Track Listing

1. Fant On Christmas Carols: This Is The Truth Sent From Above- - John Barrow/Chor Of Guildford Cathedral
2. Fant On Christmas Carols: Come All You Worthy Gentlemen- - John Barrow/Chor Of Guildford Cathedral
3. Fant On Christmas Carols: On Christmas Night All Christians Sing- - John Barrow/Chor Of Guildford Cathedral
4. Fant On Christmas Carols: God Bless The Ruler Of This House - John Barrow/Chor Of Guildford Cathedral
5. Hodie: I. Prologue: Nowell! Nowell!
6. Hodie: II. Narration: Now The Birth Of Jesus Christ-
7. Hodie: III. Song: It Was The Winter Wild
8. Hodie: IV. Narration: And It Came To Pass In Those Days
9. Hodie: V. Choral: The Blessed Son Of God
10. Hodie: VI. Narration: And There Were In The Same Country
11. Hodie: VII. Song: The Oxen (Christmas Eve, And Twelve Of The Clock)
12. Hodie: VIII. Narration: And The Shepherds Returned
13. Hodie: IX. Pastoral: The Shepherds Sing
14. Hodie: X. Narration: But Mary Kept All These Things
15. Hodie: XI. Lullaby: Sweet Was The Song The Virgin Sang
16. Hodie: XII. Hymn: Bright Portals Of The Sky
17. Hodie: XIII. Narration: Now When Jesus Was Born
18. Hodie: XIV. The March Of The Three Kings: From Kingdoms Of Wisdom-
19. Hodie: XV. Choral: No Sad Thought His Soul Affright
20. Hodie: XVI. Epilogue: In The Beginning Was The Word

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1291 in Music
• Released on: 2000-10-02
• Number of discs: 1
• Dimensions: .23 pounds
• Running time: 71 minutes

BBC Music Magazine
These are Christmas works from early and late in Vaughan Williams's career on digitally remastered reissues of recordings from the Sixties. The magical Fantasia (1912) is folk-song-based and is here performed rather prosaically in the version for strings and organ. Hodie (1954) is on a large scale, an 'anthology' cantata, with settings of Hardy, Herbert and Milton among others interspersed among the Biblical narration. It had a bad press when it appeared, but it is Vaughan Williams in his most lyrical mood surveying, at 82, his style as it developed from Wenlock Edge days to his 'Antarctic' period. The performance by David Willcocks and distinguished soloists is still the best on disc.

Performance ****
Sound ****

© BBC Music Magazine 2001

Customer Reviews

A most incredible, beautiful, and moving recording
I first became aware of Hodie when I performed the work in high school. While it is true that Vaughn-Williams does use a variety of styles, this is much more than a compendium of musical approaches. Each style is well chosen to provide an appropriate context for the words in a way matched by few composers - intimate in "The Oxen", hushed and reverential in "No sad thought his soul affright", and imposing and even majesterial in "The March of the Three Kings". I can't imagine how anyone could listen to the Epilogue (especially as performed here) with it's quoting of the beginning of St. John's gospel without being utterly moved.

Because of the beauty of the work (only a critic would give it "bad press") and the quality of the performance, it quickly became one of my most beloved recordings, defining for me how this work should be performed just as Karl Richter's Mass in b Minor and Colin Davis's Mozart Requiem have. The singers all have incredibly beautiful voices and each use their voice very sensitively. Just listen to John Shirley-Quirk's simple yet eloquent singing in "The Oxen", describing the animals in the manger on their knees or Janet Baker's "Lullaby" with a beauty that can bring tears to your eyes. Richard Lewis likewise provides a good range from the heroic to the sensitive - one of the best performances of his I have heard. The choral work is likewise fantastic. I have been searching for this work on CD for years to replace my well-loved but somewhat worn-out LP copy and am delighted that it is finally available. If you love choral music, Vaughn-Williams's work, or just appreciate beautiful singing, I would strongly urge you to purchase this recording while it is still available.

A Christmas Cracker
I bought this a couple of years ago and return to it regularly - a sure sign of a good recording. I like the music of Vaughan Williams and this is a good example of his music. The Fantasia was a big surprise - its a lovely setting of some well known carols. John Barrow has a superb baritone voice. The Hodie takes a little more getting into but it is worth the effort. Both choirs and orchestra have good sounds. At this price you can't go wrong!

Sublime
The 'Hodie' is sublime, The opening chorus - towering and exuberant - makes one's hair stand on end. The closing line of the first narration "he shall be called great" is thrilling. I can't find anything to fault in this glorious recording - take some time out and catch up with the real spirit of Christmas.