By Alidė Kohlhaas

Christmas is very much on my mind these days, even though it is almost a month away. The music to which I have just listened has put me in the mood for this "spirit" of Christmas that has nothing to do with presents, but very much with what we are supposed to celebrate: the birth of Christ. What else comes with it is incidental, although a most enjoyable incidentalness, namely the giving of gifts in the tradition of the Three Wise Men, and the gathering together of family and friends to help celebrate the event.

The CD in question is Puer natus in Bethlehem, Alleluia! (A boy is born in Bethlehem, Halleluia). It features the Elmer Iseler Singers under the direction of Lydia Adams. Is there really anything more glorious than the human voice in praise of this seminal event in human history? The Elmer Iseler Singers give us joy, entertainment, and a sense of comfort as they present a variety of Christmas songs, familiar and not so familiar, accompanied occasionally by instrumentals.

The liner notes for this CD are by Ken Winters, whom we know best from his Sound Advice program on CBC Radio. He has this to say at the beginning of the notes, and I quote for I could not say it better:

"The process by which a Christmas carol comes into being and then is legitimized, is ruthless and endless. No amount of historical relevance, academic endorsement, novelty of presentation or finesse in performance can perpetuate it if it does not life the lid, year after year, on the miracle of Christmas. It must speak directly to thousands upon thousands of hearts. It must hang indelibly in the public memory for reliable, radiant annual reblooming in the dark days of winter. No composer, arranger, performer, producer or tastemaker alone can decide whether it will survive. Only those many who carry it helplessly in their minds, rejuvenant and unforgettable, can provide the public desire it needs for its sure place in the great canon of the carol."

It can be said of the 24 selections featured on this CD, the majority have burrowed themselves into our subconscious and are welcome every time we hear them again come the Christmas season. Of these, 11 are new Canadian arrangements of carols from the plain song collection Piae cantiones, compiled in 1582 by the Scandinavian monk, Theodoricus. Some of Canada's best composers and arrangers were commissioned by the Iseler Singers to give these carols relevance to us today. It can be said unhesitatingly that they have succeeded. The 12^th is the late Healey Willan's Christmas Song of the 14^th Century, (Resonet in laudibus).

What is interesting about this CD is that seven of the arrangements, including Willan's, are preceded by the original plainsongs as chants. Only five carols on the disc, such as our own beloved The Huron Carol, are unrelated to the Piae cantiones.

This is definitely a CD that should find its way into any Christmas collection. I know it will be played in our house come Christmas Eve. The 20 voices of this by now internationally acclaimed choir will add much to the festive mood of the night.

[Puer natus in Bethlehem, Alleluia!, Elmer Iseler Singers, CBC Records, MVCD 1165, 71:22 minutes]

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