Herald AV Publications

HAVPCD272 – Dvorák & Mendelssohn

Freed from the restrictions of patronage and inspired by the attractions of the new public concert halls and opera houses, few Romantic composers devoted their attentions to liturgical composition in the manner of their predecessors. However, many were delighted when opportunities arose for them to write sacred music, and a careful study of the output of well-known 19th-century composers reveals many gems of sacred music hidden amongst the wealth of more familiar repertoire.

HAVPCD269 – Songs of a Shepherd

This offering of Christmas music from the London Oratory School Schola marks the first full recording of the choir. Here may be found a goodly selection of music from Advent to Epiphany, some familiar and some not so well known. The collection takes its title from the poem Bethlehem Down by Bruce Blunt, a poem that captures the very essence and significance of the Christmas story.

HAVPCD266 – Sing, Choirs of Angels!

Any disc of Christmas Carols is hardly complete without the ‘giants’ of that genre, the timeless congregational hymns. On this disc we offer five well-known pieces in generally familiar attire. These particular carols are not that far removed in form and mood from their early precursors. The medieval carol was quite a different concept, however, to that which developed during the 19th and 20th centuries. Although many first-rate pieces have been written over the last 100 years, we have traveled a long way from the carol’s simple origins. Interleaved among the various carols and Christmas anthems are six seasonal chorale preludes from Das Orgelbüchlein (The Little Organ Book) by Johann Sebastian Bach.