Carols from the Old and New Worlds [Import]

Daniel Read (Artist), Christmas Traditional (Artist), Charles Ives (Artist), George Frideric Handel (Artist), Jeremiah Ingalls (Artist), James E. Spilman (Artist), Supply Belcher (Artist), Felix Mendelssohn (Artist), Jean Sibelius (Artist), King of England Henry VIII (Artist), English Traditional (Artist), Gustav Holst (Artist), Paul Hillier (Artist), Anonymous (Artist), Theatre of Voices (Artist) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Audio CD (October 18, 1994)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Harmonia Mundi Fr.
• ASIN: B0000007DK
• Also Available in: Audio Cassette  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (10 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #208,727 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #97 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Ives, Charles

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A perfect classical folk cd, September 17, 2000

By 

M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carols from the Old and New Worlds (Audio CD)

This album on the surface may appear to be a classical music cd; however, it owes much to the folk tradition as well.

The opening carol is Sherburne, a tune well known to shaped note singers. The American composers - Daniel Read, Jeremiah Ingalls, and Supply Belchers - are all early American singing school music. There are several American pieces simply labeled "Traditional American" - other "Traditional" pieces are Bavarian, Austrian, Latin, and English.

The result is a very well balanced cd in which familar words and tunes are mixed with the less familar. For example, Away in a Manger is sung to the Afton Water tune - one of three traditional tunes for it. While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks at Night is set to Sherburne and later to Eltham.

As usual, a choir conducted by Paul Hillier performs excellently. With the multiplicity of styles, languages and moods of this music, that is a notable accomplishment.

Enjoy this as a required folk and/or classical Christmas album.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the best Christmas CDs available, December 18, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Carols from the Old and New Worlds (Audio CD)

I've been buying at least one Christmas album/CD per year for over thirty years, and have listened to many more. This recording is one of the best I've ever encountered -- a near perfect balance between the familiar and the unfamiliar, exquisitely performed. Too many Christmas recordings go for the schmaltz; others veer off into esoterica. This one gets it just right.

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Give it 6 stars, October 26, 2005

By 

M. C. Clark "merrykate" (Sequim, WA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Carols from the Old and New Worlds (Audio CD)

This is a wonderful collection of Carols from around the world, beautifully performed by the Theater of Voices. I don't know what CD the first reviewer heard, because this one doesn't contain strident voices - the choir is very well blended, and the soloists are outstanding. I highly recommend it.
It is hard to choose best tracks, as they are so varied and well done, but my personal favorites are Gaudete, Personent Hodie and the four german tracks. The women's choir does especially well on Still, O Himmel, authentically capturing the sound of an Austrian choir.