Winter Breviary - Choral Music For Christmas, Chilcott / Esmail / St. Martin's Voices, CD

N this, their debut recording with Resonus Classics, St Martin's Voices presents a selection of contemporary choral works for the Christmas season. With settings of poetry from the fifteenth century to the present day, these new carols explore themes of winter snowscapes, the anticipation and contemplation of Advent, the Christmas story as seen by the women at it's heart, and the joy of coming in from the cold to celebrate together. In a programme made entirely of premiere recordings, this album features works by Cecilia McDowall, Roderick Williams and Lucy Walker, among others. The album also boasts a major new carol suite by Bob Chilcott, with libretto by Georgia Way entitled Mary, Mother, which was premiered by the ensemble in 2022.