The familiar hymn Veni Emmanuel is emblematic of the Advent season - a period of reflection upon the meaning of Christ's coming. Framing this program by the Choir of Clare College, Cambridge, directed by Graham Ross, the hymn paraphrases the great 'O' Antiphons (plainchant settings traditionally sung on the days leading up to Christmas), complemented here by later works echoing their rich imagery and symbolism.

Songlist: Veni, veni Emmanuel, Vigilate, Antiphon I: O Sapientia, The fear of the Lord, Antiphon II: O Adonai, O Adonai, et Dux domus Israel, Antiphon III: O Radix Jesse, Es ist ein Ros entsprungen, Antiphon IV: O Clavis David, Audivi vocem de caelo, Antiphon V: O Oriens, Hymn to the Creator of Light, Wie schon leuchtet der Morgenstern, Christus: Say, where is He born, There shall a star from Jacob, Antiphon VI: O Rex Gentium, Bethlehem Down, I sing of a maiden, Antiphon VII: O Emmanuel, God Is With Us, Antiphon VIII: O Virgo Virginum, All-Night Vigil, Op.37: VI: Bogoroditse Dyevo, Gloucester Service: Magnificat, O come, O come, Emmanuel

A new festive release from the Choir of Jesus College Cambridge under their director Mark Williams - with additional performances from organists Robert Dixon and Timothy Lambourn, and trumpeter Rebecca Crawshaw. The programme is drawn from pieces for the festivals of Advent, Christmas, Epiphany and Candlemas: Of the annual Christian seasons, it is surely that from Advent to Epiphany which inspires believer and non-believer alike the most: the believer celebrates Christ's birth whilst the non-believer considers hopes for rebirth and renewal as a New Year approaches ... If aspirations surrounding the arrival of a new born child are universal, the Christmas music chosen here reflects the season's inspiration through quite recent compositions, alongside music from the early part of the 20th century. -Mark Williams

Songlist: Jesus Christ the apple tree, We wait for thy loving kindness, I sing of a maiden, Advent Prose, There is no rose, Hymn to the virgin, Bright star carol, In the bleak midwinter, Tomorrow Shall be my Dancing Day, The shepherds carol, I Saw Three Ships, The little road to Bethlehem, Away in a Manger, Sir Christemas, The Lamb, Paean on Divinum Mysterium, Epiphany, Here is the little door, Bethlehem Down, Nunc dimittis, Hymn to the Creator of Light

Perhaps Britian's very best choir performs the works of perhaps Britian's very best living choral composer. Certainly a wonderful match this pairing makes for a great recording and worthy of every fan's collection. This CD contains a stellar cross-section of Rutter's work. He combines the melodic simplicity of Bach with a distinctly modern sensibility. The combined effect of the music's sheer beauty, the exquisite skill of the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, and the magisterial hush of the King's College Chapel make for an ethereal and thoroughly transformative musical experience.

Songlist: Requiem, Veni Sancte Spiritus, What Sweeter Music, Hymn To The Creator Of Light, Cantate Domino, Cantus, Te Deum

Grammy-nominated Dale Warland Singers' final concert, on May 30, 2004, concluded 31 years of concerts, tours, radio broadcasts and critically acclaimed recordings. The Singers, a 40-voice professional choir based in Minneapolis/St. Paul, were recognized as one of the world's best a cappella choral ensembles. "Lux" is a collection of popular 19th and 20th century sacred music that shows just how high Dale Warland's standards were in creating and working with his renowned group. Picking favorites from this strong program isn't easy, but certainly Gretchaninoff's "Of Thy Mystical Supper," Vytautus Miskinis's "O sacrum convivium," Chesnokov's "Salvation is Created," John Rutter's "Hymn to the Creator of Light," the title tune by Eric Whitacre, Dominic Argento's "To God" (In Memoriam M.B.), and Nikolai Golovanov's "Otche Nash." The Dale Warland Singers has long been a favorite of ours for their bright, powerful harmonies and strong direction; "Lux Aurumque" is a beautiful, appropriate swan song for this great ensemble.

Songlist: Of Thy Mystical Supper, Op. 58, No. 7, A Prayer of The Middle Ages, O Sacrum Convivium, Take Him, Earth, for Cherishing, Salvation is Created, Hymn to the Creator of Light, O Magnum Mysterium, Lux Aurumque, Ave Maria, Complete this work from Choral Concerto, We Hymn Thee, To God "In Memoriam M. B.", Otche Nash

The 45-strong, mixed-voice ECUCS, under the baton of multiple-award-winning Daniel Bara, is the most selective of four university choral ensembles at Greenville, NC's East Carolina University. The Singers have been invited to perform at numerous ACDA conventions and toured extensively in the United States. These 14 songs, with some accompaniment by Bassoon, Clarinet and Flute, showcase the marvelous choral tone of one of America's great university choirs. Some favorites are John Rutter's Hymn to the Creator of Light," Mark G. Sirett's "Veni, Sancte Spiritus," Howard Helvey's "O quam gloriosum," Egil Hovland's 4-part "Agnus Dei," the Spirituals "I've Been in the Storm So Long" and "Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen;" and Leo Sowerby's title tune. The wonderful vocals of this rich collection are enhanced by the beautiful acoustics of St. Paul's Episcopal Church in Greenville.

Songlist: Hymn to the Creator of Light, O Thou Great Power in Whom I Move, Veni Sancte Spiritus, Ave Maria, Cedit, Hyems (Be Gone, Winter!), O quam gloriosum, De profundis, Agnus Dei, Qui tollis peccata mundi, Miserere nobis, Dona nobis pacem, I've Been in the Storm So Long, Nobody knows the trouble I've seen, Eternal Light

Of all the dynamic music programs (seven choirs, three bands, three orchestras, two jazz bands and nearly 1,000 student musicians) that have flourished at Decorah, Iowa's Luther College, the very first, the flagship choral ensemble, is the 70-strong, mixed-voice Nordic Choir. In 1948 Weston Noble began a 57-year tenure that would bring the choir into national and international acclaim as one of the best Collegiate choral ensembles. In 2005 Dr. Craig Arnold became the director of choral activities and conductor of the Nordic Choir. "In the Beginning" is a collection of 15 contemporary Christian pieces, beginning with Alice Parker and Robert Shaw's arrangement of "I Will Arise," John Rutter's "Hymn to the Creator of Light," the lovely, 15-minute long title tune by Aaron Copland, Stephen Paulus' "The Old Church," the premiere of Brooke Joyce's "The Revelation of St. Julian," F. Melius Christiansen's "Psalm 50," the premiere of student Patrick Burzlaff's "Psalm 50," "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow," Paul Tschesnokoff's "O Lord God," and Carl Orff's 5-part, piano-accompanied "Carmina Burana." Beautiful solos and harmonies on this often difficult material by one of the oldest and most respected Collegiate choirs!

Songlist: I Will Arise, Hymn to the Creator of Light, In the Beginning, The Old Church, The Revelation of St. Julian (premiere), Psalm50, Movement II, Movement III, Psalm 46 (premiere), Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow, O Lord God, Carmina Burana, Veni, veni, venias, Swaz hie gat umbe, Chum, chum geselle min, Swaz hie gat umbe, Were diu werlt alle min

Conductor and composer John Rutter has worked in many facets of music, but is best known for his work in the choral realm. On this recording his work is interpreted by the Nordic Chamber Choir led by Nicol Matt. This dynamic CD shows the stylistic and subject variety found in Rutter's music. The first set of five sacred pieces includes the amazingly beautiful wedding song, "I my Best-Beloved's am," which combines sacred Latin texts with an English love poem, the jubilant "Cantate Domino" and virtuosic "Deck the hall." The set of Birthday Madrigals, written for jazz pianist George Shearing combine madrigal era texts in very jazzy settings, three of them include double-bass. The recording is rounded out with five settings of traditional songs and five childhood lyrics.

Songlist: Five sacred Pieces:, I my Best Beloved's am, Cantate Domino, Musica Dei Donum, Deck the Hall, Hymn to the Creator of Light, Birthday Madrigals:, It was a lover and his lass, Draw on, sweet night, Come live with me, My true love hath my heart, When daisies pied, Five traditional Songs:, The girl I left behind me, O waly, waly, The British Grenadiers, Golden slumbers, Dashing Away With The Smoothing Iron, Five Childhood Lyrics:, Monday's child, The Owl and the Pussy-Cat, Windy nights, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, Sing A Song Of Sixpence

John Rutter composed his Requiem in 1985. The work follows the precedents of Brahms and Faure in using carefully selected texts in place of much of the standard Missa Pro defunctis sequence. The resulting composition has an arch-like formal structure within which is contained some of Rutter's most haunting (and, in the case of 'The Lord is my shepherd', well known) choral music to date. Also included are two items from the Birthday madrigals collection composed in honour of the jazz pianist George Shearing, and eight further sacred works. The double-choir Hymn to the Creator of Light is a wonderful composition, far removed from the romantic style with which Rutter has sometimes been associated; 'A disc to delight all those who admire Rutter's choral writing. Full of delights and with something for everyone. Certainly a must!' (Organists' Review)

Songlist: Requiem, Requiem aeternam, Out of the deep, Pie Jesu with ROSA MANNION soprano, Sanctus, Agnus Dei, The Lord is my shepherd, Lux aeterna with ROSA MANNION soprano, Hymn to the Creator of Light, God be in my head, A Gaelic Blessing, Cantate Domino, Open thou mine eyes, A Prayer of Saint Patrick, A Choral Fanfare, Draw on, sweet night, My true love hath my heart, The Lord bless you and keep you

Time is Now, the successor of their first album Nordic Voices, contains a broad spectrum of favorites from the choir's repertoire. The time span is huge, covering music from the Renaissance to the present day, with compositions by Francisco Guerrero, Josef Rheinberger, James Taylor, Olle Lindberg, Susanne Rosenberg, among others. The conductor and artistic leader, Lone Larsen, has contributed with the title track Time is Now and also with some of the arrangements. The variety in the repertoire is a clear signum of Voces Nordicae. Voces Nordicae has gained an international reputation as one of the most prominent choirs in Sweden. Part of this reputation is due to their successful appearances at special performances abroad and a number of awards at international choir festivals. As one of the foremost representatives of Swedish choral singing, Nordic Voices was invited to the ACDA's (American Choral Directors Association) national meeting in Miami, in Mars 2007. This is an honor that previously has been given to only three Swedish choirs, among these the Swedish Radio Choir and The Real Group.

Songlist: Ave MAria, Pater Noster, Hymn To The Creator Of Light, Time is Now, Danse, Ikke Grate Na, Pust, Be Of Love, That Lonesome Road, Sun On The Moon, Det Er Den Storste Darlightet, Sonnet No. 76, Kyrie, Gloria, Kyrie