Elaine Quilichini directs the elite 'Brava,' finest of 5 performing choirs within the CGC, in this dramatically beautiful Christmas collection, accompanied by pianos, percussion, violin and cello. This CD was recorded in 2003, after which the Choir performed in the Choral Peace Concert at Carnegie Hall in NYC. 23 songs, beginning with 7 by Salvator Mundi 'Make We Merry,' 'Mirabile Mysterium,' 'Be we Merry in this Feast,' 'Lullay,' 'Susani,' 'Christie, Redemptor Omnium,' and the lively, joyous 'Welcome Yule.' Other favorites are 'Mary's Cradle Song,' El Cant des Ocells,' the French songs 'Venez, divin Messie,' 'Il est ne, le divin enfant,' 'Dans cette etable' and 'On ne creaint plus dans l'univers,' 'The Holly and The Ivy,' 'A Carol of Peace,' 'Bashana Habah'ah' and 'Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas.' A sweet, memorable collection that will fill you and yours with joy and Christmas spirit! Complete lyrics on the nice liner notes.

The award-winning Calgary Girls Choir, formed of students attending the Canadian Choral Music School and members of the Calgary community, includes girls and young women from 5 to 19 years old. 'Collection' is a lively group of 25 songs, from the masters (Bach's 'Come Let Us All This Day,' 'Schafe Konnen Sicher Weiden' and 'Jesu Meine Freude;' Schubert's 'The Lord Is My Shepherd' and Brahms' 'Guten Abend'), and contemporary composers (Randall Thompson's 'Velvet Shoes,' Eleanor Daley's 'Os Justi' and 'Rise Up My Love,' and Daniel Pinkham's 'Angels are Everywhere') to folk tunes (Canadian folksong 'She's Like the Swallow,' 'The Blooming Bright Star of Belle Isle,' the Irish folktunes 'Shule Agra' and 'Johnny, I Hardly Knew Ye!', and the Appalachian folktune 'I Am In Love, I Dare Not Own It'), gospel ('Feel Good') and even jazz ('When I Sing'). A lovely, mostly lightly accompanied Collection by the spirited, talented CGC.

Artistic Director Elaine Quilichini founded the Calgary Girls Choir in 1995, an award-winning community choir known for its outstanding performance of a wide variety of musical styles and challenging repertoire. The Choir offers five programs for girls and young women, of which two, 'Allegra,' a preparatory choir for girls ages 6 to 11 years, and 'Brava,' winner of many provincial and national music awards. 15 Christmas songs, all accompanied by light piano, beginning with the title cut, a medley of the '7 Joys,' including 'This Is The Truth,' 'Din, Don! Merrily on High,' 'Joseph Dearest, Joseph Mine,' 'Patapan,' 'Fum, fum, fum!' and others; Schubert's 'Ave Maria,' 'Once In Royal David's City,' the Czech folksong 'Zither Carol,' 'Al Shlosha D'Varim,' the lovely 'Candles, Candles,' 'The Carol of the Rose,' 'Apple-Tree Wassail,' and standard carols 'Fa La, La, La, La' and 'Silent Night,' 'A Celtic Blessing' and others. A lovely Christmas winner from one of Canada's most talented and beloved children's choirs. 

Conductor Elaine Quilichini leads her talented singers in a lightly accompanied, spirited Christmas collection. The selection of 20 songs begins with the 8-parts of Derek Holman's eclectic masterpiece, 'Sir Christemas,' and continues in the same vein with David Willcocks' dissonant 'Psalm 150,' Eric Thiman's dreamy 'Spindrift,' a pair by Bach, 'Wir eilen mit schwachen' and 'Domine Deus,' a moody pair by Imant Raminsh, 'Psalm 23' and 'Vestigia,' and the moving 'Bashana Habah'ah' by Nurit Hirsh. A lovely, very different Christmas collection by one of Canada's great girls choirs!

Founder and Conductor Elaine Quilichini's excellent Calgary Girls Chorus-Viva, for singers in grades two to six, present their debut CD of 21 songs, and it's touching and impressive from the first tune, the title tune by Timothy Strang. Spiritual music like 'Once in Royal David's City,' 'I See the Love of God in Every River' by David Ouchterlony, Handel's 'Dear Lord and Savior' and 'Hand me down my silver trumpet;' upbeat songs like 'Welcome Carol,' 'The Song of the Music Makers,' 'We Will Sing for Joy,' Eric Thiman's 'The Skylark,' Thomas Dunhill's 'April's a Lovely Lady' and Franz Schubert's 'The Trout;' children's music like 'The Owl and the Pussycat,' 'Badgers and Hedgehogs' and 'Hey Diddle Diddle,' and folk tunes like 'Marie's Wedding, 'The Bonny Blue-Eyed Sailor' and 'The Man from Okerboker' all contribute to this feel-good, enjoyable collection.

The Calgary Girls Choir presents a unique musical gift to its audiences everywhere. Recorded by Brava, the main performing, recording and touring ensemble of the Calgary Girls Choir, Christmas Creche is the first of many promising accomplishments by these talented singers.