The Wonder of Christmas (2014)

1. Once in Royal David's City (arr. A.H. Mann and D. Willcocks for choir and organ)
2. My Dancing Day (arr. B. Chilcott for choir)
3. What Child Is This? (arr. P. Halley for choir and organ) 
4. A Boy Was Born, Op. 3: Theme: A Boy Was Born 2:04
5. The Holly and the Ivy 3:14
6. Who is He in Yonder Stall: Who Is He in Yonder Stall 3:50
7. Nesciens Mater Virgo Virum 3:50
8. Away in a Manger (arr. B. Chilcott for choir) 2:46
9. Ding! Dong! Merrily on High (arr. M. Wilberg and P. Stevens for choir and organ) 2:00
10. O Holy Night 4:29
11. Adam lay y-bounden: Adam Lay Y-bounden 1:15
12. Ecce Concipies 3:04
13. Rocking 1:48
14. Gabriel's Message (arr. G. Brown for choir and organ) 3:02
15. I Wonder as I Wander (arr. L. Enns for choir) 4:19
16. There Is a Flower: There is a Flower 4:16
17. Lo, How a Rose E'er Blooming 3:26
18. The First Nowell (arr. P. Halley for choir and organ) 5:29

Michael Bloss - Organ
Elora Festival Singers
Noel Edison – conductor

The Elora Festival Singers, conducted by internationally acclaimed director Noel Edison, is one of the most exciting of contemporary choirs. Their disc of Eric Whitacre’s choral music was nominated for a GRAMMY® in 2010. Now they turn to the art of the Christmas carol, a genre covering a variety of styles, both popular and refined, each piece expressing religious sentiments and beliefs. The music ranges from much-loved settings to new works, from polyphony to more straightforward melodies, in a recital stretching from the Middle Ages to the music of today. --- naxos.com

The Wonder of Christmas, the Elora Festival Singers' eighth album on Naxos, is devoted to traditional and modern arrangements of carols and may be regarded as a companion to the group's 1998 release, The Mystery of Christmas. Under the direction of Noel Edison, and accompanied on eight tracks by organist Michael Bloss, the choir offers an hour-long program that emphasizes the quiet awe of the holiday over its more festive aspects. A reverent tone dominates the album, and even such lively carols as My Dancing Day, The Holly and the Ivy, and Ding, Dong! Merrily on High don't dispel the quiet mood. Because so much of the music is subdued and performed in the manner of a Christmas Eve concert, this album is appropriate for use as quiet background music for church groups and for private reflection. Recorded in St. John's Church in Elora, Ontario, the sound is fairly clear, despite the highly resonant acoustics, though the choir's diction is sometimes indistinct. ---Blair sanderson , Rovi

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