Let It Snow

Chanticleer (Artist, Performer), Franz Xaver Gruber (Composer), Ralph Martin (Composer), Adolphe Adam (Composer), Richard Storrs Willis (Composer), Various Composers (Composer), Christmas Traditional (Composer), Mel Torme (Composer), Hugh / Blane (Composer), Franz Schubert (Composer), Jule Styne (Composer), Eric Barnum (Composer), John Francis Wade (Composer), Joseph Jennings (Conductor), Chanticleer Holiday Orchestra (Orchestra) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Chanticleer
• Orchestra: Chanticleer Holiday Orchestra
• Conductor: Joseph Jennings
• Composer: Franz Xaver Gruber, Ralph Martin, Adolphe Adam, Richard Storrs Willis, Various Composers, et al.
• Audio CD (October 2, 2007)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Warner Classics
• ASIN: B000UYX56C
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (11 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #112,149 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

29 of 32 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Not Chanticleer's Best Offering, November 23, 2007

By 

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

This review is from: Let It Snow (Audio CD)

Chanticleer is an a capella ensemble that has gained popularity in the mid 1990's due to it's beautiful and at times haunting sound and a renewed public interest in early classical music. Their previous releases at Christmas have been well received by loyal fans with good reason--they are fine recordings of beautiful music. My guess is that their most recent collection LET IT SNOW may not be as well received by Chanticleer's fans as their earlier recordings.

To be fair, their musicianship is consistent on this recording as it is in their past ventures. Some of the tracks are worth hearing: traditional favorites such as "Ave Maria" "Silent Night" "O Come All Ye Faithful and "O Holy Night." The foray into more contemporary Christmas songs such as "Let it Snow," "Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas" and "The Christmas Song" is fine even though some Chanticleer purists may disagree. For me the arrangements of medleys, one of "God Rest ye Merry, Gentlemen" and Feliz Navidad" the other being one called "Holiday Cheer" are troublesome. The first medley not only pairs two songs that do not belong together, it drags. The second sounds a bit too gimmicky, at least for my taste. I'm not saying that groups cannot have fun with Christmas music. Many Christmas songs are supposed to be nothing but fun, but the fun has to work, and in the case of the second medley, it just doesn't work.

Now don't get me wrong. It's not a horrible recording and if you take out about ten minutes of this CD, you'd have a nearly perfect recording. This collection does not deserve a home with Elmo and Patsy's Christmas collection that gave us the immortal "Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer" and "Percy the Puny Poinsettia" or the Wilson Phillips HEY SANTA. Most of the tracks are performed well; it's just not in the same category as Chanticleer's other holiday offerings.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent addition to Chanticleer's Christmas CDs, December 1, 2008

By 

Jennifer P. Kistner "JPK" (Crown Point, IN United States) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let It Snow (Audio CD)

I think that this CD is a wonderful addition to Chanticleer's already existing holiday albums. It's a fun, artistic, and beautiful set of literature. Different from their albums in the past, and it is a nice change to a lighter side without sacrificing artistry. It is a must buy for the holiday season! My only problem is that the bonus tracks that you can download off of iTunes are not included on the CD, and those are some of my favorites!

11 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Chanticorn!, November 17, 2007

By 

Noah D. Towns - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Let It Snow (Audio CD)

This is a very nice christmas album. Not a vocally driven album by any means, however chanticleer has done some very nice work here. I would play it in the background for a nice christmas party but it isn't a sit down and listen album or even a distraction. When I put it in the stereo and sat to listen I found myself paying attention to things other than the music. I've never had a probelm absorbing myself with other Chanticleer titles. That being said, I own every chanticleer recording and i am proud to have this in my collection. Yet, it's no "Christmas with Chanticleer and Dawn Upshaw" or
even a "Sing We Christmas". Quality of performance is spectatcular as always and sound quality is great.