Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

To coin a phrase, this collection by British composer Patrick Hawes (born 1958) does what it says on the tin, giving us over one hour of music telling the story of the birth of the Saviour using various choral forms. The American vocal group VOCE, directed by Mark Singleton, do a top job throughout backed where needed by the composer on piano or Stephen Scarlato on the organ of the Immanuel Congregational Church in Hartford, Connecticut. The composer is probably best known for his 2018 'The Great War Symphony' and for being Composer in Residence at Classic FM although if you read the credits, you may have seen his name in a variety of releases both vocal (The King's Singers, for example) and orchestral (the Philharmonia and the Royal Philharmonic). Hawes's compositions are indeed harmonious and if you like a good tune you have come to the right place. He clearly has a feel for the true meaning of Christmas so his texts, many written by his older brother Andrew, all concentrate on the Gospel story rather than the contemporary fluff that can too easily smother the facts. Other than an occasional refrain in Latin and three of the "Four Christmas Motets" all the texts are in English and VOCE sing so well that we can follow the words without the help of the CD booklet. Indeed, if you want to sing along, Patrick Hawes publishes his own compositions and I expect many local choirs would find much that would bring pleasure to both singers and their congregation. A slight downside for any collection by a single living composer is that there is a degree of similarity between the pieces, particularly when sung by the same choir. Perhaps an instrumental or two would balance the programme and no doubt, in a future career retrospective, we will see how these works fit into the composer's entire output. On my first listen, the tracks that stood out were "This Endernight" that uses a 15th century dialogue between Mary and Joseph as they contemplate their new-born son, "Lullay My Liking" that again uses traditional words, and the closing "The Colours Of Christmas" with words by Andrew Hawes and a charming piano accompaniment from Patrick. Listeners who want something new for Christmas without it being too challenging will enjoy this collection and if we listen carefully, we may find the answer to the opening song's question of "What Child Is This?" (Hint: His name begins with J.)

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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