UMG - Owain Arwel Hughes - Christmas Carols of Vaughan Williams - COMPACT DISCS [CD]

Various Artists - English Village Carols Traditional Christmas Carolling [COMPACT DISCS] date 10/10/2000

The legendary late American organist, composer and pedagogue McNeil Robinson was especially prized for his skill at improvisation a rare discipline largely restricted to European masters of the organ. Many distinguished composers of his day-including Marcel Dupré, Ned Rorem, Lukas Fossand Vincent Persichetti-were his regular collaborators, providing thematic materials for his peerless improvisatory events. Robinson himself regarded this revelatory March 21, 2006 performance of improvisations on the fourteen Stations of the Cross-a treasured ritual of sacred Christian liturgy-as the finest of his improvisatory efforts. His dying wish was to have it released to the musical public as the pinnacle of his storied legacy, hence this marvelous live recording of the event.

We suggest that few bands from an ostensibly Inchindie rockInch background should Christmas music, if not out of respect for the holiday or material then at least out of a sense of self-esteem. Low, however, were made for this. Their attention to musical detail combined with the heavenly vocal harmonies of Alan Sparhawk and Mimi Parker are perfectly attuned to both traditional carols like 'Silent Night' and more contemporary tunes such as 'Blue Christmas'. Now this is a recording you can pull out to pre-empt another dose of Bing Crosby or Englebert Humperdink. Christmas contains a selection of seasonal songs, including four originals by the band, mostly recorded at Low's 20º Below studio in Duluth, MN. 'If You Were Born Today' and 'Blue Christmas' were released as a 7 inch single in 1997 on the English Wurlitzer Jukebox tag, while 'Taking Down the Tree' is taken from a 1998 compilation of live recordings issue by the Dutch VPRO radio station.