Jonathan Miller

Review: 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.

Songlist: Amuworo ayi otu nwa, What Sweet Music, II est Ne, le Divin Enfant, The Huron Carol, I Wonder As I Wonder, Splendid Jewel, Lo Yisa Goy, Who Is The Baby?, The Christ-child's Lullaby, O Come, O Come Emmanuel, Noel nouvelet, Prayer of the Venerable Bede, En stjerne er sat, Hodie, Nyathi onyuol, Aleih Neiri, Jingle a cappella, O Lux Beatissima

Review: Chicago a cappella's sparkling new studio recording features an exciting collection of beloved music from the ensemble's first decade. Recorded at Chicago's WFMT Studios by Grammy-nominated engineer Christopher Willis, Eclectric includes brilliant new choral works, familiar favorites, and vocal jazz.

Songlist: Danse, ikke grate na, El Hambo, Prayers of Steel, Pleasure, The West Lake, Waltz for Debby, Sanctus, Fragments from his Dish, Contre qui, rose, The Nearness of You, The Fall, Constant Craving, Shenandoah