To Drive the Dark Away [Live, Original recording reissued]

Anonymous (Composer), Jeremiah Ingalls (Composer), Christmas Traditional (Composer), English Anonymous (Composer), Reginald Morgan (Composer), Eric Sahlstrom (Composer), Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble (Performer), Cambridge University Choir (Performer), Houston Children (Performer), Cambridge Children's Choir (Performer), Houston Chorus & Band (Performer), Houston Band (Performer), Karelian Folk Music Ensemble (Performer), Paragon Brass Ensemble (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Dmitri Pokrovsky Ensemble, Cambridge University Choir, Houston Children, Cambridge Children's Choir, Houston Chorus & Band, et al.
• Composer: Anonymous, Jeremiah Ingalls, Christmas Traditional, English Anonymous, Reginald Morgan, et al.
• Audio CD (August 26, 1997)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Live, Original recording reissued
• Label: Revels Records
• ASIN: B000009MF6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #304,506 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Different and Refreshing Christmas Album, December 3, 2009

By 

Jorge Bennett Limnio, composer. - See all my reviews

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: To Drive the Dark Away (Audio CD)

This album is strange and wonderful. It is a recording of Christmas Revels sung by two very contrasting choirs, a Russian one and an African American one. There is occasionally a children's choir and some other ensembles joining the performance.

What I found most interesting and thrilling about it was that the two main choirs were not entirely "academic" in style but had a rather folklore wildness to them, and they sang sometimes individually and sometimes together juxtaposing their contrasting carols in a surprising mixture. The result (sometimes powerful, sometimes ethnic and wild) gives you a sense of celebration, spirituality, and a joining of cultures that is hard to describe, and all of it with a Christmas flavor on top. I warn you, there is occasional foot stamping, and howls, and some autochthonous instruments, all of which I found rather exciting. Many of the Carols are sung in Swedish or in Scandinavian languages, others in some African language I couldn't identify (but I loved it) and a few in English. I'm personally familiar with Swedish carols(some of them are hauntingly beautiful) because I once conducted a Santa Lucia Choir in the year 1995; so my love and curiosity for Scandinavian carols was the first thing that led me to this recording.

This CD is not for those who are looking for recordings of the same old traditional carols. It is rather a departure from that to a different Christmas realm, a far more spontaneous one. Don't take me wrong, I love Christmas recordings of the King's Singer, the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, and other more traditional choirs. But the originality of this album was rather refreshing.

5.0 out of 5 stars Mr Langstaff respect, June 24, 2011

By 

Karl (UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: To Drive the Dark Away (Audio CD)

Yet another Revels album that is just absolutely wonderful.If you like traditional music and proper folk, click, order or whatever...support these talented people. PS. Revels come to the UK asap.

4.0 out of 5 stars The 5-star review is right on all counts, but . . ., January 11, 2010

By 

Andrew O'Neill - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: To Drive the Dark Away (Audio CD)

One word of warning, at least about the CD version: it was clearly recorded in a large room, and it sounds like the recording equipment wasn't properly placed. This occasionally results in the performers sounding distant or ever-so-slightly muffled.

Definitely worth the purchase, especially if you love the Revels -- this recording has a lot going for it. Just be aware that, at least on some transfers, the recording is less than stellar.