Behold That Star!
ADVENT-CHRISTMAS MUSIC CD
(double-CD set)
Under the direction of staff musicians Dr. Lynn Trapp and Robert Harvey, a long-awaited recording project of well-known Advent-Christmas music sung at St. Olaf Catholic Church has become reality. One hundred St. Olaf choral singers, soloists and instrumentalists collaborated to record music of anticipation and resounding joy experienced in the Advent-Christmas worship at St. Olaf Church.
From Advent Byzantine chants to familiar carols such as O Holy Night, O Come All Ye Faithful, and Joy to the World, to more contemporary music selections such as Immanuel (M. Card) and Something Which Is Known/Alleluia (G. Norbet) to the rhythmic West Indian style of Virgin Mary Had a Baby Boy (arr. L. Trapp) the double CD set captures the beauty and prayer of the liturgical season.
Enhanced by spoken poetry and the Christmas gospel of Luke, the story of the season comes to life through music and the spoken word. Vocal solos sung by St. Olaf’s lead cantors blend with the choral music of the Festival Choir. A wide variety of solo and accompanying instruments are played by instrumentalists who serve the liturgy of St. Olaf, such as trumpet, oboe, bass, violin, guitar, flute, percussion, and the Steinway piano and 67 rank Lively-Fulcher pipe organ housed at St. Olaf. All the stops of the organ are pulled out for the organ solo postlude Bring a Torch Jeannette Isabella!
Behold That Star…a wonderful resource for personal or group prayer, family sing-along, lighting the Advent wreath or decorating the Christmas tree, or simply resting from the busyness of the season to enjoy the warmth and drama of the season’s music.