The title An Australian Christmas tells the basics about what to expect from this album: a collection of Christmas carols by Australian composers, performed by Australians. The listener would not know until after hearing this disc, though, just how delightful these carols are. The most substantial contribution is an artlessly simple, melodically memorable set of 15 carols by William G. James, written around the mid-twentieth century, to texts by
John Wheeler. They are accessible, tuneful, and without being imitative, recognizably Christmas-y; many of them could unobtrusively slip into any collection of traditional carols.
Wheeler uses local imagery to give the carols a geographical specificity that sounds quaint, but charming to Northerners; Christmas takes place during the Australian summer, and the texts reflect that very different sensibility about the holiday. The pieces by
Ross Edwards, Elliot Gyger,
Stephen Whittington,
Malcolm Williamson,
Anne Boyd, and Peter Schulthorpe, many names familiar to international audiences, are more demanding both of their performers and listeners; these are pieces difficult enough to require a fairly proficient choir and have more of the sound of late twentieth century British choral anthems. The final third of the album is devoted to 12 Wassails and Lullabies, which use traditional medieval carol texts in new settings by
Andrew Ford, scored for voices and percussion. It's the most challenging work on the album, but its haunting atmosphere and inventive orchestration give it an immediate appeal. The Sidney Philharmonic Motet Choir sings with unmannered elegance and infectious fervor. The album should be of interest to anyone looking for unfamiliar carols that still evoke a Christmas-y mood.