James MacMilllan: Christmas Oratorio

British conductor Sir Mark Elder leads the London Philharmonic Orchestra in the first recording of James MacMillan’s ‘Christmas Oratorio’. This new album on the LPO’s own label captures the UK premiere performance of the work, with The Guardian newspaper noting it was ‘no surprise to find the audience giving orchestra, chorus, conductor, soloists and, above all, composer a standing ovation’ in their five-star review of the concert. The atmospheric choral and celesta textures of the fourth chorus evokes familiar festive sounds, such as Tchaikovsky’s ‘Nutcracker’.