The oldest college chorus in America, the 60-voice, all-male Harvard Glee Club was essentially a social club on campus after its founding in 1858, performing college songs and glees to the accompaniment of banjos and mandolins. It was not until 1912, under the dynamic leadership of its new conductor, Dr. Archibald Davison, that it began to develop a repertoire of distinction and earn a national reputation. Under conductor Jameson Marvin since 1978, the HGC has been invited to perform at 5 national conventions of the ACDA, and recently they have appeared at Boston's Symphony Hall and Kennedy Center, and at the Lincoln Center in New York. "Christmas With" is a finely-crafted, mostly a cappella Christmas collection of 13 songs. Favorites are the 13th Century Georgian wedding song "Shen khar venakhi," the Gregorian chant "Salve Regina," Josquin des Prez' "Gloria," Michael Pretorius' lovely "Lo How a Rose E'er Blooming," the traditional carol "It Came Upon a Midnight Clear," the organ-accompanied "Three Kings of Orient," Leonard Bernstein's "Almighty Father," Hildegard von Bingen's haunting "Caritas abundat," Thomas Tallis' "Sanctus," Randall Thompson's "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening," based on the Robert Frost poem, Hans Leo von Hassler's exquisite "Cantate Domino" and Franz Biebl's "Ave Maria." "Christmas With the Harvard Glee Club" is a richly harmonic gift to yourself or your loved ones that will add to your celebration and joy of Christmas! |
