Holiday Portraits #1550
…the Christmas festival is rich with pictorial implications that composers have interpreted with intriguing ingenuity.
Hour 1
LARRY VISSER: While shepherds watched their flocks –Larry Visser (1996 Austin/LaGrave Avenue Christian Reformed Church, Grand Rapids, MI) LaGrave 2013
OLIVIER MESSIAEN: La Nativité du Seigneur/The Nativity of the Lord…(i.) La Vierge et l’Enfant/The Virgin and Child –Simon Preston (1984 Harrison/ Westminster Abbey, London) London 425 616; (ii.) Les Bergers/The Shepherds –Marcel Dupré (1862 Cavaillé-Coll/St. Sulpice, Paris) Mercury 478 8388; (v.) Les Enfants de Dieu/The Children of God –Colin Andrew (2005 Fisk/St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, Greenville, NC) Loft 1099; (vi.) Les Anges/The Angels –Jennifer Bate (1868 Cavaillé-Coll/Trinity Church, Paris) Jade 1;(viii.) Les Mages/The Magi –Tom Winpenny (1962 Harrison/St. Alban’s Cathedral, England) Naxos 8.573332; (ix.) Dieu parmi nous/God among us –Renée Anne Louprette (1962 Austin/Cathedral of St. Joseph, Hartford, CT) RAL 2008
Filler – VISSER (see above)
Hour 2
WILLIAM MATHIAS: A babe is born. JOHN SCOTT: Nova! Nova! TRADITIONAL (arr. Willcocks): O come, all ye faithful –St. Thomas Church Choir/John Scott, director; Jeremy Bruns (1968 Adams/St. Thomas Church, NYC) Pro Organo 7200
LOUIS CLAUDE DAQUIN: 3 Noëls (Nos. 5-7-6) –Vincent Boucher (1960 Beckerath/St. Joseph Oratory, Montreal, Quebec, Canada) Atma Classique 2703
J. S. BACH: Vom Himmel kam der Engel Schaar, BWV 607 –Marcel Dupré (1890 Cavaillé-Coll/St. Ouen, Rouen) Mercury 478 8388
J. S. BACH (arr. DeJong): 2 Cantata transcriptions (Süsser Trost, mein Jesus kommt, BWV 151/1; Kommst du nun, Jesu, BWV 137/2) –Euwe & Sybolt de Jong (1692 Schnitger/Martinikerk,Groningen, The Netherlands) Westra Media 4
GUY BOVET: 2 Carols (Stille Nacht; Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern) –Huw Williams (Willis-Mander/St. Paul Cathedral, London, England) Priory 778
JOHN RUTTER: Christmas Night. JUNE NIXON: The Holly and the Ivy –Copley Singers/Brian Jones, director; Christian Lane (1932 Aeolian-Skinner/Memorial Church, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA) Gothic 49283
IRVING BERLIN: White Christmas –Elizabeth & Raymond Chenault (1992 Ruffatti/Spivey Hall, Morrow, GA) Gothic 49084
Filler – MESSIAEN: Les Anges (see above)
