This CD should be high
up on the wish-list of all music-lovers
this Christmas. It is full of interest,
and also strikes a great balance between
the familiar and the novel. In the interpretations
of Boni Pueri with Musica Bohemica,
even the most well-worn traditional
favourites such as ‘Adeste Fideles’
or ‘Ding, Dong Merrily’ come up sounding
fresh and lively.
But the CD opens with
a welcome addition to the catalogue,
namely Julius Harrison’s 4-part SATB
(or more accurately TrATB) version of
‘A Ceremony of Carols’, made in 1955,
thirteen years after Britten’s original.
Any arranger would approach a work of
such perfection with trepidation, but
Harrison has done a superb job, and
has, in my opinion anyway, sacrificed
little of the original’s beauty. Britten’s
lightness is happily preserved, especially
with the young tenor and bass voices
of Boni Pueri.
Such is this Czech
choir’s natural musicality and the beauty
of their voices that I found it easy
to accept their occasionally idiosyncratic
pronunciation of the English language.
‘Balulalow’ brings a breathtakingly
beautiful solo contribution from Jakob
Kubin (who fortunately graces a number
of other tracks) and a bonus is the
sensitive harp playing of Hana Müllerová-Jouzová,
who gives a haunting interpretation
of the Interlude on track 8. The only
little reservation comes in track 7,
‘This Little Babe’, where the boys do
not quite manage to deliver the tricky
words and rhythms at the very fast tempo
set by conductor Jakub Martinec. Unusually,
the harp-accompanied version of the
Processional and Recessional that frame
the piece is used, and no attempt has
been made by the production team to
suggest the approach and departure of
the voices, which seems a pity.
Jaroslav’s Krček’s
arrangements of thirteen ‘Old European
Christmas Carols’ bring more delights.
They have the virtue of being straightforward
harmonically and texturally, thereby
allowing the simple beauty of the melodies
to be enjoyed. As well as the familiar
carols,
we have some less well-known ones which
will captivate listeners who, like me,
love the magic of Christmas music but
are always looking out for something
new. The ‘Polish Lullaby’ is utterly
charming, as is the Czech carol ‘Žežulka
z lesa vylitla’, better known
as ‘The Cuckoo’. In this one, as elsewhere,
the brightly coloured folk instruments
of Musica Bohemica make an unforgettable
contribution, with a quail and some
turtle-doves joining our friendly cuckoo.
The disc is completed
by an irresistible ‘Stille Nacht’, rendered
not at the usual slow tempo, but as
a swaying waltz with harp and zither
– the Angel Gabriel meets the Third
Man! Buy this and give it to your Best
Friend – you’ll be rewarded with eternal
gratitude.
Gwyn Parry-Jones
see also article
by Len Mullenger