Monica Whicher, Judy Loman - Lullabies And Carols For Christmas

Published Friday 5th November 2010
Monica Whicher, Judy Loman - Lullabies And Carols For Christmas
Monica Whicher, Judy Loman - Lullabies And Carols For Christmas

STYLE: Classical
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 103110-
LABEL: Naxos 8572510
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Your reviewer is confident that he can recognise a good voice when he hears one and thus is happy to heap praise upon the Canadian soprano, Miss Monica Whicher. I know less about harp music, so my recognition of the talents of Miss Judy Loman was delayed until track six, the harp interlude from Benjamin Britten's "A Ceremony Of Carols" where it becomes blindingly clear that there is not one but two gifted musicians on this disc. I do, though, confess to some reservations. "In The Bleak Mid-Winter" was and is one of my favourite seasonal songs and here it is sung very well indeed but, for me, the harp arrangement does not seem to mesh with the vocal line. Perhaps it is me though. After all, Judy Loman is one of the world's foremost harp virtuosos and former principal harpist with the Toronto Symphony Orchestra so she should know what she is doing. Leaving this to one side, there is much to enjoy in this recital. As I have said, Monica Whicher has a beautiful voice and although some of the accompanying harp music leaves me less then enthusiastic there was nothing that made me reach for the skip button. The other harp solos, "Six Noels Pour La Harpe" by Michael Tournier and "Concert Variations On Adestes Fideles" by Carlos Salzedo both shine in the winter darkness and the selection of vocal music is wide ranging both geographically and chronologically. Many of us will be familiar with the "Coventry Carol" and "In Dulci Jubilo" which take us back to Medieval Europe but there are also plenty of contemporary carols that deserve a wider audience such as "In Bethlehem Tonight" by Norman Gabriel Nurmi. If you enjoy Christmas music but have become a little bored with the usual repertoire this budget-priced release may well broaden your horizons.

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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