Customer Reviews

Christmas Day in the Morning

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I challenge you to find any lovelier Christmas music than that performed by the Cambridge Singers, directed by John Rutter. This group has released several holiday recordings (I have "Christmas with ...," "Christmas Night," and "Christmas Day in the Morning," and they recieve the most play-time around the place over the holidays. (My wife starts playing Christmas music right after Halloween!) All three are exquisite, and highly recommended. And.. each is an hour or so long!

I discovered John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers ten years ago and can't imagine the holidays without them. Christmas Day in the Morning is my favorite. The variety of literature and the flow of the listing makes it perfect for repeat listening. Enjoy!

This is yet another collection of the beautiful sounds, which John Rutter creates with a choir. The ethereal quality of these performances is almost palpable. Always especially enjoyable are Rutter's own compositions. While his CD's usually contain two or three of his works, on this CD, out of the 23 selections, eight were composed by John Rutter, a rich bonus indeed.

Any true lover and connoisseur of Christmas music would put this in their "Top 10" of Christmas recordings. Why? Few modern Christmas recordings genuinely revere the Birth Of Christ. John Rutter literally worships at the feet of the Christ Child. Rutter offers 23 choral selections, most his compositions, others of European tradition, that imbue the rootedness and wonderous awe that is the spirit and 'magic' of Christmas.

Noteworthy are 'Mary's Lullaby,' a Rutter original and 'Fantasia on Christmas carols,' the 1912 compilation by R. Vaughan Williams that balances a baritone soloist against the choral discipline of the Cambridge Singers to invoke several spine-tingling and misty-eyed moments.

A Masterwork among Chrismas recordings.

The Cambridge Singers, led by John Rutter, certainly add joy to the Christmas season. This recording has familiar standards, lesser known carols, and some Rutter originals. Rutter's "Jesus Child" had a contagious calypso flair, his "Star Carol" has a feel of innocence and beauty, and his reflective "Very Best Time of the Year" can put a person in the mood for the holiday. The ensemble's is beautiful. It is easy to see why so many people add this disk to their music collection.

These yuletide favorites have a lot going for them. The title song is a rendition of "I saw 3 ships" that is great. I like John Rutter's version of this carol much, much more than the "traditional" one you always hear each holiday season. Also, who cannot melt over the beautiful "Mary's Lullaby"? That one makes me cry each time I hear it. I will probably buy the sheet music version if I can find it. It would be a great one to perform as a musical number in church during the holidays.

I also enjoy their rendition of "Go Tell it on the Mountain". It is well done, not quite the way Americans are used to hearing it, but done with style, grace and great musicality. This album has lots of gems. I believe it is out of print, which is very, very sad.

What can I say, there is just no music like John Rutter's. Great recording, highly recommend. It's nearly a month after Christmas and I am still listening!!

This is one of our favorite Christmas cds and one of our favorite of the Cambridge Singers with John Rutter. We cannot get enough of these! Soothing and uplifting, quiet and cheerful...it contains all the moods that permeate the Season of all seasons.