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RICK'S BLOG 12 December 2006
"My first Christmas songlist is actually one album - one which is the closest thing I have heard to the definitive album of Christmas carols. The Naxos Book of Carols is a collection of 24 carols, arranged to represent one for each day of Advent. Commissioned especially for the Naxos label, performed by eight-person choral ensemble TONUS PEREGRINUS, and is an excellent mainstream collection.
The performance in the opening track of 'O come, o come, Emmanuel' was quite a profound revelatory experience for me. A song that I was barely familiar with was transformed in one foul swoop into my favourite Christmas carol of all.
Some of the old standards are there, like 'Silent Night', 'Away in a Manger' (the first Christmas carol I ever learned), 'O come all ye faithful', 'Ding dong merrily on high', 'While Shepherds Watched' and so on. As serious Christmas carol collections go, this one will do me."
MUSIC WEB www.musicweb.uk.net January 2004
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "These new arrangements, interspersed with a small number of originals, have been commissioned especially for this recording from the director of the eight part vocal ensemble TONUS PEREGRINUS, Antony Pitts. Organised as an Advent sequence with a carol for each day, the twenty-four carols are bracketed into four groups, The Hope, The Message, The Baby and The King of Kings.
...With an eye on the lucrative seasonal music market amongst amateur choirs, the music is all down-loadable via the Faber Music website.....a disc that is a pleasure to listen to for the quality of the singing alone.
...In O quickly come, a quirky little original in 7/8 time, the detailed counterpoint is strikingly effective and whilst no doubt tricky to sing (TONUS PEREGRINUS make it sound admirably easy with diction of the highest quality) I can see this becoming a popular addition to the seasonal choral repertoire. In similar fashion Ding! Dong! merrily on high features some athletic and admirably well-articulated singing, the semi quaver runs that abound being heard with crystal precision...
...I particularly enjoyed the more familiar Personent hodie, Pitts weaving In dulci jubilo into the organ part of the final verse whilst a sparklingly joyful realisation of Good King Wenceslas also works particularly well..."
ALL ABOUT JAZZ allaboutjazz.com 21 December 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "Naxos Records took a forward-looking step, commissioning an Advent Sequence of Carols from Antony Pitts and his very talented group, Tonus Peregrinus. Pitts took his commission—and using 23 canonical carols and one of his his own, rearranged them, re-realized them, and grouped them into four sequences, each focusing on a different portion of the Christmas story. These arrangements are intended for widespread use and are available online and, for the most part, do not stray from the soprano, alto, tenor, baritone paradigm.....Collectively, this sequence of carols is almost an assembled oratorio, expertly dissolved in the Spirit. Maestro Pitts’ arrangements never stray too far from the collective unconscious, but there are several startling reworkings. The Holly and the Ivy juxtaposes the original melody with one of earlier and simpler origin. Hark the Herald Angels Sing and Silent Night provided new harmonies above and beyond the standard to great effect. Pitts shows the same harmonic courage as his predecessors Tallis and Wright and later, Walton and Holst. And, indeed, it is Antony Pitts’ informed scoring and composition that makes this set the treasure it is. This is perhaps best illustrated in the fourth sequence in the fabulously angular readings In Dulci Jubilo and Good King Wenceslas. The Naxos Book of Carols makes a superb addition to the holiday carol canon.."
THE INDEPENDENT ON SUNDAY 21 December 2003
Nicholas Lezard on BBC Radio 3's Late Junction: "The arrangement of Away in a Manger had discovered some rather interesting new harmonies - it turned out it was by Antony Pitts of TONUS PEREGRINUS, who has remarkable ways with music..."
THE SUNDAY TIMES 14 December 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "If you really must insist on hearing those old, traditional carols such as Hark! The Herald Angels Sing and While Shepherds Watched, then I can do no better than refer you to yet another Naxos bargain, sung by the group TONUS PEREGRINUS, which gives a new and enticing slant to such pieces."
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols (*** outstanding): "The Christmas-carol season can signal weeks of musical tedium: the same old tunes, the same unvaried settings. For this unusual Christmas disc, Antony Pitts has tackled the problem head-on. All 24 carols are either his own arrangements or, in two cases, his own compositions. Pitts's variants are original, sometimes even playful: it's hard to resist the obsessive downward scales in Good King Wenceslas, for instance. And I suspect they're eminently singable by good amateur choirs, though TONUS PEREGRINUS - just eight singers - perform everything with polish as well as affection."
MUSIC & VISION www.mvdaily.com 14 December 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "...A new release from Naxos, targeted at the classy end of the annual end-of-year spending spree, drops the usual carbon-copy Naxos cover design, adopting instead a gold-on-black presentation and a classiness which permeates the whole package: the brilliant idea, the new arrangements of traditional tunes (one for each of the twenty four days of Advent), heavenly performances by the eight singers of TONUS PEREGRINUS, and the accompanying dedicated website with downloadable scores (in association with Faber Music). Four groups of carols -- The Hope, The Message, The Baby and The King of Kings focus on different parts of the story of the birth of Christ, breathing new life into traditional settings. For example, taking the boredom out of endless verses repeatedly sung to the same tune, Pitts, in the opening O come, o come, Emmanuel, sends his performers on a two thousand year journey through Western harmony as the eight verses unfold...
...The arrangements are all by Antony Pitts, commissioned specially by Naxos for the CD, and are sometimes jazzy and often contemporary in feel. Two of the tracks contain not arrangements, but brand new carols: O quickly come and the final track, Hail to the Lord's Anointed. This is a setting of James Montgomery (after Psalm 72), which ends on the word 'love' and a soaring soprano final high D that could almost be a Messiaenic ondes martenot. In its various musical forms, that priceless two-thousand-year-old message doesn't get any clearer than this! This scholarly yet sublimely joyful recording is dedicated to the world's victims of persecution and to those who can't worship or sing freely, and will make a delightful and magnificent stocking-filler!"
MUSIC WEB www.musicweb.uk.net December 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "Here's an interesting idea! Naxos and Faber Music have invited Antony Pitts, the director of TONUS PEREGRINUS, to revisit the traditional carol repertoire and assemble a collection of new arrangements or, in a couple of cases, brand new settings. The music for all the items can be downloaded (via www.naxoscarols.com) until January for £10 per carol, a price that includes permission to make a limited number of copies [30] for choir members.....this is a most imaginative way of disseminating new Christmas music.
...the first thing to say is that, without exception, the performances by the eight voices of TONUS PEREGRINUS are very fine. The voices blend beautifully, balance is excellent and diction and tuning are exemplary...
. ..Pitts' arrangement of The holly and the ivy is especially ingenious for he combines the very familiar tune with another much less well-known (and very good) one, which, in fact, was transcribed from a tape held by the BBC...
...Here is an expertly performed, generously filled CD recorded in good sound at a super budget price.....In addition, the musical downloads are offered at what seems to me to be a very reasonable price. So this is not just 'another' CD of carols. It's an inexpensive and enjoyable way for singers to explore new repertoire and for that all involved in the project deserve congratulations.
...I recommend this CD, especially to all those who will be planning their 2004 carol concerts rather sooner than they might wish!"
MUSIC WEB www.musicweb.uk.net December 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "This Naxos disc stands out from the crowd.
Naxos offer something distinctive as concept and in detail. They offer 24 carols one for each day of Advent. Each is recorded in a version arranged by the conductor and composer Antony Pitts. His choir TONUS PEREGRINUS comprise only eight singers. Naxos commissioned these arrangement especially for this recording and the scores are downloadable from www.naxoscarols.com in affiliation with Faber Music. The disc is at bargain price and is exceptional value at a playing time of 78.59.
A well judged blend of new and old is to be found here. Even the old is given freshness by Pitts' touches and twists of harmony, texture and tempo. The chaste O come O come is redolent of Dufay and Busnois (tr. 1). Rocking celebration is to be found in the Father's Heart begotten. The spiritual-Tippett flavour resounds through O quickly come...
...Silent Night has a suitably sleepy poise - all the trappings of tradition without complete subjugation to the style. Many of these tracks give the impression of tracking the evolution of carols fifty years from now. Away in a manger is subject to harmonic diffraction and strange juxtapositions. The Czech Baby Jesus... arrives in a lovingly melismatic haze. O Little Town is presented with chiming organ and has the memorably quiet touch of the Mike Sammes Singers - nothing wrong with a caramel moment. Other tracks offer am agreeable 'wrong note' aural disorientation and strangeness - like a vision of carols from some alternative universe. Pitts defiantly refuses to be thrall to tradition but bends it to his will.....This collection will suit anyone wanting a variant spin on their seasonal musical fare...
...predominantly this is an anthology for those jaded by convention."
BIRMINGHAM POST 29 November 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: (*****) "Full marks to Naxos for a novel idea. Not only is their Book of Carols a set of new arrangements specially commissioned for the CD (something no record label has done before) but you can also download printed scores from the web. All 24 carols have been arranged by Antony Pitts, founder and director of the excellent [eight-]voice ensemble TONUS PEREGRINUS, and unfold as an Advent sequence in four sections. Both in style and performance the result is most impressive and hugely satisfying. Pitts is an inventive and daring arranger, not afraid to clothe familiar melodies with challenging harmonies, as he does in O come, o come Emmanuel and Hark! the herald angels sing, although his descants and additional counterpoint at times seem a little contrived. But there are some real gems, including a gorgeous close harmony version of a Czech lullaby, and a charming Holly and the Ivy, where the well-known tune combines with another traditional melody. Two Pitts originals - the nicely syncopated, nimble O quickly come, and a smashing tune for Hail to the Lord's Anointed, which in a simpler form could have some congregational use - complete a very attractive and immaculately presented selection. For a fiver it'll make a great stocking filler."
DAVID'S REVIEW CORNER www.naxos.com November 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "Naxos have invited Antony Pitts to blow the cobwebs from familiar festive season music and to bring this fresh look to the new Naxos Book of Carols, with a volume added each year. The recording features a wide range of styles from the red-blooded O come, O come, via the Early Music view of Alleluya, to the spiritual setting of O little town of Bethlehem. I very much enjoy Pitts's rather 'tongue-in-cheek' approach to many of the best-known melodies. They open traditionally enough but change to something very different as the work progresses. Try track 5, Lo! He comes, for a particularly good example. When you have enjoyed the disc you can download the music from the Naxos and Faber Music websites; the music will be available from Faber in sheet form by next Christmas. Excellent news for choirs looking for something new, though Pitts at times will test your skills, as TONUS PEREGRINUS found out in Ding! Dong! Merrily. Very good sound quality, and its going to be a top seller....."
MUSICAL POINTERS www.musicalpointers.co.uk November 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "...Altogther more interesting to me was The Naxos Book of Carols, a project entrusted to Antony Pitts and his TONUS PEREGRINUS, a group of individual musicians 'each forging their own diverse careers', which was founded at New College Oxford...
...It is a unified 'concept' collection, an Advent Sequence in well structured groups, The Hope; The Message; The Baby and The King of Kings. Some of the carols are composed, and many are arranged cleverly, by Antony Pitts, with plenty of solo contributions for the members of TONUS PEREGRINUS, some of the tracks judiciously supported by the organ, which provides variety and helps to shape the sequences. There are good notes by Antony Pitts, who dedicates this admirable disc to 'victims of persecution - - unable to sing and worship freely'. Choirs around the country will probably want to tackle some of these carols, and they can download the Faber scores inexpensively from www.naxoscarols.com. And the CD, lavishly presented with full texts and coloured illustrations, is - of course - only £4.99!"
NEW CLASSICS www.new-classics.co.uk November 2003
on recording of The Naxos Book of Carols: "...For this inspiring new album, the composer Antony Pitts has made arrangements that refresh the tunes of well-known carols and puts them into four narrative sequences to tell the complete Christmas story. The carols, one chosen for each day in Advent, range from some of our most famous tunes to less familiar mediaeval items, as well as brand new music that includes a delightful setting of O little town of Bethlehem by John Pitts. Naxos and Faber Music have made the sheet music for these new carols available for download through a special website (www.naxoscarols.com) and the scores of all 24 carols will be available in printed form from Faber Music. The excellent TONUS PEREGRINUS ensemble was founded by Antony Pitts while studying at New College, Oxford, and the group had a huge success with its début disc of Arvo Pärt's Passio"
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