With our world changing so rapidly, with our means of communication accelerating at dizzying speeds, with our cultures and beliefs intermingling and becoming less well-defined, what does Christmastime mean to people in our world and how do we choose the music for a CD that will be appealing to listeners? In many ways the music on this CD, Yuletide Fires II, is a reflection of that current world. You'll find ancient Latin chant expressing the wonder of the virgin and child; familiar words and carols that connect us to a Christmas of our childhood; songs written in the 21st century that explore new ways to celebrate the joys of Christmas and hopes and possibilities of a new year. There are also tunes and tales that tell of traditions and transport us back in memory to that time of heightened anticipation. We are thrilled to have renowned mezzo-soprano Judith Forst join us on this CD - what a wonderful Christmas present!

Since its founding in 1997 by director Diane Loomer, C.M., recipient of the Order of Canada, 57-strong men's chorus Chor Leoni has been recognized as a Canadian choral treasure, and lauded for its innovative programming, technical precision and commitment to the creation of new Canadian works for male choir. We have given high praise to the ensemble's collections of Folk, Pop, traditional and original tunes in the Singers.com catalog, and totally enjoyed this collection of traditional Christian hymns, like 'Shall We Gather at the River,' 'All Beautiful the March of Days,' the Shaker hymn 'Not One Sparrow is Forgotten,' 'Precious Lord,' 'Eternal Father, Strong to Save,' 'In The Garden,' 'Abide with Me' and 'Hark, I Hear the Harps Eternal;' Spirituals like the title tune, 'Nobody Knows the Trouble I See,' 'Swing Low, Sweet Chariot,' 'In Dat Great Gittin' Up Mornin',' 'Witness,' 'Over Yonder' and 'Ain'-A That Good News!;' and Folk songs like Stephen Foster's 'Hard Times' and Antonin Dvorak's 'Goin' Home.' There is some piano accompaniment. Chor Leoni doesn't overpower us with testosterone as some large, all-male choruses have a tendency to do, but touches and moves us with beautiful leads and sweet harmonies. Kudos and thanks to Ms. Loomer for crafting one of our favorite men's choruses, and for another stellar collection, 'Meetin' Here Tonight!'

Listen to Witness in RealAudio.

Chor Greek for choir, Leoni, (Italian for Lions) was formed in 1992 by director Diane Loomer to give skilled male singers an opportunity to gather and sing challenging repertoire. Quality a cappella singing, strong arrangements and a willingness to 'try anything once' have led these 46 men to the upper echelons of the Canadian choral world. This CD is a treat for us fans of folk music, 20 better- and lesser-known Canadian folk songs, from 'Fogarty's Cove' ('She cries when I'm away to sea, nags me when I'm with her, She'd rather I'd a government job or maybe go on the dole'), 'Vive L'Amour,' and 'Away From The Roll of the Sea' to the Nova Scotia folk song 'The Carrion Crow,' 'Northwest Passage,' 'Wood River,' the British Columbia tune 'Grand Hotel' and 'Make and Break Harbor,' this is all great stuff. Some light accompaniment here and there by piano, clarinet, bass, harmonica, guitar and spoons, but make no mistake - the focus is one of the best male choruses we've heard, and folk music is their meat. From the deep bass harmonies to sweet, soaring tenor solos, 'Safari' is cut after cut of achingly lovely, heartstrings-tugging stuff!

'Goin' Home is Chor Leoni's sixth CD - each one we rave about, and each one is better than the last! Internationally acclaimed conductor Diane Loomer's flawless direction and song selection keep the Vancouver, BC-based all-male choir going in the right direction. As Canada is composed of citizens from every corner of the world, the object of 'Goin'' was to collect and present folk songs from many of these countries, in the hope that CL's audience would experience 'the bittersweet tightness in the throat and tear in the eye that only comes when you are goin' home.' 18 richly textured a cappella songs, beginning with 3 dramatic Ainu folk tunes, 'Bear Festival,' 'Piraka' and 'Whale Festival,' and continuing with 'Fenyang Ge' and 'Minoi, Minoi,' Anhui and Samoan folk songs, respectively. Following are the Lapp folk song, 'Dalvi duoddar luohti,' and one of the best covers of the Zulu tune 'The Lion Sleeps Tonight' we've heard. German, English, Irish, Estonian, and Welsh folk songs delight the crowd (this is a live performance, although the audience is almost edited out). A couple of nice American songs, the Appalachian folk song 'Bright Morning Star' and 'Shenandoah,' precede the title tune by Antonin Dvorak, the Scottish tune 'Loch Lomond' and 'Christmas Angel.' Sweet harmonies and what we can only call 'personality' pour forth from CL like water from a Canadian stream. Recommended!

Listen to Fengyang Ge in RealAudio.

This fifth release from Vancouver's pride of lions features a mostly sacred and deeply moving program of works ranging from the 12th to the 20th centuries. Canadian baritone Bret Polegato guests on one of the few non-sacred pieces, Schubert's beautiful Stanchen for soloist and men's choir. Other highlights include 12th century organum by Perotin, Beata Viscera, excerpts from Caplet's Messe a trois voix, a beautiful and seamless performance of Faure's Cantique de Jean Racine transcribed for men's voices, and Michael Head's stunning How Sweet the Moonlight Sleeps.

Vancouver BC's finest, Chor Leoni Men's Choir has delighted us in previous CDs, particularly with Folk tunes and sea shanties. Here we have a sumptuous, rich collection of 22 Christmas songs that show off CL's range, talent and feeling. From the Gregorian chants 'Hodie Christus Natus Est,' 'Veni, Veni Emanuel,' 'Lux Aeterna,' and 'Alma Redemptoris Mater,' the English carol 'God Rest You Merry Gentlemen,' and the Canadian 'Huron Carol,' to Diane Loomer's title tune, the Sarum chant 'Veni Redemtor Gencium: and the Austrian carol 'Still, Still, Still,' this is great stuff. There is some light accompaniment such as organ on a few cuts, but basically this is just a great male chorus showing off its chops on Christmas music ranging from the traditional and well-known to unknown and eclectic. Highly recommended.

Diane Loomer, founder of Chor Leoni in 1992 with the purpose of singing the best, most difficult 'classical' works for male choir, is unable to explain how the lions have now recorded their 3rd CD of folk songs. One good reason seems to be that Canadian folk music is the art of the people - sometimes rough, sometimes achingly beautiful, humorous, whimsical, warm and full of heart. Although they are using more accompaniment now and have performed with several symphony orchestras, the spirit, energy and sheer vocal power of Chor Leoni is as infectious as ever. 'Safari 2' is a generous 2-CD collection of 25 tunes. Many favorites, but in particular 'Royal Hudson,' the foot-stomping 'Watching the Apples Grow,' 'Feller from Fortune,' 'Trinque l'amourette,' Gordon Lightfoot's classic 'In the Early Morning Rain,' the rousing 'The Nancy,' 'The Black Fly Song,' 'The Mary Ellen Carter,' 'The Field Behind The Plow,' 'The Williams Lake Stampede' and 'Canadian Pacific.' A powerful, big fun 6th CD from the lions of the North country!

We have reviewed five CDs by the talented men of Canada's 'Choral Lions,' and we have loved them all! Conductor and founder Loomer seems to call forth and inspire the rich, powerful baritone and bass parts, providing the ground for the soaring leads of the altos and tenors. 'Magnificat' is a lightly-accompanied Christmas collection, beginning with Contrad Susa's delightful 10-part 'Christmas in the Southwest,' continuing with the Elektra Women's Choir on Ottorino Respighi's 'Lauda per la Nativita del Signore,' and closing beautifully with Rupert Lang's 7-part title tune, 'Magnificat.' Listen to Susa's joyous 'Campana Sobre Campana,' 'En Belen Tocan a Fuego' and 'En Noi de la Mare' to get a taste of this delectable, surprising Christmas collection from one of our favorite male ensembles.

'Songs' joins 6 other strong recordings by Vancouver's prize-winning pride of lions, led by Loomer, one of Canada's top choral conductors (she also conducts the Amabile Singers, the UBC Choral Union and is co-conductor of Canada's award-winning women's choir Electra). 'Songs of War and Peace' reflects the various reactions of artists and composers to war, some are swept up in the swell of nationalism and idealism and glorified the bravery of soldiers, others have written songs to encourage the troops and pray for their safety, and some have spoken out against the glorification of warfare. The lightly-accompanied songlist focuses first on the sacrifice and loss of the soldiers with Mike Sammes' 'For the Fallen,' John McRae's 'In Flanders Field' and the stark, frightening 'A Stopwatch and an Ordnance Map' by Samuel Barber and Kirke Mechem's haunting 'Blow Ye the Trumpet.' The cheery, martial air of Charles Gounod's 'Soldier's Chorus' provides a counterpoint to the powerful, dark story of Percy Grainger's 'Danny Deever,' the poignant 'An Irish Airman Foresees His Death,' and Eric Bogle's Australian ballad 'And the Band Played Waltzing Matilda.' Particularly touching is the medley 'Songs Soldiers Sing,' which includes 'Lilli Marlene,' 'It's a Long Way to Tipperary,' White Cliffs of Dover,' 'Pack Up Your Troubles' and 'We'll Meet Again.' The Irish air 'The Minstrel Boy' and a pair of American Spirituals, 'Over Yonder' and 'We Shall Walk Through the Valley in Peace' provide a fitting close to this powerful, thought-provoking collection.

Chor Leoni is well known for its Remembrance day concerts, and this latest addition to its CD catalogue is a compilation of works performed at its most recent November concerts. 'Is is dedicated to the citizens of all nationalities and faiths who have experienced loss and who deserve our compassion,' writes conductor Diane Loomer. The singing is sensitive and beautiful as always, and the selections range from classics such as Schubert's setting of Psalm 23 and Randall Thompson's Choose Something Like a Star to works written for Chor Leoni, including the premiere recording of Stephen Smith's moving Pensive on Her Dead Gazing. And just try to stay dry-eyed during Bring Him Home from Les Miserables!

This renamed and repackaged version of Chor Leoni's first Christmas recording (Magnificat) presents three substantial and endearing seasonal works. The sunny Carols and Lullabies: Christmas in the Southwest by Conrad Susa derives from the folk music of Hispanic America, and sets the Holy birth in the context of a Southwestern pinata party. Italian composer Ottorino Respighi was an early twentieth-century composer who looked to the past for inspiration and musical materials, e.g., in his well-known Ancient Airs and Dances. This tendency can also be heard in the Laud to the Nativity of Our Lord, Respighi's self-described 'personal Christmas card to the world.' The disc also includes the premiere recording of a Chor Leoni commission, Magnificat by Vancouver composer Rupert Lang. Using the unusual combination of mezzo-soprano soloist and male chorus, Lang seeks to express Mary's personal, human response to the formal biblical text, with wonderful results. Special guests for this recording include mezzo-soprano Mariateresa Magisano (winner of the 1998 Metropolitan Opera Auditions), soprano Lambroula Maria Pappas (winner of the 1999 Metropolitan Opera Auditions), and Elektra Women's Choir (four-time consecutive First Place winners in the CBC Competition).

A perennial favourite with Vancouver audiences, Corlynn's sweet and gentle 'Christmas Angel' has elements of traditional and popular music. it is sure to be a hit with your audiences too. A smooth and jazzy version of 'Silent Night,' this piece is straightforward and suitable for any Christmas concert. Written in a traditional chant-like style with unison lines alternating with lush harmonic passages, Chor Leoni discovered Willan's previously unpublished version of 'Magnificat' and instantly fell in love with it. One of Chor Leoni's favourite modern Christmas carols, 'Yuletide Fires' is as warm and glowing as a glass of mulled wine.

'Ubi Caritas' is a setting of the second verse of the beautiful Maundy Thursday text. The work's character and melodic structure is strongly based on chant and, as a result, requires a sensitive approach to subtle tempo changes, text and phrasing. After several climactic sections, the piece ends very simply and pognantly with a request for peace and understanding. 'Jing-ga-lye-ya' was an instant success for Chor Leoni Men's Choir. Using nonsense words, it is rhythmic and upbeat, and uses cyclical repetition in the parts creating an incredibly catchy groove! Loomer's arrangement of 'Goin Home,' the folksong/principal theme from Dvorak's New World Symphony with baritone solo, was written for Chor Leoni and calls for low D flats from the basses... but you do have their permission to change keys!

Stan Rogers, Canada's folk music hero speaks to all of us through his words and music. 'Fogarty's Cove' is faithful to Stan's musical Style and it's great to sing! 'Ave, Maris Stella' is a favorite Nova Scotia Latin canticle with a simple harmonic arrangement. Included is a solo for tenor or unison tenor section. 'Loch Lomond' begins with a tenor or baritone solo, and develops into a rousing rhythmic chorus which drives to the end of the piece. in between are richly textured choral verses.