Celebrate the joy and magic of Christmas with Czech composer Jan Jirásek’s debut Navona Records release Czech and Moravian Christmas Carols. The composer presents a collection of original carols that highlight the spirit, peaceful contemplation, and mystery of Christmas, performed by the Czech children’s choir JITRO with accompaniments by traditional wind, percussion, and string instruments...

For centuries, carols have been traditions in Czech and Moravian communities for Christmas festivities, filling the brisk evening air with melodies of peace, happiness, and good tiding. Reflecting the rich customs of the Czech and Moravian cultures, and displaying both Christian and folk influences, Jan Jirásek offers wholesome and enduring songs that can warm our hearts and minds with the wonder and glory of the Christmas season.

For those of us that enjoy collecting rare and novel Christmas albums, they don't come much more interesting than this. While we sing 'O Little Town of Bethlehem' and 'Hark the Herald Angels Sing', it's interesting to discover how other countries celebrate the festive season with their own traditional music.

The album contains 20 tracks (1 hr, 06 min, 48 sec) and is certainly one album I'll be getting a lot of use out of with the run up to Christmas.

Track listing:

01) At Midnight On Christmas Eve (Štědrýho dne o půlnoci)
02) Brothers I Have Heard (Bratři, já jsem slyšel)
03) The Famous Day Has Arrived (Den přeslavný jest k nám přišel)
04) I, Little One, Have Come A-Carolling (Já malý přicházím koledovat)
05) Glad Tidings (Nesem vám noviny)
06) Let Us Go To Bethlehem Together (Půjdem spolu do Betléma)
07) Oh, The Holy Time Of Christmas (Ó, svatá dobo vánoční)
08) Hey Happy Tidings (Ej, noviny převeselý)
09) The Sitting Farmer (Sedí pantáta)
10) Praise The Lord Jesus Christ (Pochválen Pán Ježíš Kristus)
11) On What God Sits (Na čem Pán Bůh sedí)
12) One Week Before Yuletide (Před vánoci jeden tejden)
13) Sweet Water Flowing (A teče vodička)
14) To Bethlehem, To Little Jesus (K Ježíškovi do Betléma)
15) Dear God Above (Milý Bože)
16) Peace, Happiness, Good Health (Pokoj, štěstí, zdraví)
17) Dew Is Falling (Padá rosa studená)
18) We Welcome You, Dear Jesus (Vítej, milý Jezu Kriste)
19) I Went A-Carolling (Šel jsem na koledu)
20) There Was A Well-Trod Path (Byla cesta, byla ušlapaná)

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Darren Rea