Crouch End Festival Chorus presents two Britten classics: Saint Nicolas and A Ceremony of Carols. Full of vibrancy and drama, Saint Nicolas is performed alongside the fabulous BBC Concert Orchestra and features tenor Mark Le Brocq as well as Coldfall Primary School Choir, members of Hertfordshire Chorus and Hannah Brine Choirs.
The ever popular A Ceremony of Carols is performed with harpist Sally Pryce, with both works conducted by David Temple.
A Ceremony of Carols (1942) and Saint Nicolas (1948) are the earliest works that Benjamin Britten composed for public performance primarily for boys’ voices. These performances, recorded here at London’s All Saints' Church and Alexandra Palace Theatre, truly show how glorious these two pieces of music are, and why they have remained so popular.
BBC Music Magazine Christmas 2020
Here at last is a St Nicolas that offers a real alternative to Matthew Best’s superb Hyperion recording. Tenor Mark Le Brocq is a fine sounding Nicolas: at his commanding best in the saint’s opening address, he also uses a fine lyric tone...Temple’s excellent choirs include a winningly enthusiastic children’s choir (making Best’s sound positively reticent). The Crouch End Festival Chorus are characterful ****
Gramophone Magazine December 2020
Temple directs with purposeful vigour, eliciting admirably spick and span, notably enthusiastic results from his choral and orchestral team (amateur and professional alike); Mark Le Brocq is an ardent exponent of the title-role. What’s more, there’s no disputing the infectious community spirit and festive splendour on display.
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