Carnival Christmas

Vicar's daughter and British folk rock heroine Maddy Prior has instigated her own Christmas tradition with her work with the Carnival Band at this time of the year. This disk by them, simply titled Carols At Christmas, was recorded live and captures a joyful fun concert that nevertheless doesn't in any way demean the content or the nativity story. Ms Prior is in fine voice and the main musical thrust is that of medieval Europe, primarily England but with touches of France and Italy and the troubador tradition too. All sorts of other influences sneak in though, from Dixieland jazz to gospel to hoedown. Well known traditional carols do get vigourous reworkings, such as Ding Dong Merrily On High, In Dulce Jubilo, I Saw Three Ships, The Holly And The Ivy and the Coventry Carol. But the less well known numbers wortk equally well, more so in some cases. The audience enjoy the singalong of the wassailing Gallery Carol and the disk concludes in a howl of feedback following a blistering version of possibly the heaviest rock setting of any latin text, Personent Hodie. Gloria in excelcis deo.