Sleep, Holy Babe: A Collection of Christmas Lullabies features the British a cappella vocal ensemble Blossom Street Singers, founded in 2003. The group of about 20 singers has a sweet, warmly blended sound, and it can negotiate the variety of repertoire, some of which includes some crunchy dissonance, with assurance and precision. The engineering of the Naxos CD, however, gives the sound an edge that falls below the standard of recordings of comparable groups; one suspects that in live performance the group has a rounder, ...
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Sleep, Holy Babe: A Collection of Christmas Lullabies features the British a cappella vocal ensemble Blossom Street Singers, founded in 2003. The group of about 20 singers has a sweet, warmly blended sound, and it can negotiate the variety of repertoire, some of which includes some crunchy dissonance, with assurance and precision. The engineering of the Naxos CD, however, gives the sound an edge that falls below the standard of recordings of comparable groups; one suspects that in live performance the group has a rounder, creamier timbre than what is conveyed on this recording. The selection of the repertoire gives the album special interest. It is made up mostly of music by contemporary British composers, including the group's capable director, Hilary Campbell, as well as Renaissance works by Pierre de Manchicourt and Richard Pygott, and the majority of pieces are recorded here for the first time. It's an attractive collection that should especially appeal to listeners looking for new Christmas music...
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