Mirabile Mysterium spans centuries of choral Christmas music

I love Christmas music. But I don't love hearing the same old tunes trotted out year after year. We have over two millennia of sacred music written for this season, variety shouldn't be difficult.

That's what I like about Mirabile Mysterium. Matthias Jung conducts the Sächsisches Vocalensemble in a wide-ranging program of seasonal sacred music. The album features works from the Renaissance through today.

The choral has a wonderfully smooth vocal blend, which makes homophonic passages sound rich and full. And contrapuntal passages are cleanly articulated with a warmth I found quite attractive.

Although the works span around 500 years, there's a remarkable consistency to the ensemble's performances. Jung seems to emphasize what all these pieces have in common -- heartfelt religious contemplation and wonder.

And because of those connections, hearing Eric Whitacre's "Lux aurumque" and Claudio Monteverdi's "Ave maris stella" in the same program just seems logical. Ditto Heinrich Schutz and Herbert Howells; Heinrich Isaac and John Rutter.

If you're looking for choral artistry -- or if you just want to hear something fresh and beautiful -- consider "Mirabile Mysterium." I'm glad I did.

Mirabile Mysterium: Choral Music for Christmas
Sächsisches Vocalensemble; Matthias Jung, director
CPO 555 318-2