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Cape May, NJ - October 6, 2008 – An intriguing
question: When did Christmas music begin? In the 12th
century? 15th century? 17th century?
Ron
Clancy
sought to answer the question when he began researching the topic almost
twenty years ago. He believed there was more to
Christmas music than
what is annually heard on the airwaves each holiday season, very little
of which goes farther back than the 18th century.
With the publication of
Best-Loved
Christmas Carols, Ron’s first volume on the subject, the
origin of carols was explored. It covered a period of seven hundred
years. With the release of
American
Christmas Classics in 2001,
America’s unique two hundred year
contribution to the international Christmas music repertoire was
meticulously described in what has been described “as one of the
greatest assemblages of Christmas music ever done.”(Goldmine Magazine)
All titles include lavishly illustrated books and music CDs.
But what about Christmas music in the early
years of Christianity and subsequent centuries from the Dark Ages to the
Medieval Period and then the Renaissance?
With the new release of
Sacred
Christmas Music, also a richly illustrated book-music CD
package, the history of Christmas music comes full circle and indeed
answers the question: When did Christmas music begin?
Sacred Christmas Music begins with a fascinating
overview of that history by linking it to the development of Western
music over a two thousand year span, much of which early on was
influenced by the Christian church and its liturgy, namely the Mass and
the canonical hours. It progresses by explaining the invention of new
compositional techniques that allowed for more exciting types of music
as Gregorian chant became more sophisticated and ultimately superceded
by the great advancements in polyphony.
Proof positive of these
advancements is the genius of Josquin, Palestrina,
Corelli, Bach, and Handel, all on display in an
eloquent music CD, an integral component of
Sacred Christmas Music. Glorious motets,
Gregorian chant, Latin hymns, a Christmas
concerto, and two cherished carols round out the
music program, one astutely assembled on the
chronology of the Christmas calendar and schedule
of the ancient Mass and canonical hours.
Adding depth to the collection, Sacred Christmas Music offers
magnificent
color plates
of period fine art, and manuscript
illuminations and miniatures, from the great museums and libraries of
Europe.
Contact Information:
Christmas Classics Ltd.
P.O. Box 1184
N. Cape May, NJ 08204
(609) 886-6540
clancy_rm@christmasclassics.com
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