Dashing: Sounds Of The Season
Navona, 2016
8/10
Listen to Dashing: Sounds Of The Season
The Navona label has brought us legions of music in the area of classical, chamber and orchestral sounds, and here they even offer us a holiday album where The Stanberry Singers, the Moravian Philharmonic Orchestra, and the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra are on hand with their inimitable talents.
“A Visit From St. Nicholas” starts the listen with animated narration from Kerry Stratton as warm, bright chamber music soundtracks the story, and “O Holy Night (Cantique De Noel)” follows with both soulful saxophone and stirring strings working together sublimely.
Elsewhere, L Peter Deutsch’s “A Winter’s Rime” recruits The Stanberry Singers as well as Emily S. Van Niman’s english horn for the expressive choral track, while “The Holly And The Ivy” adds Rebekah E. Chesnes on flute to complement The Stanberry Singers in the vocally strong climate.
The back half of the album is exceptional, too, and includes James Shrader’s “In The Bleak Of Winter”, where The Stanberry Singers harmonize sans instruments in the soothing, stirring delivery, and “Behold That Star” benefits from Sean David Taylor’s baritone and Shawn Dawson’s organ in the Chistopher J. Hoh folk song. The lone contribution from the Salt Lake City Jazz Orchestra, “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”, works Kevin Stout’s trombone into the rich melodies of the Henry Wolking tune.
The album highlight arrives late, as Timothy Lee Miller’s “A Christmas Celebration” is fleshed out by the Moravian Philharmonia Wind and Percussion Ensemble with big band dynamics amid the festive, booming finish.
Selected from a varied set of composers, the musicians here turn in some very well executed interpretations that will certainly add much joy, culture and excitement to any holiday playlist.
Travels well with: Jonathan Badger- Piano Quartets; Athenia Trio- Brush Strokes