Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

The first Festival Of Nine Lessons And Carols actually took place in Truro before being popularised by King's College, Cambridge. This release shows that the tradition is being maintained in Cornwall. The Cathedral Choir, directed by Robert Sharpe, is all male and produces a nicely rounded sound. The organist on this recording is Christopher Gray. He plays well but is not over used, allowing the quality of the singing to come through. The songs chosen give us a pleasing balance of old and new. We start, for example, with the traditional “Sussex Carol”, cross the Atlantic for “Jesus Christ The Apple Tree” and then get Walford Davies’ arrangement of “O Little Town Of Bethlehem”. There are enough classics to please those who want to hear the old favourites: “Once In Royal David's City” stands out, due to the lovely treble solo from Joshua Brooksbank. The modern include Tavener’s “The Lamb” and two Latin texts set to music by Poulenc. The only minor criticism I would make is that it would have been appropriate to include something Cornish.

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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