Chicago a cappella returns with a sparkling selection of seasonal songs by contemporary composers and arrangers, including seven world premieres. Works include two lively African settings (in African languages) of the biblical passage 'For unto us a child is born,' delightful treatments of traditional French and French-Canadian carols, a unique Danish take on the Christmas story, distinctive works by leading American composers including Stephen Paulus (Splendid Jewel) and Gwyneth Walker (The Christ-child's Lullaby), and James Clemens's brilliant, jazz-inflected arrangement, Jingle a cappella, centered around a wild fugue in 7/8 time! The disc also presents two pieces based on Hebrew texts: Aleih Neiri, a Hanukkah song by Yemen-born Jewish composer Chaim Parchi, and multiple award-winning young composer Stacy Garrop's poignant prayer for peace, Lo Yisa Goy. In a season brimming with holiday music, Chicago a cappella's new CD stands apart as a jewel of imaginative programming and passionate performances that please the ear and penetrate the heart.

Listen to Splendid Jewel in RealAudio.