The Christmas Story Ars Nova Copenhagen & Paul Hillier

• 1 Rorate coeli desuper 02:31
• 2 Veni veni Emanuel 03:19
• 3 Es ist ein Ros entsprungen 03:26
• 4 Dum deambularet Dominus in Paradisum 04:54
• 5 Adam lay y-bounden 01:36
• 6 In dulci iubilo 03:20
• 7 Missus est Gabriel 07:27
• 8 Puer natus est 03:03
• 9 O magnum mysterium 03:06
• 10 Voi ch'ai notturni rai 06:10
• 11 Dormi, dormi, o bel bambin 02:01
• 12 Liebe Hirten 01:36
• 13 Andachtsjodler 02:26
• 14 We three kings 03:55
• 15 Videntes stellam 00:33
• 16 Personent hodie 01:51
• 17 Herodes iratus 00:37
• 18 Vox in Rama 01:11
• 19 Uebers Gebirg 02:47
• 20 Maria wallt zum Heiligtum 03:12
• 21 The holly and the ivy 02:47
• 22 Barn Jesus i en krybbe la 01:56
• 23 We wish you a merry Christmas 01:34
• Total Runtime 01:05:18

Info for The Christmas Story

Inspired by the much-loved service of 'Nine Lessons and Carols' given every Christmas Eve in England, this recording presents the Nativity story told through plainchant, motets, 17th Century dialogues, and traditional folk carols. Paul Hillier leads Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova Copenhagen in music he has culled and arranged from Italian, German, Danish, English, and American sources.

“This lovely disc offers a Danish take on the traditional English carol service...This needs to be listened to in sequence, in one go, and following the texts leads to a pretty profound, immersive experience. Paul Hillier’s arrangements of traditional carols are unfailingly sensitive; the highlights being a radiant version of the Italian Dormi, dormi o bel Bambino and an account of Liebe Hirten” (The Arts Desk)

'Hillier’s repertoire choices are bold and beautiful. The performances are 
outstanding.These days it seems that everything Hillier touches turns to gold and this album is the latest that benefits from his Midas touch. Brilliant singing, innovative repertoire choices and sterling sound quality make this everything you can possibly want from a Christmas album, or any other album for that matter.' (David Vernier, CLASSICS TODAY)

Theatre of Voices
Ars Nova Copenhagen
Paul Hillier, conductor

Ars Nova Copenhagen
is widely recognized as one of the finest vocal ensembles in Europe. Founded in 1979, the ensemble today is busier than ever. In addition to its annual season of concerts in Copenhagen and throughout Denmark, the ensemble regularly appears across Europe, and in North and South America. At the heart of Ars Nova Copenhagen's work is its equal dedication to early music and new music. Some programs explore the cross-currents between the two, while others form detailed portraits of individual composers or genres within a given period.

Since its beginning, Ars Nova has worked closely with some of the most important Danish and Scandinavian composers like Per Nørgård, Pelle Gudmundsen-Holmgreen, Bent Sørensen, Sven-David Sandström, and each season, the group invites a composer in residence: Toivo Tulev (Estonia) in 2007, Bernd Franke (Germany) 2008, Sunleif Rasmussen (Faroe Islands) 2009, Áskell Másson (Iceland) 2010 and Steve Martland (England) 2011.

Ars Nova is also building collaborations with creative artists in different fields such as drama, film and ballet, as well as cultivating new modes of concert performance and innovative repertoire. Besides the concerts, Ars Nova produces a number of CDs each year - both on its own record label, Ars Nova Records, and for labels such as Dacapo Records and Harmonia Mundi. Ars Nova Copenhagen is sponsored by The Danish Cultural Ministry, the Danish Association of Professional Choruses and a number of private Danish foundations.

Paul Hillier
has been Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of Ars Nova Copenhagen since 2003. Founding director of the Hilliard Ensemble, and subsequently of Theatre of Voices, Paul Hillier's career has embraced singing, conducting, and writing about music. His books about Arvo Pärt and Steve Reich, and numerous anthologies of choral music, are published by Oxford University Press.

Paul Hiller has taught at the University of California at Santa Cruz and Davis, and from 1996-2003 was Director of the Early Music Institute at Indiana University. In 2006 Paul Hillier was awarded an OBE for services to choral music, and in 2007 he received the Order of the White Star of Estonia, and was awarded a GRAMMY for Best Choral Recording (with the Estonian Philharmonic Chamber Choir).

In 2008 he was appointed Artistic Director and Chief Conductor of the National Chamber Choir of Ireland, and in 2009 was invited to form the new Coro Casa da Musica in Porto, Portugal. He won a second GRAMMY in 2010 (with Theatre of Voices and Ars Nova Copenhagen), this time in the category for Best Small Ensemble Performance, and in 2012 he was nominated in the category Best Choral Performance (also with Ars Nova Copenhagen).

Booklet for The Christmas Story