Christmas Music from the Renaissance, Plus Alfred Burt's Holiday Compositions

We reach back to the 16th and 17th centuries for today's Christmas program, which comes to us from the Renaissance Singers and the Choristers of Ely Cathedral, circa 1958. As a bonus, our friend David Federman has contributed two LPs devoted to the music of Christmas composer Alfred Burt.

Let's look at David's selections first.

The Irving Berlin of American Sacred Christmas Music: Alfred Burt

Alfred Burt

David explains that "in 1942, big band trumpet player and arranger Alfred Burt wrote the first of the 15 Christmas carols, 'Christmas Cometh Caroling,' he would write yearly until the end of his life in February 1954, aged 34, from lung cancer."

David has compiled two LPs dedicated to presenting Burt's craft, one conducted by Ralph Carmichael in 1954, the other by Jimmy Joyce in 1963. "You owe these albums a listen," says David. "My second-favorite carol, after 'Silent Night,' is 'Some Children See Him,' from 1951."

Music for the Feast of Christmas

Michael Howard

Argo Records' holiday issue for 1958 was a collection of primarily Renaissance music presented by the Choristers of Ely Cathedral and the Renaissance Singers, directed by Michael Howard.

The choral items are by Caustun, Gibbons, Amner, Palestrina, Sweelinck, Byrd, Handl, Victoria and Dufay, with two plainsong selections and the Coventry Carol from 1591. Argo added - incongruously - a Messiaen organ work, "Les Anges," following the Amner anthem, the connection being that both the 17th and 20th century composers depict angels attending the birth of Christ. No fluttering wings for Messiaen - the din from his angels would have awakened half of Bethlehem.

The performances are very good. Michael Howard was founder and director of the Renaissance Singers as well as music director of Ely Cathedral in Cambridgeshire. He played a significant role in the revival of Renaissance music in post-war Britain.

Nave of Ely Cathedral

According to the contemporary Gramophone review (included in the download), Howard utilized women's voices for the Singers' London concerts, replacing them with the boys of the Ely Cathedral choir for this recording. The organist was Arthur Wills, who replaced Howard as the Ely music director soon after this record was made, remaining there for 32 years.

Composer John Amner was himself an Ely Cathedral music director, in the 17th century. By that time, the Cathedral, an astonishingly beautiful place, had already been in existence for more than five centuries.

The sound is reasonably good, although the pitch was about a quarter tone off. My copy is mono. Argo also issued a stereo version (see ad below). Decca would soon take over Argo, and my record is a slightly later pressing on Decca's London label made for export to the US.

The cover art above is by the wonderful Arthur Wragg, who did many designs for Argo in its early years. You can see a selection of his work for the label here.

Follow @BusterBig10Inch

Ad from December 1958 Gramophone (click to enlarge)