Albany Records: Christmas Music

Download from iTunes Quantity in Basket: None LEO SOWERBY Christmas Music TROY187 - Price: $16.99

Beautiful settings of carols for the Christmas season.

Leo Sowerby's choral music has never been out of the repertory and several of his works for Christmas, particularly this collection's title anthem, Love Came Down at Christmas, and the Epiphany anthem, Now There Lightens Upon Us, are prominent among the reasons why. This collection, which includes nearly all of Sowerby's Christmas music, presents a comprehensive overview; from his very first, A Carol for New Year's Day, dating from his eighteenth year, to A Prayer for Christmas, composed in his 72nd year for the choir of his last parish church, Christ Church, Georgetown. From the immediately engaging arrangements of traditional folk tunes, to the soaring vocal heights and harmonic moodiness of the a cappella A Great and Mighty Wonder to the virtuosic choral-Organ collaborations, the composer displays a sure and ever-changing harmonic spectrum woven brilliantly into the choral fabric. All of these carols are a true testament to Leo Sowerby's craft and faith and his convictions of the joy and splendor of this magnificent season. This disc contains some magnificent music, appealing no matter what the season.

Leo Sowerby, composer
A Great and Might Wonder
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Come Ye, And Let Us Go Up
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
A Prayer for Christmas
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Little Jesus, Sweetly Sleep
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Love Came Down At Christmas
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Manger Carol
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Lovely Infant
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
There Comes A Ship A'Sailing
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
A Carol in Praise of the Holly and the Ivy
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Good King Wenceslas
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Away in a Manger
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Can You Count The Stars?
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Cradle Hymn
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
The Snow Lay On The Ground
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
All My Heart This Night Rejoices
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
A New Year's Carol
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Now There Lightens Upon Us
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Leo Sowerby, composer
Jesu, Bright and Morning Star
ConVivium, John Delorey and Patricia Snyder, conductors, Patricia Snyder and Ronald Stalford, Organ

Review:

"Eighteen Christmas settings by one of the great 20th Century church music composers. They sound contemporary but never obnoxiously so. Some are workmanlike, and some are inspiredBut I am glad to have this music - much of it never recorded before - in decent performances, with solid Organ accompaniment, and in good sound." (American Record Guide)

Beautiful settings of carols for the Christmas season.

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