Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

I admit to some misgivings before I started to listen to this collection, assuming that a school choir would be enthusiastic and well-intentioned but any recording for posterity could easily be labelled as a vanity project or an attempt to cash in on the Christmas market as a fund-raiser. Well, once again, I was wrong. This is a thoroughly accomplished presentation and the choir can stand comparison with many cathedral and Oxbridge college choirs. They might not be of the very top rank - for me King's College Cambridge own Christmas and St John's Advent - but Westminster School Choir, under Director of Music Timothy Garrard, is certainly up there with the best. The album celebrates music for Advent and Christmas from composers across the generations, and unites traditional pieces such as "Once In Royal David's City" and "O Little Town Of Bethlehem" with more contemporary works including Richard Allain's "Lullay, Myn Lyking" (commissioned for this recording) and Cecilia McDowall's "Now May We Singen". For me the programme is well balanced with its mix of old and new. There are some songs that just have to be included on any Christmas collection: I have already mentioned "Royal David" and "O Little Town" and we also hear a personal favourite, Sir Arthur Sullivan's arrangement of "It Came Upon The Midnight Clear" and close with "O Come, All Ye Faithful" with Ben Bloor putting the pedals to the floor on the organ and the choir giving it their all. Some of the newer pieces are worth mentioning and all are worth hearing. Sir James MacMillan's "O Radiant Dawn" and Sir John Tavener's "Ex Maria Virgine: Ave Rex Angelorum" both deserve to be better known. In all we get 20 songs spread over 67 minutes so we can commend the quantity as well as the quality. The recording was made at Keble College, Oxford and the audio quality, courtesy of producer Adrian Peacock, is first class. Listeners who are happy to hear yet another recording of some old favourites - and they are favourites for good reason - plus some unexpected discoveries will find this release one of the highlights of the season.

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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