The Christmas Album Phoenix Chorale & Christopher Gabbitas

• Traditional: Veni Veni Emmanuel:
• 1 Traditional: Veni Veni Emmanuel (Arr. for Choir by Philip Lawson) 03:25
• El Nino Querido:
• 2 Traditional: El Nino Querido (Arr. for Choir by Goff Richards & Christopher Gabbitas) 03:16
• Claro Abril Resplandecio:
• 3 Traditional: Claro Abril Resplandecio (Arr. for Choir by Goff Richards & Christopher Gabbitas) 02:06
• Nit de Vetlla:
• 4 Traditional: Nit de Vetlla (Arr. for Choir by Goff Richards & Christopher Gabbitas) 03:11
• Orlando di Lasso (1532 - 1594): Resonet in Laudibus:
• 5 Lasso: Resonet in Laudibus 04:03
• Cecilia McDowall (b. 1951): Trinity Triptych:
• 6 McDowall: Trinity Triptych: O Magnum Mysterium 04:21
• 7 McDowall: Trinity Triptych: O Nata Lux 03:44
• Traditional: Trinity Triptych:
• 8 Traditional: Trinity Triptych: O Virgo Virginum 02:45
• Francisco Guerrero (1528 - 1599): Beati Dei Genitrix Maria:
• 9 Guerrero: Beati Dei Genitrix Maria 03:30
• Traditional: Gaudete:
• 10 Traditional: Gaudete (Arr. for Choir by Brian Kay & Christopher Gabbitas) 01:42
• Tom Peterson: A Quiet Chamber:
• 11 Peterson: A Quiet Chamber 04:40
• Traditional: The Wexford Carol:
• 12 Traditional: The Wexford Carol (Arr. for Choir by Kira Zee man Rugen) 04:55
• Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934): In the Bleak Midwinter:
• 13 Holst: In the Bleak Midwinter (Arr. for Choir by Alexander L’Estrange) 05:33
• Stanford Scriven (b. 1988): Christ the Apple Tree:
• 14 Scriven: Christ the Apple Tree 03:53
• Ariel Ramirez (1921 - 2010): La Peregrinacion:
• 15 Ramirez: La Peregrinacion (Arr. for Choir by Peter Knight & Christopher Gabbitas) 04:03
• Felix Bernard (1897 - 1944): Winter Wonderland:
• 16 Bernard: Winter Wonderland (Arr. for Choir by Alexander L’Estrange) 03:36
• Leroy Anderson (1908 - 1975): Sleigh Ride:
• 17 Anderson: Sleigh Ride (Arr. for Choir by Alexander L’Estrange) 02:40
• Mel Tormé (1925 - 1999): The Christmas Song:
• 18 Tormé: The Christmas Song (Arr. for Choir by Peter Knight & Christopher Gabbitas) 03:31
• James Lord Pierpont (1822 - 1893): Jingle Bells:
• 19 Pierpont: Jingle Bells (Arr. for Choir by Ben Parry) 02:43
• Franz Xaver Gruber (1787 - 1863): Noche de Paz:
• 20 Gruber: Noche de Paz (Arr. for Choir by James Burton) 03:35
• Total Runtime 01:11:12

Info for The Christmas Album

This is a Christmas album that has a sense of place, clearly identifying the Chorale as both American and from a border state with Mexico, and something for everyone whether they prefer serious or light festive fare. There is Hispanic influence in the repertoire choices, which include Catalan folksongs as well as Hispanic Renaissance music. It includes a commission by Cecilia McDowall, written for Christmas 2021, new arrangements of all tracks and also some contemporary Christmas favourites such as Sleigh Ride and Jingle Bells. This marks the Chorale’s return to recording following an 8-year hiatus, and their first album with Signum Records.

“Festive repertoire plays an important role in the performance cycle of every choir, and it felt fitting to begin our journey with a Christmas recording that established a sense of place for the ensemble: we chose to record repertoire that is all American or Hispanic in origin, save for the newly-commissioned piece by Cecilia McDow- all that was written to mark the centenary of our home in Phoenix, Trinity Cathedral. Our aim is to translate the warmth of Arizona into our sound, to convey the rhetoric of every text, and celebrate the good health of the American Choral Tradition.” (Christopher Gabbitas)

Phoenix Chorale
Christopher Gabbitas, direction

Phoenix Chorale
One of the finest choral ensembles in North America of the western classical tradition. The Grammy® Award-winning Phoenix Chorale, led by Artistic Director Christopher Gabbitas since 2019, is regarded as one of the finest choral ensembles in North America of the western classical tradition. All of the 28-voice ensemble’s members are professional singers who currently reside in Arizona.

The mission of Phoenix Chorale is to nurture and amplify the strength and resonance of Arizona’s choral artistry.

Founded in 1958 as the Bach & Madrigal Society of Phoenix, then known as the Phoenix Bach Choir, from 2008 the choir became Phoenix Chorale. The choir has been fully professional since 1992.

Previous Phoenix Chorale conductors have included Millicent Wesley, Wallace Hornibrook, Dan Durand, Vance George, Anders Öhrwall, Jon Washburn, and Charles Bruffy.

The Chorale typically presents four concert programs per Season in Oct/Nov, Christmas, March and May, featuring a wide range of composers and eras, including one Masterworks Series featuring a longer work. Since 2019, the Chorale has been committed to commissioning one new work per season from female composers.

Phoenix Chorale also serves a large digital audience through radio broadcasts, performance videos, and via streaming services like Spotify, Pandora and Apple Music, where the Chorale maintains a listenership of over 35,000 fans each month. The Chorale’s recordings have spent over 20 weeks on the Billboard Charts and have earned a total of ten Grammy® nominations and three Grammy® wins.

Annually, the Chorale’s video, audio, and broadcast recordings through YouTube and Arizona PBS reach over one million listeners around the world. The Chorale is ensemble-in-residence at Trinity Episcopal Cathedral in downtown Phoenix.

Christopher Gabbitas
was appointed Artistic Director of Phoenix Chorale in May 2019, and is delighted and honored to be leading an ensemble with such a rich tradition of spreading the joy of music through song!

Starting as an 8-year-old boy chorister in England, Chris has been singing ever since in various chapel, cathedral and professional choirs including three years as a choral scholar at St John’s College, Cambridge and a year as a lay clerk at Christ Church, Oxford, as well as directing choral ensembles throughout this time.

His singing career culminated in 15 years spent with The King’s Singers performing around 2,000 concerts across six continents, and making in excess of 50 recordings which were recognized with various awards including two Grammy Awards as a singer/producer. In 2013 The King’s Singers were inducted into the inaugural Gramophone Hall of Fame.

Also in 2019, Chris was appointed as Artist Professor at the University of Redlands, California, teaching a unique Master of Music in Vocal Chamber Music with a Commercial Music element, which aims to produce professional choral musicians for the next generation. He maintains a busy teaching and performing schedule across the US.

Outside music, Chris qualified as an attorney in 2003 and maintains a growing legal practice in London, representing clients in the creative commercial sector.

Much though he loves to make music, more than anything Chris enjoys returning home to his wife Stephanie - who hails from the great Commonwealth of Kentucky - and their three girls Bella, Lyra and Ariana, each of whom loves to sing! He also enjoys explaining the rules of cricket, to anybody who will listen.

Booklet for The Christmas Album