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Earlier this season, I reviewed Conspirare's Love Calls You: Christmas at the Carillon 2006, a unique holiday celebration in an annual series that features the fabulous Conspirare choir performing in Austin's lovely Carillon chapel. The generous (well over an hour!) presentations meld diverse musical genres, breaking the mold of "traditional" seasonal concerts with freshly-minted blends of classical and popular treatments of both secular and sacred fare. Now comes the 2007 edition: Love Again: Christmas at the Carillon 2007, and it is another splendid treasure.

For obvious reasons, this music will resonate most strongly with those familiar with the outstanding annual ritual and Conspirare; the CD nicely replicates the concert experience, minus parking problems and (almost entirely without) irritating audience noise. And for those unfamiliar with Conspirare and the Carillon series, the offerings will provide a delightful introduction. First, the musicality is first-rate; Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare's founding Artistic Director, genuinely works magic here, and guest soloist Cynthia Clawson is a marvel. Her first number, Annie Lennox's Lost, is so hauntingly beautiful that I was close to tears. This brings me to the next point--this is no predictable seasonal compilation of ho-hummable holiday chestnuts. Love Again fairly bursts with an eclectic mix of plainsong chants, popular music, and traditional fare. Not gimmicky in the slightest, the marriage works beautifully; listeners will be holding their breath, wondering what excitement the next bars will bring. Fantastic!

The production's intense creativity is perhaps best demonstrated by the Never Gonna Fall in Love Again/Veni Emmanuel/Falling Slowly(/em) medley; the juxtaposition of well-known "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel" with popular verse is riveting. The music then flows into Dan Fogelberg's Anastasia's Eyes; lovely, lovely, lovely! The best moment, for me, comes with the Lo, How a Rose/The Rose medley, providing subtle shades of Bette Midler combined with one of the sweetest traditional holiday pieces on the planet. As the album is drawing to a close, the angels sing, I Could Have Danced All Night--how perfect is that?

This is a holiday production like no other. Spend this Christmas with the incomparable Conspirare, and you may Love Again as often as you like!

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2008)

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From the liner notes:

Christmas at the Carillon: Christmas at the Carillon is a unique concert tradition, which began in 1994. Recorded in one of Austin's most beautiful acoustic spaces, the Carillon chapel, these intimate performances are an innovative and daring blend of sacred and secular, art music and popular music, concert hall performance and community sing. Conspirare respects and celebrates the great diversity of spiritual and human experiences represented among our singers and listeners. To that end, these shared musical experiences are intended to bring us together in a spirit of unity, peace and hope and to reflect upon the sacredness of all things.

The Conspirare Choir: The Grammy-nominated Conspirare, based in Austin, Texas is a select group of professional singers from throughout the United States, known for evocative performances and hailed by critics as one of the finest choral ensembles in the nation.

Craig Hella Johnson: Craig Hella Johnson is the founding Artistic Director of Conspirare. Johnson has earned a reputation as one of the finest choral conductors in the United States. His performances with Conspirare have been praised for their superb artistry and have drawn national acclaim. In addition to presenting works from the choral classics, Johnson explores the relationship and interconnectedness of various musical styles, blending classical and popular, sacred and secular. He is also a songwriter, composer, arranger, pianist and singer.

Cynthia Clawson: With a deeply rooted career as a vocal artist, songwriter and musician for over four decades, Cynthia Clawson is known as a "singer's singer." She has won a GRAMMY and five Dove Awards and earned honorary doctorates from Houston Baptist University and Howard Payne University.


From the Website:

Conspirare is a dynamic ensemble of professional singers from around the country. Led by renowned conductor Craig Hella Johnson, Conspirare brings together outstanding vocal artistry and great music to inspire passion, sensitivity and playfulness. Conspirare combines the classics with contemporary works taking the audience on a journey of innovative sound, colorful images and thought- provoking literature. Formed in 1991 as The New Texas Festival, Conspirare began as an annual spring festival, and moved to a year round concert season in 1999.

Today, Conspirare is set apart as one of a handful of professional choruses around the country bringing world-class performances to its listeners. An ensemble of professional singers from across the United States, Conspirare has garnered rave reviews, awards and national recognition for its refined artistry, virtuosity, and expressive singing.

Conspirare

Love Again: Christmas at the Carillon 2007

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