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Label:
   Delos - http://www.delosmus.com/
Serial:
   SA 3267
Title:
   Dallas Christmas Gala - Litton
Description:
   "Dallas Christmas Gala"

Teresa Gomez (soprano)
Blake Davidson (baritone)
Dallas Handbell Ensemble
Dallas Symphony Orchestra & Chorus
David R. Davidson (choral director)
Andrew Litton (conductor)
Track listing:
   1. Merry Christmas, Merry Christmas
2. A Christmas Flourish
3. Caroling, Caroling
4. Personent Hodie
5. Festival Fanfare for Christmas
6. The Holly and the Ivy
7. Seasonal Sounds
8. Sleigh Ride
9. White Christmas
10. O Magnum Mysterium
11. The 12 Days After Christmas
13. This Christmastide
14. A Christmas Garland
Genre:
   Easy Listening
Content:
   Stereo/Multichannel
Media:
   Hybrid
Recording type:
  
Recording info:
   Executive Producer: Amelia S. Haygood
Recording Producer: Andrew Keener
Recording Engineer: John Eargle
Associate Recording Engineer: Jeff Mee
Editing: Dawn Frank, Airshow Mastering
Surround Mixing: Jeff Mee

Recorded June 23-24, 2000, McDermott Hall, Meyerson Center, Dallas, TX
Digital Editing & Mixing: Sony Sonoma Audio Workstation
Monitor Loudspeakers (session): B&W Matrix 801; (postproduction): Sony M9ED
Microphones: Sanken CU-41, Sennheiser MKH-20, AKG C480/CK-61 capsule
Console: Spirit LX7
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Related titles: 5
 
Reviews: 1
Review by Dinko November 3, 2003 (1 of 2 found this review helpful)
Performance:   Sonics:
Christmas in surround! Woohoo!
Christmas in Dallas? Now there's a thought.
I don't know what Christmas looks like in a place like Dallas where the average temperature for December is 8°C, but from the performance on this disc, it must be a happy time. Nevermind that this was recorded in June.

This album is great fun. Andrew Litton does not have Karajan's reputation, and the Dallas Symphony is not as famed as the Berlin Philharmonic, but who cares? This is merry music making at its best, and beautifully recorded as well.

Ok, fine. Sleigh Ride has been given more joyful and upbeat performances (Williams and the Boston Pops come to mind). The overall dynamic range seems somewhat limited compared to later SACD efforts. Percussion could certainly use more "bang". But with an album this jolly, those seem like minor details.

The medleys are very good, better than most attempts at classical-style Christmas medleys. Carol of the Bells gets a very good arrangement for orchestra, choir and bells. There are even a few carols I had never heard before.

The Texans play with good cheer. The choir sings beautifully. Litton doesn't overindulge in the merriness and keeps the concert focused, so that it remains joyful but does not degenerate into drunken Christmas carolling.
The Delos production team provides very good stereo sonics with a good balance between choir and orchestra. The multichannel mix adds only a little ambience, but it's enough to be satisfactory, though a little more output from the rear channels would have been better.

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