Our Review
Here we go again! This will be my third St. Olaf Christmas Festival review since 2005; the other two are Awaken Our Souls, O God of Hope and Where Peace and Love and Hope Abide). As the titles suggest, the releases are all about classical holiday fare, and For God So Loves the World is in keeping with that theme. This richly-textured choral release is the 2-CD live recording of the 2006 Christmas Festival at St. Olaf, and it equals the other two in depth, tone, and performance quality. The release features five fine choirs (St. Olaf Choir, St. Olaf Cantorei, Manitou Singers, Viking Chorus, Chapel Choir) and the accomplished St. Olaf Orchestra.
As soon as I picked up this set, I knew I was in for a treat. After all, it opens with a slow-moving and smoothly-delivered orchestral rendition of Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming, one of my favorite holiday pieces. The music throughout carries a serious, albeit celebratory, tone. This is the Christmas story, lovingly told through magnificent music and brief narrative interludes. I found Christus Paradox to be particularly elegant and emotional; I replayed the track several times and felt tears pressing in my cheeks. Disc Two opens brilliantly; the Viking Chorus' pulsing, almost explosive, a cappella delivery of The Word Was God had me on the edge of my seat! The second CD also shimmers with upbeat gospel excitement on Go Where I Send Thee and Go Tell It on the Mountain.
St. Olaf College is world-renowned for the quality of its musical groups and its choral recordings; For God So Loves the World fits admirably within that glowing reputation. This generous (103 minutes!) release places its listeners in Northfield, Minnesota, surrounded by world-class classical choral music. It's a beautiful place to be during the holiday season!
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)
More
From the liner notes:
The 95th Annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival
St. Olaf College, Northfield, Minnesota
For many people over the years, the celebration of the Advent Christmas Epiphany season has begun with the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival, a cherished tradition of the college for nearly a centure. The first festival, in 1912, was a worship service in song for the college community, planned and directed by F. Melius Christiansen, founder of the St. Olaf Music Department. The festival continues as an outgrowth of Christian conviction and an expression of the rich musical heritage at St. Olaf, a college of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America.
The St. Olaf Choir (Anton Armstrong, conductor), St. Olaf Orchestra (Steven Amundson, conductor), St. Olaf Cantorei (John Ferguson, conductor), Manitou Singers (Sigrid Johnson, conductor), Chapel Choir and Viking Chorus (Christopher Aspaas, conductor) perform both as individual groups and a massed ensemble.
From the Website:
St. Olaf Records is the producer and distributor of recordings by the vocal and instrumental ensembles of St. Olaf College in Northfield, MN including the annual St. Olaf Christmas Festival. It has long been a mission of the college to share, with an ever expanding audience, the high level of music that is studied and performed "on the hill."
St. Olaf College Christmas Festival
For God So Loves the World
Artist link
Label: St. Olaf Records
Length: 103 minutes
Genre: Choral
Release: 2006
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming |
| God So Loved the World |
| Climb to the Top of the Highest Mountain |
| Narration |
| Christ Is Alive |
| Christus Paradox |
| Lost in the Night |
| Isaiah's Voice |
| A Spotless Rose |
| Mary's Story and The Magnificat |
| The Road Ahead |
| Arise, Shine |
| And the Glory of the Lord |
| Gospel |
| Joy to the World |
| The Word Was God |
| Karin Boye's Evening Prayer |
| Out of Your Sleep Arise |
| Gloria |
| The Godly Stranger |
| Go Where I Send Thee |
| O How Beautiful the Sky |
| Pat-A-Pan |
| Betelehemu |
| Go Tell It On the Mountain |
| Praise to the Lord |
| The Spirit of the Lord |
| All Hail the Power |
| Narration |
| Beautiful Savior |