Reviewed by Steven Whitehead

This Christmas release can be taken in two ways. If you have family or friends involved with the Choir of Portsmouth Cathedral or if this is your home church then the recording will be your record of the year. It is a good mix of traditional and modern Christmas music, well sung throughout and with some good accompaniments. What's not to like? However, for those whose only attachment to Portsmouth is that it is from where they catch the ferry to the Isle of Wight then you might require further persuasion. The programme includes much that we would expect to find on any Christmas album from the Anglican tradition which means, of course, that some of it is over-familiar. However, the top and tail of the programme, "Once in Royal David's City" and "Hark the Herald Angels Sing" both feature fanfare introductions by George Arthur Richford played by members of The Band of His Majesty's Royal Marines Collingwood which is not something we hear at every carol service. So having seen the track list and predicted that it was another predictable service this reviewer is pleased to be wrong. Of course, the choral parts of the programme, shared between the Boy and Girl Choristers feature the much-loved traditional words and music but the military band accompaniment makes it something special. In just over an hour the programme takes us from Plainchant to contemporary works such as Bob Chilcott's "Nova, Nova!" and John Rutter's "All bells in Paradise" and speaking of Chilcott it is he who arranged the title track, "The First Nowell". If you have ever enjoyed a carol concert then wherever you come from, I am confident that many if not most of the songs on this enjoyable release will meet with your approval. Well played Pompey!

The opinions expressed in this article are not necessarily those held by Cross Rhythms. Any expressed views were accurate at the time of publishing but may or may not reflect the views of the individuals concerned at a later date.

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