Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Benjamin Britten (1913-1976) cannot be ignored if you have any interest in British choral music of the 20th century. One of his best-loved works is his 'Ceremony of Carols' from 1942. This is a sequence of 11 short pieces with a varied selection of well-chosen texts ranging from Latin plainsong through traditional Medieval poems such as "There is no rose" to the Scottish "Balulalow" and poems by William Cornysh and Robert Southwell. Overall, this is a showpiece for the choir rather than carols for the congregations and there are many excellent recordings on the market. Here Graham Ross leads the mixed voice choir from Clare College, Cambridge in the 1943 arrangement by Julius Harrison. While not being quite what the composer intended it nonetheless works well and the harp accompaniment from Tanya Houghton is outstanding. The 'Ceremony' lasts just 20 minutes and so unless you are a completionist collector of Britten or this choir you will probably decide whether to buy the full album depending on what else is on it. Graham Ross has, in my opinion, made the right call in compiling the collection. There are good versions of some Britten standards such as his "Hymn to St Peter" from 1955 and his splendid a cappella arrangement of "The Holly and the Ivy" from 1957 as well as some obscurities such as "Venite exultemus Domino" (Psalm 95) from 1961. In addition to Benjamin Britten we have three carefully selected works by composers who influenced him in "The Holy Boy" by John Ireland, "Music when soft voices die" by Frank Bridges, and "This have I done for my true love" by Gustav Holst, usually known as "Tomorrow shall be my dancing day". The singing by choir and soloists is excellent throughout.

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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