A Christmas Festival

John Rutter (Composer), John Rutter (Conductor), Melanie Marshall (Performer), John Anderson (Performer), Royal Philharmonic Orchestra (Orchestra), Clara Sanabras (Performer), Elin Manahan Thomas (Performer), Andrew Williams (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Melanie Marshall, John Anderson, Clara Sanabras, Elin Manahan Thomas, Andrew Williams
• Orchestra: Royal Philharmonic Orchestra
• Conductor: John Rutter
• Composer: John Rutter
• Audio CD (October 14, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Collegium
• ASIN: B001E442OG
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #55,990 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

Genre: Christmas Music Media Type: Compact Disk

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

38 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Collection Well Worth The Wait, December 3, 2008

By 

Timothy Kearney (Haverhill, MA United States) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: A Christmas Festival (Audio CD)

While Christmas music is not the only specialty of John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers, it seems that he and this musical ensemble have an affinity for the music of the holiday season. This is evident in his newest release A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL.

Seasoned fans of earlier releases, as well as people new to Rutter and the Cambridge Singers will find much to enjoy in A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL. For new listeners, the beauty will be astounding. For longtime fans, it has everything that made his earlier releases with both Clare College and the Cambridge Singers quality recordings but offers something different too. One noticeable difference in this collection from earlier releases is the accompaniment of the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra which gives the orchestral arrangements a more fulsome sound. The majestic sound of the orchestra enhances the vocal beauty of the Cambridge Singers. The collection is enhanced as well by the addition of the Farnham Youth Choir and soloists Elin Manahan Thomas, Clara Sanabras, and Melanie Marshall. Most of the arrangements are by Rutter and he brings the music to life with the musicians at his disposal. The collection includes traditional carols, orchestral pieces including Delius' "Sleigh Ride" which differs from the better known compositions of Mozart and Anderson. The collection has a variety of titles and styles ranging from the traditional "Hark The Herald Angels Sing" to contemporary favorites such as "Mary's Boy Child" to the original such as the Caribbean "The Virgin Mary Had A Baby Boy." We also have some compositions by Rutter himself with serenity and beauty that make any Rutter collection worthwhile. My personal favorite in this collection is "New Year" which wonderfully combines the secular and spiritual aspects of Christmas in a way that reminds us of the beauty of this time of year.

A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL manages to offer something new while at the same time remaining true to what has worked for John Rutter since his early days at Clare College. For those waiting for a new Rutter release, this collection is well worth the wait and no doubt, it will be beloved for years to come.

26 of 29 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars More "mainstream" Christmas fare, December 25, 2008

By 

LibraCyn "Cynthia" (United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Christmas Festival (Audio CD)

I have all of Rutter's Christmas CD's and have admired the Cambridge Singers for years. This Christmas compilation does not meet the same standard as Rutter's earlier holiday collections. Although his arrangements are varied and interesting, it appears that Rutter, sucked into the mainstream of secular-style Christmas music, has sold out in order to reach a wider audience. With full-vibrato-ed voices, the women soloists sound more like pop singers. The purity and clarity of tone he strove to achieve in the 80'sand 90's have been disregarded in favor of a more glitzy, thin sound. I hope that someday he will return to the more elegant and ethereal quality of choral music that he is so capable of producing.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Cause For Celebration, December 16, 2008

By 

Gregor von Kallahann - See all my reviews

This review is from: A Christmas Festival (Audio CD)

It's not surprising that when my local classical FM station (WMHT in Schenectady, NY in case you want to check out the online streaming version) was doing their annual fundraiser this December, they offered copies of John Rutter's new holiday release A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL as one of its incentive gifts for pledges of $100. When it comes to choral singing, John Rutter's Cambridge Singers are pretty much the gold standard.

What actually was a surprise was learning that this is the new first holiday themed release Rutter has released in over TWENTY years. His Christmas recordings have been radio staples and personal favorites of my own for such a long time, that I hadn't even been thinking how long it had been since a new one had actually appeared.

On this release, the Cambridge Singers are joined by The Farnham Youth Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra, making for a varied and often lively program. Almost any British choral society could easily get away with limiting their selection to the vast storehouse of classic English carols, and while Rutter is not hesitant to offer up same, his selection of the lesser known (at--I suspect--least to an American audience) "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day," demonstrates great originality and resourcefulness even on that front. But Rutter's wide ranging sensibility incorporates many more traditions here: the Welsh carol "Nos Galan" is better known in the English speaking world as "Deck The Halls" but Rutter restores the original Welsh text (actually a New Year's carol), which is sung beautifully by Elin Manahan Thomas.

Carols from the world over (with Spanish, Catalan, Caribbean songs numbering among the standouts) fill out most of the rest of the program, along with several John Rutter compositions ("New Year," "I Wish You Christmas"--and a gorgeous "new setting" of "Ave Maria"--that are almost certainly destined to become choral group standards--and perhaps, just plain ol' standards).

The release of Rutter's A CHRISTMAS FESTIVAL has made holiday shopping quite a bit easier this year. I KNOW what I'm getting everyone on my list for Christmas.