Album Notes

Any person listening to this album will be expecting the usual traditional choir arrangements of these old carols, but Auralis has done it differently. He has brilliantly combined the instruments of the orchestra to create a stunning album. When Auralis took on this project and looked at the piano sheet music, he immediately noticed that the melodies were simple, but there was a problem - how to write interesting varied arrangements on tunes that are so short, (some are only sixteen bars in length). The verses repeat the melody over and over again. In this album Auralis solved the problem by writing clever, inovative introductions, accompaniment figures and orchestral scoring techniques that bring out the beauty of these old tunes. He also took into account that the verses are usuallly sung. One example is: 'Silent Night' which is only sixteen bars in length, here Auralis uses a string quartet augmented with woodwinds to create an exquisite beautiful track. In the final track: 'O Come All Ye Faithful' Auralis ends the carol by including a farewell 'quote' from 'Jingle Bells'. I take my Christmas hat off to Auralis, for he is indeed a master arranger as can be heard in this beautifully crafted album. Notes by arranger Peter Jones