Users' Reviews
By EE115671
13-Dec-2012
Mais oui! ‘Tis the season!
The clear voices, exact pitch, familiar themes and melodies usher in the Advent/Christmas season with a flourish! Arsys Bourgogne, under the guidance of founding conductor Pierre Cao, performs Christmas Songs of the World in an elegant a capella setting. This CD confirms the solid, stellar career for these 20 musicians singing as one blended voice. The international carols are made all the more beautiful by presentation in several languages, sending the curious listener to explore unfamiliar words and meanings in books or online.
The jacket catches the eye with its unusual aqua/mauve colors and stylized Christmas trees, setting it apart from well-worn themes of Christmas decorations. The versatility of Arsys Bourgogne is displayed by varied tempi, styles, solo parts, and languages; English songs sound perky and energetic with slight French enunciation. There is no wasted sentimentality, but professional skills present these songs to envelop the listener in beautiful interpretation of the wonder of Christmas.
Occasionally a soloist may sound faint, making the listener take notice to catch every word and nuance. Microphone placement perhaps causes the inconsistencies in O Little Town; otherwise the parts are balanced, supporting each other, tossing phrases back and forth as easily as a bouncing ball. The booklet is simply clear and well-labeled. Having the tracks labeled would be helpful while playing the CD on the computer.
This chorus is well-supported by French organizations, enabling Mr. Cao to train and prepare a premiere professional group. Other countries would do well to follow such an example in support of the arts. This CD will be a welcome gift to choir and chorus directors, to anyone having a party, to those seeking an excellent standard to emulate, and to everyone wanting Santa to load his sleigh.
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