Our Review
There is something absolutely magical about excellent a cappella music that takes my breath away. And so it is with the Canticle A Cappella Choir, an outstanding classical choral group that hails from Santa Barbara, California. Their Christmas offering "O Wondrous Mystery" is a most impressive gift for the holiday season.
"O Wondrous Mystery" refers to the CD's third track, "O Magnum Mysterium," probably my all-time favorite classical Christmas composition. When the room is filled with multiple layers of intricate music lines, all provided by the human voice and no other instrument, that can be a miracle moment. OK, I confess--I used to sing in a cappella groups in the second alto section, and that participation made the hairs on my arms stand on end as the whirl of music swelled and receded around me. As I listen to Canticle here, I revisit that same sense of awe.
"O Wondrous Mystery" is wondrous indeed. The 14 tracks range from Renaissance music to more modern international pieces. Most are numbers with which I am unfamiliar, but all are lovely and professionally presented. The choir's 25 women and 19 men generally balance very nicely, although the women's voices dominate in some settings. My favorite cuts include "O Magnum Mysterium" (naturally), the Israeli folk song "The King of Glory," which features a very catchy chorus and nice tambourine accents, and the southern harmony "Babe of Bethlehem," which boasts an exciting solo. Canticle also impresses on the one traditional Christmas carol known to all--"Good King Wenceslas."
The superb liner notes for this album are COMPREHENSIVE, providing everything you want to know about the music. English translations are given where needed.
If you enjoy classical a cappella choirs as I do, "O Wondrous Mystery" will put a smile on your face this holiday season.
--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2004)
More
From the liner notes:
Canticle A Cappella Choir:
Women: Kristin Aylesworth, Jackie Boucher, Leanne Cooper, Sabrina M. Daview, Maria De la Vega Delgado, Jennifer Gillon Duffy, Martha Fragosa, Susie Groves, Robin Hare, Nancy Keele, Jennifer (Morley) Keogh, Allison (Manchester) Reitz, R. Rechelle Ringer, Beth Schieferle, Carolyn Smith, Marcia Smith, Elizabeth Somics, Paige Steketee, Asia Tepfer, Star (King) Tepfer, Kylleen Thorne, Megan Tracy, Robyn Van Tuyl, Andria Wagner, Erika Wszulkowski.
Men: Scott Anderson, Michael Barbaria, Brian Bargiel, Kevin Callahan, Peter Chiarenza, Peter Duda, Angelo Erese, David Hamilton, Peter Hernandez, Donald Jamison Jr., James Ley, Elis Madrigal, Robb Manchester, Joseph Miller, Matthew Moore, Jeffery Stark, Mark Steketee, Ravi Tepfer, Joseph West.
Canticle A Cappella Choir, from Santa Barbara, California, performs a wide variety of classical choral music, ranging from medieval and Renaissance works through modern compositions. Founded in 1995, under the direction of Phyllis E. Zimmerman, Canticle has performed over 50 concerts and produced four CDs. Conticle is featured regularly on National Public Radio's Performance Today.
Canticle A Cappella Choir
O Wondrous Mystery
Artist link
Label: Canticle
Length: 43 minutes
Genre: Choral
Release: 2003
Track List
| Song Title |
|---|
| Two Advent Motets |
| Alma Redemptoris Mater |
| O magnum mysterium |
| Diffusa est gratia |
| Two Early 17th Cen. Carols |
| The Falcon |
| The King of Glory |
| Make We Joy Now In This Feast |
| Susanni |
| Babe of Bethlehem |
| Good King Wenceslas |
| Here, Mid the Ass and Oxen Mild |
| Christmas Comes Again |
| Thy Little Ones, Dear Lord Are We |
| Song of Simeon |