Internationally renowned for their expressive phrasing and luxurious tone, The Elmer Iseler Singers present sixteen traditional spirituals, including Go Down Moses, Nobody Knows the Trouble I've Seen, and Swing Low, Sweet Chariot.

The Iseler Singers perform carols by Canadian composers commissioned for this recording Ð four original compositions, an arrangement of the Huron Carol and eleven new arrangements of carols from the 1582 collection, 'Piae Cantiones' by the Swedish monk, Theodoricus Petrus of Nyland. Published in England in 1853, its timeless melodies have permeated the church music of the English-speaking world. According to Ken Winters' informative liner notes the only work on the program not commissioned by the Singers is Healey Willan's miniature masterpiece, Resonet in Laudibus, also from 'Piae Cantiones'. Each carol is a highly individual exploration of musical beauty. Exquisite dissonances propel Eleanor Daley's harmonization of Ave Maris Stella; Eric Robertson astonishes with his symphonic vision of Puer Natus in Bethlehem; Derek Holman's modal counterpoint to the syncopations of Gaudete bursts with energy; Donald Patriquin's folk song treatment of Puer Nobis Nascitur is fresh and unexpected; Peter Togni's arrangement of Corde Natus Ð Of the Father's love begotten moves with deft assurance from two-part simplicity to a grand multiphonic concluding Amen.

The ''sound'' of the Elmer Iseler Singers, has been described as a fleeting moment of almost ineffable beauty and passion. Elmer Iseler was a man of deep faith, and he professed it in an unusual way: by fashioning a choral instrument, a highly accomplished professional group. The sacred works collected here are varied and touch upon some of the most passionate and poetic humanistic ideals. In this release, Maestro Iseler honours landmarks of the French repertoire by Durufle, Milhaud, Poulenc and Messiaen. He also features classic works from our time by his own living colleagues - Canadian composers Barrie Cabena, Harry Freedman, Ruth Watson Henderson and Syd Robinovitch.

This recording features the contributions of several Canadians to the caroling genre, as composers of new carols and arrangers of old ones. From the perennially beautiful O Come All Ye Faithful and The Holly and the Ivy to the 14th century German Christmas Song, better known as 'Joseph, lieber Joseph', this is a lively recording by one of Canada's most loved choirs. Derek Holman's rollicking arrangement of Deck the Halls shows off its insouciance by capturing an unmistakable tipsiness which very likely did accompany the decking of those particular halls. Two of the arranged carols are especially notable: The Huron Carol, known as Canada's first Christmas Carol (1642), is sung here in Robert Anderson's arrangement; and a rare Nova Scotia variant of the Cherry Tree Carol collected by Helen Creighton and arranged by Louis Applebaum.