Album PreviewReleased: 2004 | Track: 13 | FLAC (44.1 kHz/16 bits) | Time: 01:04:26 | Label: Naxos - 8.557585 | Genre: Classical, Choral, Holiday | 3% Recovery Added | 321 MB

There have been so many recordings of holiday music using large chorus and orchestra that it s difficult to avoid clichés in making a new one. But A Christmas Choral Spectacular sidesteps the overly familiar, and the credit for this must go to conductor Peter Breiner, who wrote all of the arrangements. Though there are moments of grandeur, the overall tone of the arrangements of the more familiar carols is more pastoral than is usual for this sort of collection. This allows a spirit to grow throughout the program that achieves a feeling of cumulative joy in the final, resounding, resplendent arrangement of "The Virgin Mary had a Baby Boy." Along the way are some less familiar carols, such as "The Infant King" and "Little Jesus Sweetly Slept.