various/traditional, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, The King's Singers, London Sinfonia, Richard Hickox - A Little Christmas Music: Kiri Te Kanawa; The King's Singers

Excellent holiday CD

Great CD full of holiday classics from fun (We Wish You a Merry Christmas) to beautiful (Es Ist Ein' Ros' Entsprungen) - highly recommended! August 12, 2008

Excellent choice

Excellent selection of music; various musical styles from very classic to pop but always performed well - both technically and with creativity and style. People who enjoy what the King Singers bring to music will also enjoy this selection. December 18, 2007

Delightful, splendid

This was the first Christmas CD I ever bought and I still regard it as the best I have. It covers the range from the sacred to the merry, worshipful to cheer, and every song is a gem. It includes what is simply the best recording of 'Gaudete, Christus Est Natus' that I've ever heard, and one of the finest renditions of 'Patapan And Farandole'. The more traditional carols such as 'Deck The Hall' are delivered with aplomb and celebration.

If you only want one Christmas CD, this is the one to buy. December 13, 2007

a voice teacher and early music fan

WELL!!!THIS IS DIFFERENT!!!!!

The King's Singers come to us steeped in the 500 year old English tradition of choral singing; and that's fine with me.!!!There are 6 singers in this group (the personnel change from time to time)namely: Jeremy Jackman and Alastair Hume (countertenors)- Robert Chilcott (tenor)- Bruce Russell and Simon Carrington (baritones) and Stephen Connolly (bass). They are very capably accompanied by the City of London Sinfonia and Brass Quintet conducted by Richard Hickox.

An added PLUS is the great Kiri Te Kanawa who sings an arrangement by Daryl Runswick entitled "A Little Christmas Music (Medley a la Mozart)". It's a hodge-podge of Mozart melodies sewn together in a rather haphazard manner, and meant to be humorous. I guess this type of composition does not appeal to me personally, and I'm sorry that Kiri's glorious voice was wasted. However, that's only MY opinion; I am certain others may disagree.

This album is really a mixture of Christmas tunes and that's partly what makes it interesting. And, of course it is masterfully sung by the King's singers;I enjoy all their discs; especially the recording of Gilbert and Sullivan tunes. Some of the arrangements on this disc are somewhat esoteric, and I'm not too fond of the very STRANGE arrangement (again by Daryl Runswick) of the Coventry Carol, but 'to each his own'. Their opening selection:"Here We Come a-wassailing" (arr. Robert Chilcott) is a great opening number and I must say that it's the best arrangement I have ever heard of this selection.

Let's face it:the KING'S SINGERS are perfection. But don't forget our American group:Chanticleer. November 28, 2006

like all but one track

With the exception of track 11 (The Coventry Carol, Lully lulla) I really like this CD. I personally prefer the traditional renditions of The Coventry Carol. I do not like the "modern" harmonics and arrangement of it on this CD. Otherwise, it is very fine, indeed. February 2, 2006

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