The Christmas Album Phoenix Chorale & Christopher Gabbitas

• Traditional: Veni Veni Emmanuel:
• 1 Traditional: Veni Veni Emmanuel (Arr. for Choir by Philip Lawson) 03:25
• El Nino Querido:
• 2 Traditional: El Nino Querido (Arr. for Choir by Goff Richards & Christopher Gabbitas) 03:16
• Claro Abril Resplandecio:
• 3 Traditional: Claro Abril Resplandecio (Arr. for Choir by Goff Richards & Christopher Gabbitas) 02:06
• Nit de Vetlla:
• 4 Traditional: Nit de Vetlla (Arr. for Choir by Goff Richards & Christopher Gabbitas) 03:11
• Orlando di Lasso (1532 - 1594): Resonet in Laudibus:
• 5 Lasso: Resonet in Laudibus 04:03
• Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951): Trinity Triptych:
• 6 McDowall: Trinity Triptych: O Magnum Mysterium 04:21
• 7 McDowall: Trinity Triptych: O Nata Lux 03:44
• Traditional: Trinity Triptych:
• 8 Traditional: Trinity Triptych: O Virgo Virginum 02:45
• Francisco Guerrero (1528 - 1599): Beati Dei Genitrix Maria:
• 9 Guerrero: Beati Dei Genitrix Maria 03:30
• Traditional: Gaudete:
• 10 Traditional: Gaudete (Arr. for Choir by Brian Kay & Christopher Gabbitas) 01:42
• Tom Peterson: A Quiet Chamber:
• 11 Peterson: A Quiet Chamber 04:40
• Traditional: The Wexford Carol:
• 12 Traditional: The Wexford Carol (Arr. for Choir by Kira Zee man Rugen) 04:55
• Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934): In the Bleak Midwinter:
• 13 Holst: In the Bleak Midwinter (Arr. for Choir by Alexander L’Estrange) 05:33
• Stanford Scriven (b. 1988): Christ the Apple Tree:
• 14 Scriven: Christ the Apple Tree 03:53
• Ariel Ramirez (1921 - 2010): La Peregrinacion:
• 15 Ramirez: La Peregrinacion (Arr. for Choir by Peter Knight & Christopher Gabbitas) 04:03
• Felix Bernard (1897 - 1944): Winter Wonderland:
• 16 Bernard: Winter Wonderland (Arr. for Choir by Alexander L’Estrange) 03:36
• Leroy Anderson (1908 - 1975): Sleigh Ride:
• 17 Anderson: Sleigh Ride (Arr. for Choir by Alexander L’Estrange) 02:40
• Mel Tormé (1925 - 1999): The Christmas Song:
• 18 Tormé: The Christmas Song (Arr. for Choir by Peter Knight & Christopher Gabbitas) 03:31
• James Lord Pierpont (1822 - 1893): Jingle Bells:
• 19 Pierpont: Jingle Bells (Arr. for Choir by Ben Parry) 02:43
• Franz Xaver Gruber (1787 - 1863): Noche de Paz:
• 20 Gruber: Noche de Paz (Arr. for Choir by James Burton) 03:35
• Total Runtime 01:11:12

Info zu The Christmas Album

This is a Christmas album that has a sense of place, clearly identifying the Chorale as both American and from a border state with Mexico, and something for everyone whether they prefer serious or light festive fare. There is Hispanic influence in the repertoire choices, which include Catalan folksongs as well as Hispanic Renaissance music. It includes a commission by Cecilia McDowall, written for Christmas 2021, new arrangements of all tracks and also some contemporary Christmas favourites such as Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells. This marks the Chorale’s return to recording following an 8-year hiatus, and their first album with Signum Records.

“Festive repertoire plays an important role in the performance cycle of every choir, and it felt fitting to begin our journey with a Christmas recording that established a sense of place for the ensemble: we chose to record repertoire that is all American or Hispanic in origin, save for the newly-commissioned piece by Cecilia McDow- all that was written to mark the centenary of our home in Phoenix, Trinity Cathedral. Our aim is to translate the warmth of Arizona into our sound, to convey the rhetoric of every text, and celebrate the good health of the American Choral Tradition.” (Christopher Gabbitas)

Phoenix Chorale
Christopher Gabbitas, direction

Christopher Gabbitas
is a musician, educator and lawyer, and was an early trustee of Voces8. As a singer, he has sung with many of England's finest choral ensemble including English Concert, Polyphony and The Cambridge Singers, culminating in 15 years as second baritone within The King's Singers. Between 2004-2018 Chris performed in almost 2,000 concerts with the ensemble across six continents, in the world's finest concert halls and churches, and recorded in excess of 40 albums. He moved away from singing in 2019 and was appointed Artistic Director of Phoenix Chorale, the Arizona-based Grammy Award-winning choir, for whom he programs and conducts four concert series each year, founding a chamber orchestra to accompany the Chorale in 2022. In the same year, Chris took up a position as Artist Professor at the University of Redlands, California, teaching a unique Master of Music degree in music and business which aims to provide holistic preparation to choral musicians for life in the profession. Dedicated to educational outreach and improving access to choral music for all, Chris has led many hundreds of masterclasses and educational projects worldwide, all with the aim of creating community through song.

A former choral scholar at St John's College, Cambridge and Lay Clerk at Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Chris studied law at the University of Cambridge and maintains a growing media law practice with 2020 Law Firm of the Year and Top 50 firm, Keystone Law in London. His practice works to assist clients in creative fields including music, television, film, copyright, branding and licensing, including occasional pro bono work for classical musicians and organisations including the City Music Festival in London.

Three times Grammy nominated as singer and producer, with two wins, and winner of a MIDEM award in 2012, Chris was an inductee into the inaugural Gramophone Hall of Fame as a member of The King's Singers. He has appeared on radio and television as a performer, commentator and presenter in multiple countries, including two documentaries produced for BBC Radio 4 on the art of singing.

Phoenix Chorale
As the only internationally recognized professional choral ensemble in the Phoenix Metro Area, the Grammy® Award–winning Phoenix Chorale showcases the expert talents of Arizona’s highly trained and versatile singers, in performances celebrated for their technical agility and emotional impact. Founded in 1958 and fully professionalized in 1994, the Chorale’s mission is to nurture and amplify the strength and resonance of Arizona’s choral artistry. Phoenix Chorale is regarded as one of North America’s leading ensembles in the western classical tradition and has been led since 2019 by British Artistic Director Christopher Gabbitas. Phoenix Chorale continues to earn international recognition through its acclaimed recordings with Signum Records. 2023’s ‘The Christmas Album’ praised as “expertly blended” [Gramophone] and “enviably smooth and sumptuous” [BBC Music Magazine] and 2024 release ‘Sun Moon Stars Rain’ described as “imaginatively programmed and meticulously sung.” [The Arts Desk]. The Chorale’s performance films have been featured twice in Voces8 Foundation’s LIVE From London Festival. Visit phoenixchorale.org to learn more information about the Chorale and upcoming performances. Find all of the Chorale’s albums on all major streaming services and stores.

Booklet für The Christmas Album