projects always creative and purposeful. Here he takes inspiration from the traditional service of Nine Lessons and Carols, ingeniously substituting the usual scripture readings with 17th-century Italian "dialogues" that tell the Christmas story, but sung instead of read... the program returns considerable rewards both in the exceptional quality of the ensemble singing and in the interesting repertoire... there's something for everyone here, especially listeners looking for a fundamentally traditional Christmas program that nevertheless dares to venture slightly off the well-trod path. Strongly recommended." -Classics Today

Mail on Sunday
The 65 minutes are designed to be played at a single sitting: the musically curious - and those of genuine religious impulse - will find much that is deeply satisfying.

The Telegraph
Tracing a course from Advent through the Nativity and on to Epiphany and Holy Innocents, Paul Hillier has devised a fascinating programme of plainchant, Renaissance music and other apt pieces that poignantly relate the Christmas narrative. Excellent performances bring the sequence vividly to life.

The Arts Desk
This lovely disc offers a Danish take on the traditional English carol service...This needs to be listened to in sequence, in one go, and following the texts leads to a pretty profound, immersive experience. Paul Hillier's arrangements of traditional carols are unfailingly sensitive; the highlights being a radiant version of the Italian Dormi, dormi o bel Bambino and an account of Liebe Hirten

Notes & Reviews:

Recording information: Garnisons Kirke, Copenhagen, Denmark (01/2011).

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Works Details

Chant, Gregorian : Rorate caeli desuper, introit in mode 4 for the 4th Sunday in Advent

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 2 min. 31 sec.
Period Time: Medieval

Traditional, Christmas : O come, o come, Emmanuel (Veni, veni, Emmanuel), carol

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 3 min. 19 sec.
Period Time: Medieval
Form: Choral
Written: 12th Century

Praetorious, Michael : Musae Sioniae

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 3 min. 25 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance
Written: 1600

Tomasi, Biasio [Composer] : Dum deambularet Dominus in Paradisum, for chorus

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 4 min. 53 sec.
Period Time: Baroque

Skempton, Howard : Adam lay y-bounden, advent carol for chorus

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 1 min. 35 sec.
Period Time: Contemporary
Written: 1999

Traditional, Christmas : In dulci jubilo (Piæ Cantiones)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 3 min. 20 sec.
Period Time: Medieval
Form: Christmas
Written: circa 1400

Grandi, Alessandro : Missus est Gabriel (Dialogo), motet for 5 voices

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 7 min. 27 sec.
Period Time: Baroque

Chant, Gregorian : Puer natus est nobis, introit

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 3 min. 3 sec.
Period Time: Medieval

Byrd, William : Gradualia, Volume 2

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 3 min. 5 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance
Form: Choral
Written: 1607

Anerio, Giovanni Francesco : Voi ch'ai notturni rai, for chorus

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 6 min. 10 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance

Traditional, Christmas : Dormi, dormi, o bel bambin (Sleep, O Sleep My Lovely Child) (Italian)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 2 min. 1 sec.

Traditional, Christmas : Liebste Hirten (Alpine Region)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 1 min. 35 sec.

Traditional, Christmas : Andachtsjodler (Christmas Yodler)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 2 min. 25 sec.
Form: Christmas

Hopkins, John Henry : We three kings

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 3 min. 54 sec.
Period Time: Romantic
Form: Christmas
Written: 1857

Chant, Gregorian : Videntes stellam Magi, Magnificat antiphon

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Period Time: Medieval
Form: Choral

Traditional, Christmas : Personent hodie (On this day Earth shall ring) (Piae Cantiones)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 1 min. 51 sec.
Period Time: Medieval
Form: Christmas
Written: by 1582

Chant, Gregorian : Herodes iratus, antiphon (Mode 1)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Period Time: Medieval

Plainchant : Vox in Rama

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 1 min. 11 sec.
Period Time: Medieval
Form: Choral

Eccard, Johannes : Übers Gebirg Maria geht

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 2 min. 47 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance

Eccard, Johannes : Maria Wallt zum Heiligtum

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 3 min. 11 sec.
Period Time: Renaissance
Written: 1529

Traditional, Christmas : The Holly and the Ivy (English)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 2 min. 47 sec.
Form: Christmas
Written: circa 1710

Gade, Niels : Child Jesus in a manger lay

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 1 min. 56 sec.
Period Time: Romantic

Traditional, Christmas : We Wish You a Merry Christmas (English)

Conductor: Paul Hillier
Running Time: 1 min. 33 sec.
Form: Christmas
Written: 15th Century

The Christmas Story / Paul Hillier, Theater of Voices

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