Our Review
This one was so good, I had to hear it at least once on the big, grown-ups' stereo. And what a pleasure it was! It arrived with the caché of having been sent by Diane Burt, daughter of noted Christmas carol composer Alfred Burt.
It began with an energetic, attention-getting Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas and ended with an unusually exuberant Silent Night. In between these two it served an ample portion of traditional and modern carols, followed by the eight principal Burt carols. All were served up in novel arrangements, a cappella. Now, with a cappella music, I can be a tough crowd. But The Caroling Company have a sleek, muscular sound, whose harmonies were always complete and well-integrated. In fact, the degree of integration between the voices in this chorus was extraordinary. There was never a moment when I lost track of the bass or the alto voices, or felt that any of the singers either exceeded the others or just didn't measure up.
The songs were all of such high quality that it becomes difficult to pick favorites. However, I enjoyed the series of mini-solos on O Holy Night. I also liked the unusual emphasis on the alto part on Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer. Of Alfred Burt's carols, I am most familiar with Caroling, Caroling. This was performed with The Caroling Company's characteristic ebullience. I was not familiar with Some Children See Him. I liked it best of all, though, for its pathos as well as for its message of brotherhood.
A Christmas Present from The Caroling Company is a well-integrated, respectful, and thoughtfully considered presentation of Burt's music and a wonderful performance by the The Caroling Company.
--Richard Banks
(Reviewed in 2003)
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From the liner notes:
"This CD is the culmination of years of performances by The Caroling Company throughout the United States. They have delighted audiences with fresh new arrangements of traditional carols, specializing in the Alfred Burt Carols, using jazz styling for their incomparable vocal sound."
"Diane Burt, daughter of composer Alfred S. Burt, started the group to represent the family legacy that is the Alfred Burt Carols: in concert, film, television, radio, and recordings. It is with love and appreciation that this CD is released for fans of The Caroling Company and the Alfred Burt Carols."
Singers on this recording are:
Sopranos: Diane Burt, Teri Gault, Bobbie Candler, Kathleen Dawson, Sally G. Ramirez, Karen Hogle.
Altos: Stephanie Yost Cameron, Breta Lavon, Debra Kay Lee, Catherine Davis Cox, Donna Deussen, Ann LeSchander, Diana Missadin.
Tenors: John Revheim, Richard Israel, Greg Dawson, Garrick Lavon, Brian Benning, Nick D'Amico.
Basses: Nick D'Amico, Don Martin, Phillip Elmore, David Allen Jones, Jeff Thorsen.
Alfred Burt composed tracks 17 through 24. Lyrics to these were written by Wihla Hutson and Bates G. Burt (Burt's father).
The Caroling Company
A Christmas Present from The Caroling Company
Artist link
Label: Variety Artists Group
Length: 55 minutes
Genre: Choral
Release: 2003
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas |
| I'll Be Home For Christmas |
| Carol Of The Bells |
| Deck The Halls ("The Fa-La-La Song") |
| The Holly And The Ivy |
| What Child Is This |
| I Saw Three Ships |
| I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day |
| O Holy Night |
| Let It Snow, Let It Snow, Let It Snow |
| Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer |
| White Christmas |
| Frosty The Snowman |
| Silver Bells |
| Santa Claus Is Coming To Town |
| Merry Christmas Darling |
| Caroling Caroling (1954) |
| We'll Dress The House (Alfred Burt, 1954) |
| Some Children See Him (Alfred Burt, 1951) |
| This Is Christmas (Alfred Burt, 1950) |
| The Star Carol (Alfred Burt, 1954) |
| Come, Dear Children (Alfred Burt, 1952) |
| Jesu Parvule (Poor Little Jesus) (Alfred Burt, 1943) |
| O Hearken Ye (Alfred Burt, 1953) |
| Finale: Silent Night |