Marc-Antoine Charpentier (1643-1704)
Te Deum, H 146
Dixit Dominus, H 204
Messe de Minuit pour Noël, H 9

Michel Corrette (1709-1795)
Symphonie de Noël n° 1
Symphonie de Noël n° 2
Symphonie de Noël n° 3
Symphonie de Noël n° 4
Symphonie de Noël n° 5
Symphonie de Noël n° 6
"Chantons je vous prie Noël hautement", extrait de "Nouveau Livre de Noëls"

Pierre Dandrieu (1664-1733)
Puer nobis nascitur, extrait de "Livre de Noëls pour l'orgue et le clavecin"

Jean-François Dandrieu (1682-1738)
"Nous sommes en voie", extrait de "Livre de Noëls", vol. 1

Claude Balbastre (1724-1799)
"Joseph est bien marié", extrait de "Recueil de Noëls formant quatre suites avec des variations pour le clavecin et le forte piano"

Alexis Chauvet (1837-1871)
Extraits de "Neuf Offertoires de caractères gradués pour l'Avent et le temps de Noël"

Alexandre Guilmant (1837-1911)
Noël écossais, extraits de "Premier Livre de Noëlsé, op. 60

César Franck (1822-1890)
Extraits de "L'Athénée Musical"

Théodore Dubois (1837-1924)
Noël, extrait de "Douze pièces nouvelles pour orgue ou piano-pédalier"

Alexandre Pierre Boëly (1785-1858)
Messe du jour de Noël, op. 11

Jane Archibald, soprano
Michele de Boer, soprano
Anne L'Espérance, soprano
Marion Newman, alto
Nancy Reynolds, alto
Colin Ainsworth, ténor
James McLennan, ténor
David Nortman, ténor
Christian Lambour, orgue (Orgue de l'Abbaye Bénédictine de St. Johann, Suisse)
Ensemble Aradia (instruments d'époque)
Kevin Mallon, direction
Ensemble La Fantasia

Judith Friese, violon
Eva Scheytt, violon
Niek Idema, alto
Freek Borstlap, viole de gambe
Jacques van der Meer, contrebasse

Rien Voskuilen, orgue, direction

In the popular imagination, French Christmas music may now be almost wholly defined by Minuit, chrétiens and favourites such as Petit Papa Noël covered by Charles Aznavour and Johnny Hallyday, but the festive season was marked in the Baroque era with great merriment, principally through the genre of Noëls: sacred collections of secular songs, celebrating often vernacular aspects of the Nativity such as the Shepherds, especially by giving the occasion to compose in the always popular pastoral vein, in simple keys such as F major and in the lilting siciliano rhythm. Many such Noëls may be enjoyed on this special collection of both choral and instrumental music, concentrating on the High Baroque era. Corrette, Dandrieu and Balbastre all wrote exuberant Noels for organ; Michel Corrette developed the idea further with narrative-led instrumental symphonies, which are collected complete on CD2 and performed by a historically informed ensemble. The collection begins with the Torontobased Aradia Ensemble. They built their 1999 recording of Marc-Antoine Charpentier around his best-known work, the Messe de Minuit (Midnight Mass). The director Kevin Mallon gave it a specially Canadian flavour by interpolating a version of the French carol with a text in the tribal language of the Huron Indians. ‘Colourful performances,’ was the original verdict of Gramophone, on which ‘the soloists and chorus sing with consistent clarity.’ Operatically inclined singers will note the presence in the ensemble of Jane Archibald, who has since become known worldwide as a coloratura soprano of distinction, especially in the role of Zerbinetta in Strauss’s Ariadne auf Naxos. The final disc of Joyeux Noël is an organ recital, moving through the ages from Dandrieu to the grandest examples of late- Romantic organ masses and Christmas pieces by Franck and Dubois. It’s a uniquely compilation, fully annotated, sure to bring a touch of distinction to a festive stocking.