One of the most magnificent in the world, the 4-day Christmas Festival at Decorah, IA's Luther College features the 85-member Symphony Orchestra and hundreds of talented members of Luther's Nordic Choir, Pike Kor, Cathedral Choir, Norsemen and Cantorei singing 20 beautiful pieces. From the orchestrally-accompanied "Gracious Spirit Dwell With Me" and Dominik Argento's "Hodie, Christus Natus Est" to the dramatic a cappella "Hodie, Christus Natus Est" and the traditional carols "The First Noel," "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing;" to the rarely heard "Little Lamb," "Choral Fanfare for Christmas," "O Nata Lux," "O Come Little Children" and Eric Whitacre's "Lum Aurumque," this is a joyous and memorable Christmas CD. The wonderful a cappella "Natus est Emmanuel" (a glee of angels at the Birth), was written by Libby Larsen for the celebration. |
