Carol of the Bells
Works by RR Bennett, Alan Bullard, Bob Chilcott, Jonathan Dove, Holst, Howells, Leontovich, Cecilia McDowall, Matthew Martin, Joseph Phibbs, M Praetorius, Walton, Eric Whitacre et al
The Sixteen/Harry Christophers
CORO COR 16188 79:37 mins
The Sixteen have been around so long (40 years and counting) that it is easy to take them for granted. This newly recorded Christmas disc, however, acts as a sharp reminder of the choir’s abiding excellence under founder Harry Christophers. The programme mixes old and new, sometimes in one piece – Jan Sandström’s take on Praetorius’s ‘Lo, how a rose e’er blooming’ is given a mesmerising performance, the eight vocal lines exquisitely sifted and layered. Matthew Martin’s ‘Adam lay ybounden’ is another triumph of highly sensitised part-singing, a rapt interpretation where every…