Christmas holly

A few presents for Christmas……

Magnificat by Carl Philipp Emanuel Bach

Carus/Naxos

Carus/Naxos

Son of the great Johann Sebastian, and a very fine composer in his own right, C.P.E.Bach wrote this wonderful setting of the Magnificat in 1749 (available via the Naxos Music Library), and it’s hard not to see it as an homage to his father’s own remarkable setting from an earlier period. I love them both, and they strike me as the very music of Christmas!

You can sample it here in this exhilirating performance of the opening chorus on YouTube:

 

 An Australian Christmas: William James, Ross Edwards, et. al.

ABC/Naxos

ABC/Naxos

If you simply must have carols at Christmas, then some local colour is just the thing; the set by William James is particularly lovely.

 

And I can’t resist posting this glorious performance of J.S.Bach’s Magnificat, complete with period instruments and a remarkable (and quite lovely) solo voice per line choir; delightful!

 

http://youtu.be/kFd3WAUXc5Q

 

Merry Xmas and happy new year to all!

A dream of Christmas eve, 1883

A dream of Christmas eve, 1883

 

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