Alice Giles – Christmas Music For Harp (2020)

Carlos Salzedo was the single most important figure in the history of the harp. He broke new ground in playing technique and discovered new timbres; he explored new sound worlds and brought forth new kinds of beauty; he took an instrument that was already magical and raised it to new virtuosic heights.

In 1938, Salzedo published two Christmas pieces: Concert Variations on Adeste Fidelis (O Come, All Ye Faithful) and an arrangement of Silent Night. A virtuoso transcription of Jingle Bells followed a few years later. These three works were so popular that Salzedo was asked to write more – a whole album’s worth, in fact, recorded by Salzedo himself on the Mercury label in 1956. For this disc, Australian virtuosa Alice Giles has recorded all of those pieces, plus two earlier Salzedo works: the ethereal Poem of the Little Stars and the gloriously joyous Recessional.

Completing this disc are four beloved Australian Christmas carols by W.G. James: Carol of the Birds, The Silver Stars are in the Sky, The Three Droversand Christmas Day, arranged by Alice Giles especially for this recording.
Tracklist:
01. Concert Variations on ‘Adeste Fideles’
02. Paraphrase on ‘It Came upon the Midnight Clear’
03. Paraphrase on ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’
04. Concert Variations on ‘O Tannenbaum’
05. Silent Night (Arr. Carlos Salzedo)
06. Paraphrase on ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’
07. Paraphrase on ‘Away in a Manger’
08. Paraphrase on ‘The First Noel’
09. Concert Variations on ‘Deck the Halls’
10. Australian Christmas Carols – Set 1 – 1. Carol of the Birds (Arr. Alice Giles)
11. Australian Christmas Carols – Set 1 – 2. The Silver Stars Are in the Sky (Arr. Alice Giles)
12. Australian Christmas Carols – Set 1 – 4. The Three Drovers (Arr. Alice Giles)
13. Australian Christmas Carols – Set 1 – 3. Christmas Day (Arr. Alice Giles)
14. Concert Variations on ‘Good King Wenceslas’
15. Paraphrase on ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’
16. Paraphrase on ‘Greensleeves’ (What Child is This)
17. Paraphrase on ‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’
18. I Wonder as I Wander (Appalachian Carol) (Arr. Carlos Salzedo)
19. Short Fantasy on a Noël Provençal
20. Short Fantasy on a Neapolitan Carol
21. Short Fantasy on a Catalan Carol
22. Short Fantasy on a Basque Carol
23. Paraphrase on ‘Away in a Manger’ (to the tune of ‘Flow Gently, Sweet Afton’)
24. Paraphrase on ‘God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen’
25. Jingle Bells (Arr. Carlos Salzedo)
26. Poem of the Little Stars
27. Recessional