A Christmas Concert with Robert Shaw

The art of the Christmas carol originated in the Middle Ages, and today we possess a rich treasury of widely varied pieces. This album follows the evolution of Christmas music from the early chants of monks, such as “O come, O come, Emmanuel” from the 8th or 9th century, through the 16th-century carols “Lo, how a rose e’er blooming” and “Coventry Carol,” to the Baroque and Romantic music of composers such as Johann Sebastian Bach, Antonio Vivaldi, and Hector Berlioz. Georg Friedrich Handel’s “Hallelujah” provides the crowning finale to the album. These 1975 recordings with the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra & Chorus are a rediscovered treasure of music history—now in the finest remastered quality.