Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir - Christmas With Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir

Published Monday 18th December 2017
Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir - Christmas With Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir
Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir - Christmas With Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir

STYLE: Choral
RATING 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8
OUR PRODUCT CODE: 168175-26391
LABEL: Decca
FORMAT: CD Album
ITEMS: 1

Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

I suppose if I had to choose between a girls' choir or the traditional boys' choir I would go with the boys as there is something unique about a good male treble. Happily, though, we do not have to choose as more and more cathedral choirs are admitting girls, sometimes with the boys or, as on this release, in their own right. Indeed this is Canterbury Cathedral's first ever all-girl choir's debut release and thus a milestone in the Cathedral's rich 14 hundred year history. Sometimes described as "England in stone", Canterbury Cathedral is intrinsically linked to the country's history and is the seat of the Archbishop of Canterbury, The Most Reverend Justin Welby, who wrote the foreword for the album. He says of the choir, "Since their formation in 2014, the girls have established themselves as a regular and natural part of the worshiping community at Canterbury Cathedral. By their singing, they lift the hearts of countless visitors and pilgrims to Canterbury, as they lift my heart as I worship with them." The new album features striking renditions of traditional Christmas carols, including "Silent Night", "Away In A Manger" and - my favourite - "O Holy Night". Composer Rebecca Dale has also written a new choral piece for the album entitled "All Is Still" - this is the world premiere recording. The singing is excellent throughout although in places I found the accompaniment to be almost overpowering. The selection of material covers many traditional favourites, some in new arrangements, plus the secular but nevertheless beloved "White Christmas" and of the new releases that have come my way for Christmas 2017 this is probably the best if you are looking for good performances of old favourites. However it has to be noted that a playing time of 47 minutes is decidedly ungenerous.

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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