A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High

Aside from the O Magnum, two other pieces are worth noting: the "Ave Maria" exemplifies what Shaw is able to accomplish with men's voices, almost to the point that you think there has to be some secret that only he knows. Probably the most enjoyable piece for me on the recording is the "What is this lovely fragrance?". Here Shaw takes a very simple, lush carol and transforms it into a work of art, as only he can do.

As one other reviewer stated, I find the inclusion of the Britten to be somewhat strange, as the music of Britten is certainly of a completely different style than the other works on this recording. I will also state that while I find the inclusion strange, I also found the performance of the Britten first rate, as expected.

This collection should be on everyone's list of "must-own" albums, not solely for the Christmas season, but for all year long. Anyone who has not heard this recording need not listen to the online samples, simply purchase and enjoy. Five stars is not enough.

An interesting mix of some well known and many lesser known carols. Twenty eight expertly performed songs sung accapelo or with light harp or organ accompaniment. This album compliments my collection due to its uniqueness.

Very pleasing and relaxing to listen to.

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   Written on December 25, 1998
   Summary: Shaw Strikes Yuletide Gold ... Again!
As he has so many times in the past, Robert Shaw has demonstrated that nobody does Christmas better. "A Robert Shaw Christmas: Angels on High" is perhaps his best Christmas recording to date. Never stodgy, always exciting, this recording captures the exuberant joy as well as the deep spirituality inherent in the Christmas event. Right from the start Shaw grabs your heart with the unusually stirring Alice Parker arrangement of "O Come Emmanuel". The lush "Ave Maria" (Franz Biebl) so sensitively done by Shaw's men is both deeply reverent and even hypnotic.

For me, the highlight of the recording is Morten Lauridsen's setting of "O Magnum Mysterium" which has become a classic even as Paul Salamunovich predicted when he and the LA Master Chorale premiered the piece in 1994. Shaw's treatment of this marvelous work is alone worth the price of the CD. Humble, reverent and moving, even the most jaded secular mind could not miss the power and beauty of the mystery of the incarnation, of which this piece so aptly speaks.

I question whether it was best to end the CD with Benjamin Britten's "Ceremony of Carols" but as Shaw is perhaps a choral living legend, I would bow to his judgment.

This CD is yet another jewel in Robert Shaw's crown of choral masterpieces. Let me say with a smile that had it been appropriate and available way back then, along with gold, frankincense and myrrh, the wise men SHOULD have brought this CD. It's that good!