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Our Review

I have reviewed many hundreds of holiday albums, and this classical offering is in a class of its own. Let us light a candle: A Christmas Celebration combines the vocal talents of Nick Pepin with the piano skills of June Clark. And what is unusual about this piano and voice duo? First, Pepin is a counter-tenor; in other words, his memorable male voice soars a full range above that of the usual tenor, making his voice very high indeed. This gives Pepin's singing a fascinating quality, grounding each note in more weight than one would expect from a woman's voice in the same octave. Clark's accompaniment is polished and understated, exactly what a vocalist desires.

What else is surprising here? Although the album centers on classical music, it also delves into a light-hearted "Christmas Cheer" section for the final five cuts. Most classical albums refuse to yield ground to less serious fare. The music on Let us light a candle, however, is more well-rounded and forgiving than that. And with 25 tracks extending over more than an hour, this generous CD does cover a lot of ground. My favorite song here is The Coventry Carol, which Pepin treats with tender care. His voice demonstrates depth, strength, and fragility all at once. In addition to the vocal numbers, there are several well-constructed piano instrumentals.

For those who enjoy something a little different, something that stretches the male voice to challenging limits beyond a tenor's normal heights, Let us light a candle: A Christmas Celebration is an intriguing choice.

--Carol Swanson
(Reviewed in 2006)

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From the liner notes:

Nick Pepin, counter-tenor
June Clark, piano

Recorded at Old Meadow Barns studio, Alston, Cumbria, England
Steinway Piano (1905)
Studio engineer and digital mastering by Tom Pepin

Photographs by June Pepin
Line drawings by David Pepin

Nick Pepin and June Clark

Let Us Light a Candle

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Track List