When you have a toddler, listening to Christmas carols can be a year round thing. Carols know no bounds in our house – December, March, July, September…it’s all fair game. And because of it, I’m always on the lookout for new carols to add to our collection. But I want to enjoy them too, know what I mean? Kids’ music is great and has its place, but I can only handle so much of it. So I jumped at the chance to review Manor House Music’s new CD, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear and Other Carols, an instrumental version of well-loved carols like Joy to the World, We Wish You a Merry Christmas, O Little Town of Bethlehem, and, Greenleigh’s personal favorite, Jingle Bells.
In case you’ve never heard of them before, Manor House Music is Buckhamshire (UK) based string quartet that was started by Vaughn Jones after he saw the need for musicians to not only play concerts and festivals, but who would also play for private events. They are a traditional quartet made up of two violins, one viola and a cello, but occasionally play as a string duo or trio, depending on the occasion. Each musician is talented in their own right, as demonstrated by their various members also playing with leading orchestras, including the London Symphony Orchestra and the Royal Philharmonic. This tremendous talent gives their quartet a beautiful, rich sound, which can be hard to find. In 2010, Manor House Music released I Saw Three Ships and Other Carols, which received rave reviews. It Came Upon The Midnight Clear is actually their second CD in the series, which explores the Christmas musical tradition from countries such as France, Germany, Ireland, the Ukraine, as well as many well-loved carols from the British Isles.
We’ve been listening to this CD on the way to and from school for weeks now, to the point that Greenleigh now asks for it, if it doesn’t automatically come on. The CD contains 23 different songs, ranging from one and a half minutes to four and a half minutes, making it a really long CD! Our drive to school is short, so we rarely hear the same songs twice in a week, but I have found myself listening to it on the way to and from work lately, so I’ve made it through the CD several times. It’s perky and upbeat enough to get you ready for the day, but soft enough to unwind on the way home. And while it stands as perfect entertainment on its own (like when you’re driving in the car), it would make perfect background music for a Christmas party or decorating the tree.
Best of all, this CD is exposing my children to a different type of music than they’re used to. I wasn’t sure how they would react to instrumentals, but they love these songs, and this CD is one of their new holiday favorites. This might be one of those CDs that I don’t mind sticking around after the holiday season is over! Just check out Manor House Music performing Greenleigh’s favorite, Jingle Bells and you’ll see why. Ah-mazing!
Christmas may be next week, but it’s not too late to get your hands on this CD! In addition to finding it on the Manor House website, you can find It Came Upon a Midnight Clear and Other Carols on amazon and iTunes! It would be the perfect music play as you unwind from the holiday rush on Christmas Eve, open gifts on Christmas morning, or while you eat your holiday feast!
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