infotext:
The history of the Christmas album
When I decided in early 2008 to design a Christmas album for the benefit of SOS Children's Villages, I had no idea how much wonderful support the project would receive. I had no idea what a challenge this CD would mean for everyone involved. More than once the commitment threatened to fail. I am all the more grateful today for being able to present a Christmas album that is certainly as exciting as it is varied - an album that spans the gap between traditional and new Christmas repertoire, which comes up with four world premiere recordings and a recording of the famous Christmas carol Stille Nacht, which is reminiscent of the original Alpine version by Franz Xaver Gruber from 1818.
Another central work of the album is the song O you happy - originally a Sicilian fisherman's song, which Johannes Falk adapted as a Christmas carol for orphans in 1816 for the Christmas festival. My heartfelt thanks go to all the musicians who waived their fees in order to study the works and produce them in four studio days. I thank the soloists of Tölzer boys' choirs with her chief Ralph Ludewig, the harpsichordist Marga Scheurich-Henschel, the bassist Frank Reinecke and of course my quartet colleagues Christoph Henschel, Markus Henschel and Mathias Beyer-Karlshøj. Franz Beyer deserves thanks for all the necessary arrangements.
The BBC Music Magazine made the composition competition possible, which resulted in the new Christmas compositions for boy soloists and string quartet. For the jury of the competition I received valuable, voluntary support from Oliver Condy (Editor BBC Music Magazine), Roxanna Panufnik (Composer), Philip Tagney (Producer BBC Radio 3) and Wulf Weinmann (NEOS Music GmbH).
The jury congratulates the winner derek smith (Malvern, England) 1st prize for his composition Carolingua and is pleased that three other works, which were also awarded, could be produced: And Mary said from Andy Evans (Nottingham, UK) The Incarnation from Roland Fudge (Lancaster, England) and The Christ-child Carol from Earl J Reisdorff (Michigan, USA).
The great commitment of everyone involved only makes sense with the present release of the CD by NEOS Music GmbH. My final and special thanks therefore go to the producer Wulf Weinmann and all employees at NEOS. I hope that this Christmas album will help support the important and successful work of SOS Children's Villages.
Monica Henschel
program:
2 euros from each CD sold
go as a donation to the
SOS Children's Villages
Merry Christmas
Traditional and New Christmas Music
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
[01] I stand by your cribs here 02:01
from “Christmas Oratorio” · Orchestrated by Franz Beyer
Peter Warlock (1894-1930)
[02] Bethlehem Down (1927) 02: 58
Orchestrated by Franz Beyer
Johann Pachelbel (1653-1706)
[03] Canon (orig. for three violins and basso continuo) 04:23
Arrangement for two violins, viola and basso continuo by Monika Henschel
[04] O you happy 02:20
Orchestrated by Franz Beyer
Johann Sebastian Bach (1685-1750)
[05] Air 04:37
from suite no. 3 for orchestra in D major, BWV 1068
[06] Kyrie. God the Father forever (Chorale) 02:49
Orchestrated by Franz Beyer
[07] Stille Nacht (Original version) 03:50
Arrangement by Franz Beyer
Archangel Corelli (1653-1713)
Concerto grosso in G minor 13:11
op. 6 No. 8 “Christmas Concerto” (~1690)
[08] I. 01:09
[09] II. 02:18
[10] III. 02:56
[11] IV. 00:55
[12] V. 01:56
[13] VI. 04:02
Earl J Reisdorff (* 1958)
[14] The Christ-child Carol (2007/2009) 03:07
for soprano voice parts and string quartet
Roland Fudge (* 1947)
[15] The Incarnation (2009) 08: 30
for four sopranos and string quartet
Andy Evans (* 1961)
[16] And Mary said (2009) 05: 51
for string quartet and four treble voices
derek smith (* 1930)
[17] Carolingua (2009) 12: 19
for string quartet and four soprano voices
total time: 66:19
Henschel Quartet (Ambassadors of SOS Children's Villages eV)
Christoph Henschel, violin Markus Henschel, violin
Monika Henschel, viola Mathias Beyer-Karlshøj, cello
Soloists of the Tölzer boys' choir
Daniel Adler - Markus Althanns - Alexander von Both - Benedikt Buschbeck - Kilian Eisert
Noah Hack - Benjamin Hartwig - Raphael Hellinghausen - Daniel Krahmer - Jörg Lehne
Luis Lerner - Ralf Ludewig - Ferdinand Lutz - Johannes Möhrle - Andreas Mörwald - Ludwig Obst
Coaches: Ralf Ludewig Stefan A. Saur Peter Schulz
Ralph Ludewig, choirmaster
Marga Scheurich-Henschel, harpsichord
Frank Reinecke, double bass
Press:
01.12.2010
In a festive season so full of excess it is heart-warming to come across a Christmas offering that contains a special artistic purity together with a reverential quality and charitable intentions. This release titled 'Merry Christmas' devised and played by the renowned Henschel Quartet is an inspiring collection of beautiful Christmas music of both traditional and contemporary repertoire. On the majority of the tracks the Henschel are joined by a basso continuo and boys choir. Included are four world premiere recordings and several other first recordings in these new instrumental arrangements by Franz Beyer and by Monika Henschel-Schwind.
The inspiration for the disc came about from the passion and enthusiasm of Monika Henschel-Schwind to assist the SOS Children's Villages. The organization SOS Children is the world's largest orphan and abandoned children's charity. In 2008 Monika decided to produce a Christmas album with her fellow Henschel members that would benefit the charity with 2 euros from each CD sale going to SOS Children's Villages. The choir is provided by the renowned Tölzer Knabenchor (Tölz Boys Choir) directed by their choirmaster Ralf Ludewig. Based in Munich and founded over fifty years ago by chorus master Gerhard Schmidt-Gaden the Tölzer Knabenchor still maintains roots with the Bavarian town of Bad Tölz. Valuable basso continuo accompaniment is provided by harpsichordist Marga Scheurich-Henschel and the double-bass of Frank Reinecke.
Nine of these Christmas works for boys voices and string quartet came about as a result of a composing competition in the BBC Music Magazine. The jury awarded Derek Smith the first prize for Carolingua. In addition three other impressive entries from the competition were also recorded for the disc: And Mary said by Andy Evans; The Incarnation by Roland Fudgehttp://www.musicweb-international.com/sandh/2010/Jan-Jun10/Finzi_2703.htm> other The Christ-child Carol by Earl J. Reisdorff.
Four tracks are sung in English, three are in German with a further song straddling four languages; there is not a weak track on the whole Christmas collection. Several had a special appeal to me. Highly attractive is the choral anthem Bethlehem Down composed by the troubled composer Peter Warlock (aka Philip Heseltine) to a text by his friend Bruce Blunt. Short of money the two reprobates entered the score in the Daily Telegraph's annual carol competition. Here Bethlehem Down is hauntingly performed with a measured dignity. The vulnerability of the boys choir is particularly attractive.
In my view the standout track is the gloriously performed world famous carol Stille Nacht (Silent Night). Franz Beyer's arrangement is based on Franz Xaver Gruber's original Alpine version from 1818. With its unforgettable vocal melody and catchy instrumentation in this new arrangement I can imagine Silent Night proving a real Christmas hit if taken up by a radio station.
Another splendidly performed work is the carol O you happy (O, How Joyfully) in a Franz Beyer arrangement. Originally a traditional Sicilian fisherman's song it was arranged in Goethe's time to be a German Christmas carol for orphans. Monika Henschel-Schwind outlines to me the story of a beautiful German novel by Walter Nordmann that is particularly apposite to this SOS Children charity disc. The heart-warming tale tells of a devastated and lonely father who had lost all his children one by one to illness. The house no longer rings with the sound of children's laughter. One day an orphan child knocked at the door and the lonely father took him in. Later more and more children knocked at his door. Soon the house was again ringing with the glamor of children.
Of the instrumental works in their new arrangements for string quartet and basso continuo both the Pachelbel Canon and JS Bach's Air from suite no. 3 are given outstanding performances. The playing has a meditative quality providing a near hypnotic effect and importantly the tempo is never allowed to drag.
The worthy winner of the BBC Music Magazine composing competition was Derek Smith's Carolingua for boy soprano voices and string quartet. Extended at over twelve minutes the infectious appeal of Carolingua is its fresh and accessible contemporary feel. For the text the composer has selected four carols in different languages. Earl J. Reisdorff's enchanting setting of GK Chesterton's verse The Christ-child Carol for boy soprano voices and string quartet is highly appealing in the manner of a John Rutter score.
Recorded in Munich the sound quality is of a high standard if the choir is a touch close at times. Full texts are included but not English translations of the German carols. This excellent disc on NEOS is a Christmas winner and a refreshing change from the usual cloying festive releases.
Michael Cookson
24.12.2009
O you happy- The Henschel Quartet with the Tölzer Boys' Choir
It's a shame that the Prinzregententheater is only sparsely occupied. The Christmas gala in aid of the SOS Children's Villages association with the Henschel Quartet, harpsichordist Marga Scheurich-Henschel, double bassist Frank Reinecke and the Tölzer Boys' Choir is a great Christmas concert. Festive, but never tacky. The instrumentalists first help to avoid excessive sugar levels. In Bach's Air from the Overture in D major, BWV 1068, they express a simply composed intimacy and interpret the famous Pachelbel canon, the Allegro con spirito from Haydn's G major Quartet op. 76 No. 1 or the Allegro from Mozart's A major quartet KV 464 succinctly. The musical gestures are clearly recognizable, and Corelli's “Christmas Concerto”, the Concerto Grosso in G minor, Op. 6 No. 8, can certainly produce a certain sonic astringency. This is beautiful and convincing.
The texts that the actress Carolin Fink recites with emphasis also do not seem pensive at all. In Fink's lecture, Theodor Storm's "Knecht Ruprecht" is a thriller, and Marie Luise Kaschnitz's "What a party it was" paints a very strong picture of the danger of forgetting the value of a family celebration in modern times. On the other hand, the carefree freshness with which the Tölzer Boys' Choir sings its Christmas carols and chorales seems almost comforting. Choir leader Ralf Ludewig provides incredibly strong dynamic contrasts, while accompanist Clemens Haudum complements the choral movements with pretty, pastel colors on the accordion. And yet, thankfully, the choir speaks with esprit far more about childlike, stormy anticipation than about quiet contemplation. “Shout loudly, Jerusalem!” says Handel’s “Daughter Zion”. This text is rarely translated so literally into song. Great.
ANDREAS PERNPINTNER