Album

The Sixteen, a mixed vocal ensemble founded and conducted by Harry Christophers, has a repertoire ranging from plainsong to contemporary works. This album, Christus Natus Est: An Early English Christmas, includes works from the fourteenth through the seventeenth centuries. What's most notable about it is the impressive range of appropriate performance practices the group brings to this varied repertoire, which starts with chant and moves through folk-like carols to Renaissance motets. The chants have an impressive austerity, the carols are rustically buoyant, while the motets are sung with absolute purity and precision. The carols, which are not the familiar modern carols that are sung with regularity today, are the most easily approachable pieces on the album. They are strongly melodic, with relatively conventional harmonies, and while they may not displace the popular favorites, they are hummable and well worth the effort of getting to know, especially "Nowell, Nowell: Out of your sleep"; "Make we joy"; "Salutation Carol"; "Nowell sing we"; "There is no rose"; "Drive the cold winter away"; "The old year now has passed away"; "Angelus ad Virginem"; and, especially, the lovely "Hail Mary full of grace." The Sixteen's direct, unpretentious performances add to the group's immediate appeal. Many of the pieces are accompanied by a lively instrumental ensemble of Renaissance strings and drums. The diverse but accessible repertoire and the exemplary performances make this a CD that should be of interest to anyone looking for Christmas music from off the beaten path.

© Stephen Eddins, All Music Guide

CD 1
Sarum Chant Composer Verbum caro factum est Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
1	Verbum caro factum est	3:59			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Nowell, Nowell, Tidings True ('Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, this is the salutation') Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
2	Nowell, Nowell, Tidings True ('Nowell, Nowell, Nowell, this is the salutation')	2:12			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Nowell Sing We (English) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
3	Nowell Sing We (English)	2:34			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Gaudete Christus est natus (Piae Cantiones 1582) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
4	Gaudete Christus est natus (Piae Cantiones 1582)	1:26			$0.99
English Traditional Composer Hail Mary Full of Grace (15th Century) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
5	Hail Mary Full of Grace (15th Century)	5:23			$0.99
John Sheppard Composer Gloria in excelsis Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
6	Gloria in excelsis	3:54			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer There Is No Rose of Such Virtue (English) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
7	There Is No Rose of Such Virtue (English)	4:04			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Owt of your slepe aryse (15th c. English), carol Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
8	Owt of your slepe aryse (15th c. English), carol	2:06			$0.99
Thomas Ravenscroft Composer Remember, O thou man (from Melismata, 1611) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
9	Remember, O thou man (from Melismata, 1611)	3:29			$0.99
Richard Pygott Composer Quid Petis, O Fili? (carol, a4) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
10	Quid Petis, O Fili? (carol, a4)	8:27			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Lute Book Lullaby ('Sweet was the song the Virgin sung') Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
11	Lute Book Lullaby ('Sweet was the song the Virgin sung')	2:09			$0.99
William Byrd Composer Lullaby, my sweet little baby (Psalmes, Sonets and Songs, 1588, No.32) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
12	Lullaby, my sweet little baby (Psalmes, Sonets and Songs, 1588, No.32)	6:30			$0.99
Anonymous, Egerton Manuscript 3307 Composer Ave rex angelorum, carol for 3 voices Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
13	Ave rex angelorum, carol for 3 voices	2:09			$0.99
Anonymous, English Composer Drive the Cold Winter Away (from John Playford's English Dancing Master) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
14	Drive the Cold Winter Away (from John Playford's English Dancing Master)	2:05			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Nowell, nowell: The boares head (Riston MS.) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
15	Nowell, nowell: The boares head (Riston MS.)	3:34			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer The old yeare now away is fled (English) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
16	The old yeare now away is fled (English)	1:45			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Angelus ad virginem (English) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
17	Angelus ad virginem (English)	2:41			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Nowell: Dieu vous garde, carol (French) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
18	Nowell: Dieu vous garde, carol (French)	3:52			$0.99
Christmas Traditional Composer Make we joy (Ritson MS.) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
19	Make we joy (Ritson MS.)	2:37			$0.99
John Sheppard Composer Verbum caro factum est (a6) Work Harry Christophers Conductor, Sixteen Choir Chorus/Choir
20	Verbum caro factum est (a6)	6:57			$0.99