Customer Reviews

Christmas with the Academy

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

In 1994 I worked at a music store where I was considered "the classical music expert." How did I earn this distinguished honor you may ask? Well, I had music lessons as a child, had a somewhat good knowledge of classical music as a hobbyist (I am a die hard opera buff and love the symphonic repertoire too), and I was the oldest sales person in the store. I was in my early thirties but most of the other employees were either in or recent graduates of high school. Since I could answer a few basic questions, I was the expert. I was also the jazz expert, movie sound track expert, easy listening expert, and vocals expert. If my life depended on my expertise of these areas, I wouldn't be writing this review right now, but that's another story.

The manager asked me to select some Christmas CD's for the store and in the catalogue, I saw that there would be a new release by The Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under Sir Neville Marriner's direction. I had not heard the disc and we did not have a sample, but I had a hunch it would be well received and since the store catered to customers who loved good music, I figured that the recording would be well received. I remember when it arrived and we put it on the store stereo. From the church bells at the beginning to the first simple tunes of the disc, I knew this would be a great collection of holiday music. Customers agreed. It received airtime on the local classical station and we could not keep it in stock.

Since that time CHRISTMAS WITH THE ACADEMY has been a staple in my Christmas collection. It has three major strengths. First, the wonderful orchestra and beautiful chorus of the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields under the direction of founder Sir Neville Marriner. Second, there is a variety of carols and traditional holiday music. We hear tracks we would expect from an English ensemble, but we also hear those wonderful melodies that when performed well add so much to this season. Third would be the overall excellence of this recording. This great ensemble has produced excellent music over the years and this collection is simply another example of its quality.

I loved the recording when it was new, but now it has become a classic. For anyone who loves good holiday music that is performed well and has the spiritual quality that is so much a part of the season, this is a disc you will love.

Few Christmas music CD's can compare to this entry by Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin-in-the-Fields. As the previous reviewer notes, there is nothing startlingly new or insightful about this program--but its sheer excellence sets it apart.

From the opening bells to the shattering conclusion of "Hark! the Herald Angel Sing," the listener encounters the kind of great music Marriner is known for. This stuff is precise though not dry, clean though not clinical. It is like seeing a beautiful painting in perfect clarity after having had it shrouded in a fog for years.

The soul of these songs are clarified by the interpretations they receive here. The joy they proclaim to the world can be palpably felt by the listener. My personal favorites here are: "Hark! the Herald Angels Sing," "Il Est né, le divin enfant," and "Away in a Manger."

You need look no further if you want some great music to listen to and contemplate during this or any other holiday season. This is a great disc.

I merrily recommend "Christmas with the Academy."

If I could only have one Christmas CD, this would be my choice. The harmonies are exquisite. The instrumentals are beautiful. There are several a cappella sections, which I love. This Christmas concert is a masterpiece. It is one of the few CD's with enough presence to evoke the feeling of "being there". I feel as though I'm sitting in a church, listening to the most wondrous choir.

This 60 minute CD was recorded digitally [DDD], so I had no concern about the quality of remastering. I found the CD audio quality to be very acceptable. I highly recommend this to anyone who loves choral Christmas music.

This is excellent Christmas music. Of the choir Christmas music I have heard, I think this is great because there seems to be such a great balance between the male and female singers. Its exactly how I'd want Christmas carolers to sound. If you like how the music previews sound then you will like this cd.

This album is not perfect.
So if I were rating it, let's say, only in comparison to Chanticleer, I might give it four stars.

However, since we're not just a bunch of Eton grads standing about in our manors tossing off an I-say-old-boy and a cheerio-lad while we lament the decline of the Empire, I really have to give it five stars.

Overall, this album is excellent.
You'll hear a few songs that are hard to find, and every performance is first-rate.
The orchestration is not over-done (Christmas carols are really best a cappella) , and the choir knows when to keep the gusto in check (so that "Hark the Herald Angels" doesn't sound like a Sousa march).

My only complaint (and it's minor) is that the AoSMitF has a tendency to go a little too fast for my taste.
This is probably a result of their technical virtuosity and Sir Neville Mariner's conducting.
Maybe he drinks a little too much earl grey during the sessions, but I've noticed this trend on other recordings.
Anyway, some songs lose a little of the emotion and effectiveness that could be achieved with a slower tempo.

Regardless, this is one of the best Christmas choral works out there.

These are beautiful Christmas carols and you cannot find albums like this any more at your local electronics/CD store. I has already owned this one but wanted to buy it for a friend.

This CD is an amalgam of traditional Christmas music and some not quite so traditional (such as the "Shepherds Farewell" from Berlioz "L'Enfance du Christ") in a very effective and musically rewarding presentation.

Though there are many very fine CDs of music for the Christmas season, few are as well selected and performed as this collection as selected and performed by Sir Neville Marriner and the Academy of St. Martin in the Fields (both orchestra and chorus) and featuring some outstanding soloists. Combining favorite carols with some rarely performed works composed in different countries of the Christmas season, this program entertains from beginning to end. The purely orchestral works, the choral works, and the multiple solos are all worthy of comment. Rosemary Joshua (one of today's finest Handel singers, currently touring with Bernard Labadie in a perfect 'Messiah' performance across the country) offers 'In the Bleak Midwinter' and 'Away in a Manger, Gerald Finney is especially fine in 'The Three Kings', Ian Bostridge offers 'Still, Still, Still' - these being the most famous of the soloists. As usual Sir Neville Marriner combines period conscious performances with an overall mood of joy. Even for those who believe they have 'sufficient seasonal CDs', this is one collection that deserves a place in every home where fine music is part of Christmas. Grady Harp, December 09

This is a beautiful Christmas CD. These classical CD's are hard to find, and hearing on the radio, I was glad to add to my collection. Thankyou.

I am enjoying this CD, however I must continually adjust the sound level. Some selections are recorded quite low and some are quite loud. I am constantly reaching for the volume.