This Endris Night: Christmas With the Chorale


This Endris Night is a feast for the ears. A cornucopia of time-burnished carols, motets, folk ballads, shape–note hymns, and chants, ranging from medieval to modern times. The Washington Master Chorale  plumbed its personal favorites to present works by composers from both sides of the Atlantic, from Estonia (Arvo Pärt, “Bogoroditse Djevo”) to Minnesota (Stephen Paulus, “Three Nativity Carols”). The texts are no less diverse, ranging from the 16th century Piae Cantiones to the poetry of Christina Rossetti (“In the Bleak Mid-winter”) and e.e. cummings (“little tree”), and the spiritual writings of Mother Thekla, the longtime muse of the late Sir John Tavener (“Today the Virgin”). The Chorale’s dedication to new music is represented by renowned local composer Russell Nadel’s “Early Winter Tree,” which was commissioned by the Washington Master Chorale. An artful interweaving of harp and voice with a text by American lyric poet Sara Teasdale, the piece evokes both winter’s time of loss and the inevitability of spring’s rebirth. And no Chorale holiday recording would be complete without selections from Carols for Choirs the masterful compilation of songs edited by the  late Sir David Willcocks, arguably the most influential choirmaster of his generation.This Endris Night is the perfect companion for long winter nights

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This Endris Night – Christmas with the Washington Master Chorale

  1. Hodie, Christus natus est (Healey Willan, 1880-1968)
  2. little tree (Steve Heitzig, b. 1959)
  3. Bogoróditse Dyévo (Arvo Pärt, b. 1935)
  4. Early Winter Tree (Russel Nadel, b. 1983) World premiere recording
  5. A Babe is Born (William Matthias, 1934-1992)
  6. The Holly and the Ivy, from Three Nativity Carols (Stephen Paulus, 1949-2014)
  7. This Endris Night, from Three Nativity Carols (Paulus)
  8. Wonder Tidings, from Three Nativity Carols (Paulus)
  9. The Three Kings (Healey Willan, 1880-1968)
  10. Today the Virgin (John Tavener, 1944-2013)
  11. Hodie, Christus natus est from 3 Mottetti Latini 1982 (Niels La Cour, b. 1944)
  12. The First Nowell (arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)
  13. Wondrous Love (arr. John Jacob Niles, 1892-1980)
  14. Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (German, 15th Century)
  15. O Tannenbaum (German, 16th Century)
  16. A Christmas Carol (Charles Ives, 1874-1954)
  17. In the Bleak Midwinter (Gustav Holst, 1874-1934; arr. Alice Parker, b. 1925)
  18. God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen (arr. David Willcocks, 1919-2015)

TOTAL TIME – 57:32

This Endris Night – Christmas with the Washington Master Chorale

Thomas Colohan, artistic director

Paul Skevington, organ
Rachel Carlson, assistant conductor
Susan Robinson, harp
Stephen Nicholas Key, oboe
Curt Armbruster, timpani

Geoffrey Silver, producer
Kevin Bourassa, session producer and engineer

Recorded December 15, 18, 20, 2015 and January 18, 2016
at The Church of the Epiphany, Washington, DC

ACIS ProductionsACIS Productions
http://acisproductions.com/endris-night/