Celebration of Christmas: There Is a Star [CD] - BYU Combined Choirs and Orchestra

Each Christmas season at Brigham Young University over 500 vocalists and instrumentalists celebrate the season in song. Handpicked from the largest private student body in the country, these students comprise four nationally and internationally acclaimed choirs and the highly praised Philharmonic Orchestra.

These musical organizations are known for their unity, due in part to the superb technical proficiency achieved under the hands of choral conductors Ronald Staheli, Rosalind Hall, and Jean Applonie and Philharmonic conductor Kory Katseanes. But there is more. Students and conductors share a strong belief in the spiritual character of music. As one critic observed, "The spiritual element is present in each piece the choirs sing." This results in performances that are alive, fresh, and heartfelt—performances that overcome boundaries and draw people together.

The music presented here was recorded during the live performances of the December 2011 Celebration of Christmas concerts.

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TRACKS

BYU Combined Choirs and Orchestra
1. There Is a Star
Joseph Martin

BYU Men’s Chorus
2. Fum, Fum, Fum!
Catalonian carol, arr. Mack Wilberg

3. The Little Drummer Boy
Katherine K. Davis

BYU Women’s Chorus
4. The Twelve Days of Christmas
English Christmas carol, arr. Peter Harvey

BYU Singers
5. The Rune of Hospitality
Alf Houkom

BYU Combined Choirs
6. Wishes and Candles
Stephen Paulus

BYU Philharmonic Orchestra
7. Sleigh Ride
Leroy Anderson

BYU Women’s Chorus
8. Candlelight Carol
John Rutter

BYU Concert Choir
9. Away in a Manger
American Christmas carol, arr. Bob Chilcott

10. Rejoice and Be Merry!
John Rutter

BYU Combined Choirs
11. Of the Father’s Love Begotten
John Ness Beck

BYU Philharmonic Orchestra
12. Polonaise from Christmas Eve
Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

BYU Combined Choirs and Orchestra
13. A Star Shall Rise Up Out of Jacob
Felix Mendelssohn

CREDITS

Producers: Ronald Staheli, Rosalind Hall, Jean Applonie, Kory Katseanes

Executive Producer: Ben Fales

Recording Engineer: Jon Holloman

Editing and Mastering: Troy Sales

BYU Records is part of BYU Music Group, an enterprise center in the School of Music at Brigham Young University and part of the College of Fine Arts and Communications.