Christmas with Septura
With this recording Septura answers the question, âwhat if the greatest Christmas music had been written for brass?â In arrangements that go far beyond Yultide clichĂ©s, Septura has carefully crafted a programme that explores virtuosity and festive celebration in pieces such as the Christmas Suite with music by J.S. Bach, rapturous serenity from the likes of Robert ParsonÂŽs beautiful Ave Maria, and nostalgic favourites such as the ravishingly polyphonic The Three Kings by Peter Cornelius. Septura pushes its colours and combinations to the limit in re-imagining this varied selection of sublime Christmas music from the past 450 years.
REVIEW:
The English brass septet Septura's ensemble work is unimpeachable, but where they break new ground is in their arrangements, which both draw on a slightly wider range of sources than usual and have a more varied selection of textures. The program starts off normally enough with SchĂŒtz, Bach, and Praetorius, but brings some delightful surprises in the middle parts, such as arrangements of two sections from Rachmaninoffâs Vespers. Thereâs nothing to make this collection unsuitable for festive holiday listening, and indeed it will fill the bill elegantly in that regard.
-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)
With this recording Septura answers the question, âwhat if the greatest Christmas music had been written for brass?â In arrangements that go far beyond Yultide clichĂ©s, Septura has carefully crafted a programme that explores virtuosity and festive celebration in pieces such as the Christmas Suite with music by J.S. Bach, rapturous serenity from the likes of Robert ParsonÂŽs beautiful Ave Maria, and nostalgic favourites such as the ravishingly polyphonic The Three Kings by Peter Cornelius. Septura pushes its colours and combinations to the limit in re-imagining this varied selection of sublime Christmas music from the past 450 years.
REVIEW:
The English brass septet Septura's ensemble work is unimpeachable, but where they break new ground is in their arrangements, which both draw on a slightly wider range of sources than usual and have a more varied selection of textures. The program starts off normally enough with SchĂŒtz, Bach, and Praetorius, but brings some delightful surprises in the middle parts, such as arrangements of two sections from Rachmaninoffâs Vespers. Thereâs nothing to make this collection unsuitable for festive holiday listening, and indeed it will fill the bill elegantly in that regard.
-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)
Description
With this recording Septura answers the question, âwhat if the greatest Christmas music had been written for brass?â In arrangements that go far beyond Yultide clichĂ©s, Septura has carefully crafted a programme that explores virtuosity and festive celebration in pieces such as the Christmas Suite with music by J.S. Bach, rapturous serenity from the likes of Robert ParsonÂŽs beautiful Ave Maria, and nostalgic favourites such as the ravishingly polyphonic The Three Kings by Peter Cornelius. Septura pushes its colours and combinations to the limit in re-imagining this varied selection of sublime Christmas music from the past 450 years.
REVIEW:
The English brass septet Septura's ensemble work is unimpeachable, but where they break new ground is in their arrangements, which both draw on a slightly wider range of sources than usual and have a more varied selection of textures. The program starts off normally enough with SchĂŒtz, Bach, and Praetorius, but brings some delightful surprises in the middle parts, such as arrangements of two sections from Rachmaninoffâs Vespers. Thereâs nothing to make this collection unsuitable for festive holiday listening, and indeed it will fill the bill elegantly in that regard.
-- AllMusic.com (James Manheim)
