Christmas Motets, in the Oxford Choral Classics series, makes great claims - it purports to gather in one volume 16 of the finest motets and related pieces for the season of Christmas. Well, I have to concede that it fulfils its brief magnificently . . . Rutter says in his preface that there are omissions and he suggests that there will be a second volume. Let's hope there is - and soon, because we all need to enliven our carol programmes with repertory of this quality. What better way to do it than with this quality volume. * Music Teacher June 2000 *
'This volume contains . . . 16 items of very high quality, from early 16th to 20th centuries. There are certainly some underlying themes, and some genuine finds . . . As ever, OUP's production and editorial standards are consistently high, with an interesting paragraph on each piece included in the commentary at the back. * The Singer Feb/March 2000 *
'The Christmas-music industry should really be referred to the Monopolies and Mergers Commission, in the wake of OUP's latest publication Christmas Motets. It is probably already possible to satisfy all your Christmas choral needs with OUP, but this undoubtedly elegant and well-produced volume will increase the temptation to stop shopping around and treat oneself to an OUP Christmas . . . You can bet the last penny in your music budget that, with an enthusiasm for making money and imagination worthy of Hollywood producers, OUP will produce several sequels to Christmas Motets, which will finally be collected in a bumper anthology. And we'll have to buy that one, too. * Church Times 8 Oct 99 *
'This is a distinctive collection which choirs should find extremely useful. * Early Music Review Sept 99 *
A musical Christmas would be almost unthinkable without a fresh contribution from John Rutter, either as composer, arranger or editor. For the millennium yuletide festivities Rutter has edited, with all his customary skill and attention to detail, a new collection of 16 Christmas motets, which provides a useful appendix to OUP's earlier volume of European Sacred Music. Both practical and scholarly in its aims, the primary sources have been consulted where feasible . . . The editing is examplary and follows widely accepted norms. . . The standard of music setting and layout is as you would expect from such a distinguished publishing house. While Rutter's collection is probably beyond the resources of the average parish choir (the majority of the motets are for eight voices), any director of a reasonably proficient chamber choir need look no further should he be seeking a varied, enjoyable and rewarding programme of seasonal music this Christmas. * Choir and Organ Sept 99 *
