The Promise of Ages : A Christmas Collection

Benjamin Britten (Composer), Gregorian Chant (Composer), Sir Peter Maxwell Davies (Composer), Gustav Holst (Composer), Felix Mendelssohn (Composer), John Jacob Niles (Composer), Andrew Parrott (Conductor), Tavenor Consort & Choir (Orchestra)

Product Details

• Orchestra: Tavenor Consort & Choir
• Conductor: Andrew Parrott
• Composer: Benjamin Britten, Gregorian Chant, Sir Peter Maxwell Davies, Gustav Holst, Felix Mendelssohn, et al.
• Audio CD (October 20, 1998)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Sony
• ASIN: B00000DFNP
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #175,965 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com
No one has recorded more innovative Christmas anthologies than Andrew Parrott--and this disc is no exception. The Promise of Ages presents a collection of wonderful seasonal music arranged for women's voices (all arrangements were either made or sanctioned by the composers). The selection includes 15th-century English works such as "There is no rose of swych vertu"; traditional tunes both genuine ("Deck the Halls" in an 18th-century Welsh arrangement for harp) and fake (J. J. Niles's "I Wonder as I Wander" and "Lullay, thou little tiny child"); rollicking Irish dance tunes; and 20th-century works by such composers as Britten, Holst, and Judith Weir on traditional Christmas texts. One ingenious and effective suite combines Peter Maxwell Davies's "O magnum mysterium" and "The Fader of Heven" with the 14th-century "Song of the Nuns of Chester." All of the performances are exemplary, but Emily van Evera deserves special praise for her beautifully simple rendition of the Niles tunes. This collection can stand alongside Parrott's The Carol Album as the thinking person's Christmas albums. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful Harmonies and Vocalizations, December 12, 2000

By	Rowen "Quiltaholic" (Raritan, NJ USA) - See all my reviews

Like another reviewer, I am thrilled at Lo! He Comes, as well as with the unfamiliar setting for Hark the Herald Angels Sing and the beautiful Sing We the Virgin Mary.

If you love beautiful vocalizations, especially rare soprano-alto harmonizations, this is the album for you.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "top ten" Christmas album, November 12, 2000

By	M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If this album contained nothing but it's splendid rendition of Madan's Lo! He Comes, with Clouds Descending, the album would be worth owning. Fortunately, the entire album is a brillant mix of voices, instrumentals and performance styles; the resulting album can be played several times in successiion without becoming repetative - no small feat for a Christmas album.

The album ranges from the 13th century Nuns of Chester to contemporary composers - Judith Weir - or nearly comtemporary - Britten, Holst ... with excellent sequencing so that no piece seems out of place.

The instrumentation varies from the traditional organ with SATB choir to fiddle, flute, concertina and cello. This provides the variety that makes the album so listenable.

For traditional Christmas music this album is a must.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A "top ten" Christmas album, November 12, 2000

By	M. J. Smith (Seattle, WA USA) - See all my reviews (TOP 500 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)

If this album contained nothing but it's splendid rendition of Madan's Lo! He Comes, with Clouds Descending, the album would be worth owning. Fortunately, the entire album is a brillant mix of voices, instrumentals and performance styles; the resulting album can be played several times in successiion without becoming repetative - no small feat for a Christmas album.

The album ranges from the 13th century Nuns of Chester to contemporary composers - Judith Weir - or nearly comtemporary - Britten, Holst ... with excellent sequencing so that no piece seems out of place.

The instrumentation varies from the traditional organ with SATB choir to fiddle, flute, concertina and cello. This provides the variety that makes the album so listenable.

For traditional Christmas music this album is a must.