Description
With Festival of Carols, the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, conducted by Jean-Sebastien Vallee, brings the atmosphere of its beloved Festival of the same name to this recording. Recorded live in December 2025, the album features 17 tracks, bringing together cherished Christmas carols, contemporary arrangements, and recent compositions, with a particular emphasis on Canadian choral music. At the heart of the program is Lo, How a Rose, the famous melody derived from a 15th-century German carol and associated with Michael Praetorius. It appears in three contrasting versions: Richard Proulx's arrangement remains close to the traditional melody; Craig Hella Johnson's setting intertwines the carol with Amanda McBroom's The Rose; while Shawn Kirchner's version introduces gospel and jazz influences, featuring Colleen Allen on saxophone. The album also includes seasonal favourites such as Ding Dong! Merrily on High, O Tannenbaum, O Come, All Ye Faithful, Carol of the Bells, What Child Is This?, and Silent Night, presented in a variety of arrangements. French traditions are represented by Venez mes enfants and Quelle est cette odeur agreable, the latter in an arrangement by Canadian composer Healey Willan. Led by the voices of the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir and Toronto Mendelssohn Singers, with instrumental contributions including Irene Gregorio on piano, Jonathan Oldengarm on organ, and Colleen Allen on saxophone, Festival of Carols offers a journey between heritage and new creation, choral celebration and quiet reflection, celebrating both Christmas traditions and the vitality of Canadian choral music.
