But the “newer” work that struck me right away, and kept me coming back for another listen was Jim Clements’ imaginative and very engaging setting of Gabriel’s Message, a carol well-known in an old and oft-sung version. And beware: if you always loved the traditional tune for I wonder as I wander, you may just find yourself embracing the completely different, and very catchy (in a good way), version by Philip Stopford. Vancouver-based Gerda Blok-Wilson’s Lullay My Liking is a refreshingly new setting of the very old favorite, as is Elora Singers member Jeff Enns’ own take on O magnum mysterium. An exception may be Serenity (O magnum mysterium) by today’s very “in” Ola Gjeilo, a piece that immediately draws you in to its perfectly crafted, captivating choral sound, with striking obbligato cello. The rest of the program consists mostly of works that are relatively new or otherwise may be less familiar to many listeners. Vuorinen and his singers have done a very nice job of that here: nothing could be more “traditional” than a David Willcocks carol or hymn arrangement, and there are three scattered among the 19 well-chosen selections, along with other pieces that easily could be called standards, from Patrick Hadley’s gorgeous I sing of a maiden, Derek Holman’s Make we joy now in this fest, Phillip Ledger’s Adam lay ybounden, Arvo Pärt’s Bogoróditse Djévo, and Canadian composer Mark Sirett’s lovely, affecting Thou Shalt Know Him. With a Christmas program, however, it’s usually a good idea to keep things centered on the more or less traditional (after all, that’s what Christmas is!) while offering, even introducing, some unfamiliar or newly written works or arrangements. Mark Vuorinen joined the ensemble as director in 2018, bringing a new vitality and vision to the choir’s programming and mission while continuing its collaborative efforts and support for new Canadian music, notably a recent project with Odawa First Nations composer Barbara Croall.
RADIANT DAWN ARCHIVE
The Elora Singers (previously known by its original name, The Elora Festival Singers) has been making beautiful music since the 1980s, and first-rate recordings for at least a couple of decades (see our reviews archive for a generous sample).
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