A selection of finalist choirs from the Competition were offered the opportunity to record their favourite festive choral works with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by David Brophy. Now, the Choirs for Christmas CD with twenty-one of your favourite carols sung by Irish choirs has been released.Eight choirs from Tullamore, Carrickfergus, Dublin, Limerick and Tipperary demonstrated the power of the human voice to uplift the spirit at Christmas with traditional renditions of Once in Royal David’s City and Away in a Manger to the secular celebration of a Caribbean Christmas Holiday or Jingle Bell Swing. The CD also marks the premiere recordings of Elaine Agnew’s Curoo Curoo and Christmas Day and the much loved traditional Wexford Carol in a new arrangement for choir and orchestra. This inspirational CD is a must buy for the Christmas stocking for all ages – we can guarantee you will be tempted to sing along.
Choirs for Christmas CD Track Listing
All tracks except * with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra conducted by David Brophy
1.Once in Royal David’s City
C.F. Alexander / H.J. Gauntlett arr. D. Wilcocks
The Trinity Singers, director Roisin Blunnie
2.See, amid the Winter’s Snow
E. Caswall / J. Goss arr. D. Wilcocks
Carrickfergus Grammar School, director Edward Craig
3.White Christmas
I. Berlin arr. H. McCarthy
Sacred Heart School Tullamore, director Regina McCarthy
4.Jingle Bells*
J.l. Pierpont arr. B. Perry
New Dublin Voices, director Bernie Sherlock
5.Away in a Manger
Traditional arr. D. Wilcocks
St. Joseph’s Primary School Tipperary, director Helen Colbert
6.Do you hear what I hear?
N.Regney / G. Shayne
Musical Suspects, director Bernie Sherlock
7.Candlelight Carol
J. Rutter
RTÉ Cor na nÓg, director Mary Amond O’Brien
8.Stille Nacht
J. Mohr / F.X. Gruber arr. J. Rutter
New Dublin Voices, director Bernie Sherlock
9.In the Bleak mid-Winter
C. Rosetti / G. Holst arr. D. Wilcocks
The Trinity Singers, director Roisin Blunnie
10.Tomorrow shall be my dancing day
Traditional arr. J. Gardner
Carrickfergus Grammar School, director Edward Craig
11.We Three Kings *
J.H. Hopkins
New Dublin Voices, director Bernie Sherlock
12.Caribbean Christmas Holiday
K. Shaw
Cantette Limerick, director Maire Keary Scanlon
13.Jingle Bell Swing
J.l. Pierpont arr. D.J. Elliott
Sacred Heart School Tullamore, director Regina McCarthy
14.12 Days of Christmas*
Traditional arr. R. Smith
Musical Suspects, director Bernie Sherlock
15.Christmas Day
E. Agnew / G. Fitzmaurice
RTÉ Cor na nÓg, director Mary Amond O’Brien
16.The Holly and the Ivy
Traditional arr. J. Gardner
Carrickfergus Grammar School, director Edward Craig
17.Ding Dong Merrily on High
G.R. Woodward arr. D. Wilcocks
New Dublin Voices, director Bernie Sherlock
18.Still, Still, Still
G. Götsch arr. P. Ledger
Carrickfergus Grammar School, director Edward Craig
19.Wexford Carol
Traditional arr. F. O’Carroll
The Trinity Singers, director Roisin Blunnie with soloist Robert Blake
20.Star Carol
J. Rutter
RTÉ Cor na nÓg, director Mary Amond O’Brien
21.Curoo Curoo
E. Agnew
New Dublin Voices, director Bernie Sherlock
