Hey, it's nearly Advent (Classical)

About this time of year I start digging out my seasonal disks. Yes I know Christmas is four weeks off but I like the music and want to play it for more than 12 days. So here is a short list of pieces that I only play in December and January.

• Advent at St Paul's
• Christmas Through the Ages
• Gabriel's greeting
• Marc-Antoine Charpentier - Messe de Minuit
• Benjamin Britten - A Boy was Born
• Weihnachts-Oratorium - J S Bach
• A Ceremony of Carols
• The Christmas Story - H Schutz
• Christmas Motets - G Gabrieli
• Hodie: A Christmas Cantata - R Vaughan Williams
• Fantasia on Christmas Carols - R Vaughan Williams

 

I limit those too, and also:
A Venetian Christmas - music by Gabrielli and De Rore (McCreesh - Archiv)
Praetorius - Mass (McCreesh - Archiv) an absolutely brilliant disc
Procession with carols on Advent Sunday (Ledger / King's - EMI)
The Carol Albums 1 & 2 (Parrott / Taverner Consort - EMI)
20th Century Christmas Collection (The sixteen / Christophers - was on Collins Classics)

The later on at Epiphany:
Bach: Epiphany Mass (McCreesh - Archiv) - another stunning set, with a wonderful extract from a Luther sermon, read in glowing German!
This set includes a Bach Missa Brevis, two Epiphany Cantatas and solid congregational singing, though not as lusty as on the Praetorius disc, which is recorded in the glorious Roskilde Cathedral in Denmark.

It's Advent Sunday tomorrow!

 

I have many of those, and, yes, they're special at this time of year. My favourite is one I can also see - Gardiner's fabulous DVD of the Bach Christmas Oratorio, recorded live at the Herderkirche, Weimar. This was the "kick-off" concert of the 2000 Cantata Pilgrimage, and IMHO it is one of the two best recordings of the Christmas Oratorio - the other one being Gardiner's earlier audio recording for Archiv!

 

Dear Tom

What is this "my music" link? Some advertising - or a demonstration of your musical horizon?

Whatever the purpose, I have to admit that I share your preferences to some extent.

But I also have to admit, that I sometimes hear "christmas"-music in the summer. No seasontyranny here.

And the PrætoriusCD from Roskilde is quite extraordinary - yes, and not just because I know the church well.

Venlig hilsen

 

1) My music is just my record collection for those who are interested

2) I tend to keep to the festivals and seasons. I find it helps to keep an order in my year and it means I don't get bored of Christmas music which I love.