As the name would suggest, this sequence of 16 Christmas carols was written for Manchester, with a premiere in the Cathedral in 2007. The texts are by Carol Ann Duffy (who gets top billing), the poet laureate of Great Britain since 2009, and the music is by Sasha Johnson Manning. Duffy has put aside her penchant for barbed social commentary and written a set of innocuous lyrics, some of which have so little specifically Christmas content that they could more accurately be classified as holiday songs. The final song, a list of desirable Christmas gifts, may be the first carol to include the term "DVD." Manning's settings match Duffy's texts in their pleasant but bland conventionality. Each one is well written, nicely harmonized, and skillfully orchestrated. While the carols don't aim particularly high, they are pleasant additions to the repertoire of new holiday music, and far more artfully executed than much of the new Christmas music being composed. The demands they put on the chorus may put some of them out of the reach of performance by average church choirs. The album should be of interest to listeners looking for new Christmas music that doesn't push boundaries any further than traditional carols and anthems. Richard Tanner leads the
Manchester Carollers and the
Northern Chamber Orchestra in lively and committed performances. Naxos' sound is bright and present.