CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR

John Wells & Nicholas Forbes, organists

APO Brass & Percussion

Musica Sacra Choir / Indra Hughes

Recorded at Auckland Town Hall, New Zealand on 5 and 12 July and 18 September 2011

Musica Sacra’s debut performance was a Christmas concert in December 1998 at St Michael’s, Remuera, and since then the choir’s annual Christmas concert, almost always on the last Saturday before Christmas, has become an established fixture in Auckland’s musical scene. As audiences grew the venue changed to Holy Sepulchre, Khyber Pass and then to St Patrick’s Cathedral; in 2010, with the arrival of the superb new organ, we moved to the Town Hall for our thirteenth Christmas concert, a ‘Christmas Spectacular’ with the brass and percussion from the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra. This recording presents selections from the programmes of that concert and of the 2011 Christmas Spectacular concert. This is not a live concert recording: it was made in sessions in July and September 2011.

This recording balances a number of different elements, all with a Christmas theme: choral showcases for Musica Sacra; an organ solo by the City Organist and Musica Sacra Organist, John Wells; the splendour of the brass both by itself and in combination with the choir and organ; and a blend of familiar and new pieces from New Zealand and around the world. There is some ‘serious’ classical music as well as lighter, more popular fare: we think that there is something for everybody in this programme, and we hope that you enjoy it.

John Rutter Gloria

1 Gloria in excelsis Deo

2 Domine Deus

3 Quoniam tu solus sanctus

4 What sweeter music

5 Noe! Noe!

6 Fanfare and O come, all ye faithful

7 Metamorphoses on a Noël

8 Mary’s lullaby

9 Feierlicher Einzug

10 Welcome, Yule!

11 O little town of Bethlehem

12 Ding, dong! Merrily on high

13 Christmas Medley

14 The holly and the ivy

15 Unto us is born a Son

16 Deck the hall

17 Fanfare and Hark! the herald-angels sing

Atoll ACD342