Bright Day Star: Music for the Yuletide Seasons

by Baltimore Consort

Overview

It's important to know the difference between 20th century Christmas pop and European Christmas folk carols. While favorites like "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town," "Jingle Bells," and Mel Torme's "The Christmas Song" are examples of American Christmas pop, Bright Day Star: Music for the Yuletide Season focuses largely on traditional European Christmas carols. Most of the songs that the Baltimore Consort embraces on this CD date back to 16th, 17th, 18th, and 19th century Europe, although a few are American folk pieces that originated in Appalachia in the 20th century. The European Yuletide carols or dance songs that the Consort (which has an engaging female soprano vocalist in Custer LaRue) chose for Bright Day Star range from Irish ("The Wren Song") and British ("Drive the Cold Winter Away," "Hey, For Christmas") to German ("Wir Singen Dir, Immanuel"). All of these songs are a product of Christian traditions, and yet, one needn't embrace the Christian faith to appreciate them. Just as one can enjoy Indian ragas without being a Hindu, listeners can appreciate this CD's richness whether or not they actually celebrate Christmas. ~ Alex Henderson

Product Details

Release Date:	10/04/1994
Label:	DORIAN RECORDINGS
UPC:	0053479019820

Tracks

1. Ding Dong! Merrily on High (French)
2. The Old Year Now Away Is Fled
3. Christmas Day in da Mornin'
4. The Cherry Tree Carol
5. Wir singen dir, Immanuel
6. The Wren Song (Irish)
7. A Wassail tune (Chestnut)
8. Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day
9. Een kindeken is ons geboren (l), carol for keyboard in G major
10. The Bellman's Carol
11. Jesus born in Bethn'y, Christmas jig
12. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming), instrumental arrangements
13. In Dulci Jubilo, for organ
14. Rorate coeli desuper
15. Drive the Cold Winter Away (from John Playford's English Dancing Master)
16. Remember, O thou man (from Melismata, 1611)
17. Der Quempas (Quem pastores laudavere)
18. Christmas is my name
19. In dir ist Freude
20. Hey for Christmas!

Album Credits

Performance Credits

Baltimore Consort   Primary Artist,Ensemble
Custer LaRue   Soprano (Vocal)
Larry Lipkis   Viola da Gamba,Bass Viola da gamba,Recorder,Gemshorn,Viol
Mark Cudek   Viola da Gamba,Cittern,Bandora,Guitar,Viol
Mary Anne Ballard   Viola da Gamba,Bass Viola da gamba,Rebec,Viol
Ronn McFarlane   Lute,Soprano Lute
Chris Norman   Flute,Fife,Penny Whistle,Flute (Alto),Flute (Wood)
Webb Wiggins   Organ

Technical Credits

Traditional   Composer
Johann Sebastian Bach   Composer
Mary Anne Ballard   Research,Liner Notes
Craig D. Dory   Engineer
John Bull   Composer
Katherine A. Dory   Booklet Preparation,Copy Editor
David H. Walters   Engineer,Engineer
Kimberly Smith   Design
William Dunbar   Composer,Text
Beilbello Da Pavia   Illustrations
Brian M. Levine   Executive Producer
Michael Praetorius   Composer
Cecil Sharp   Composer
Brian C. Peters   Engineer
John Stainer   Composer
Thomas Ravenscroft   Composer
Douglas Brown   Producer,Editing,Engineer