Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704) composed across the genres and is particularly remembered for his almost 500 sacred works, often written in the dramatic Italian liturgical style which he learned from his teacher Giacomo Carissimi (1605-1674). Unfortunately for Charpentier, this put him out of step with the French court where Louis XIV favoured Jean-Baptiste Lully (1632-1687) whose compositions were much more formal. Not that this has stopped Charpentier from having an extensive discography, some of which include the words 'Baroque' and 'Christmas' so potential buyers may wish to check how much of this release they already own before purchasing. This specific collection includes both vocal and instrumental works in its 69 minutes, all performed very well indeed by the Monteverdi Choir and the English Baroque Soloists under French conductor Christophe Rousset in his debut release, recorded in December 2024 at All Hallows Church, Gospel Oak, London with Jiri Heger producing and editing and the audio quality is excellent, as is the singing from both choir and soloists. Highlights include the 'Messe de Minuit' with its blend of sacred music and French folk carols, as well as 'In Nativitatem Domini Canticum', and the 'Noëls Sur Les Instruments'. Texts and translations are included in the CD booklet as well as a helpful and illuminating introduction by Dr Andrew Frampton. Listeners who enjoy Baroque choral music in general and M-A Charpentier in particular will enjoy this album.

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