This is the fourth Christmas release by the small choir
Tenebrae
and its director,
Nigel Short
; all have their virtues, but this one is going to be tough to beat. The program is exceptionally attractive. At its center is
Benjamin Britten
's
Ceremony of Carols, Op. 28
, which is more often sung by boys' voices. It is actually a pleasant change of pace to hear it in the rounder voices of
's adult sopranos and altos, and this is a warm, festive performance. The
Ceremony of Carols
is flanked by two sets of pieces that mix new and well-established repertory; these are exquisitely sequenced, and among the former group are a few real standouts. Sample the
O magnum mysterium
setting by the increasingly visible and well-regarded
Owain Park
and its juxtaposition with the venerable
Vox dicentis
of
Edward Naylor
. The final set of pieces contains lullabies for Christ and rises to a transcendent quietness that absolutely tops the list of fine moments in 2022's list of Christmas releases (this album appeared on best-seller lists in December of 2022). The singing of
is, as usual, nonpareil, and it is matched by the work of the
Signum Classics
engineering team working at the All Hallows Church, Gospel Oak, London. A standout holiday album from one of the world's finest choirs. ~ James Manheim