St. Cecilia is known as the patron saint of music. So when French hornist Martina Snell decided to give up her orchestral career and enter an order of Benedictine nuns, it's perhaps not surprising that she chose a new name for herself: Cecilia. She may have left her orchestra job behind, but she never gave up music. Now Mother Cecilia Snell and her fellow Benedictines have a surprising top-ranked CD, called Advent at Ephesus. Today we'll hear from Mother Cecilia, and hear highlights from this remarkable new CD.
Episode Playlist
Hour 1
Michael Convertino and Loreena McKennitt: The Bells of Christmas, from the Santa Clause
The West Edge String Quartet
Traditional French: Claustrum Virgo (Son of a Flower)
Anonymous 4
Spivey Hall, Morrow, Georgia
Anthony Holborne: The Fairie-Round, Galliard
Hesperion XXI
Fontfroide Music and History Festival, Fontfroide, France
Traditional English: What Child Is This?
In Mulieribus, Anna Song, director
St. Mary's Cathedral, Portland, Oregon
Engelbert Humperdinck: Evening Prayer, from Hansel and Gretel
Burning River Brass
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Mel Torme: The Christmas Song
Burning River Brass
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Traditional English (arranged by Dan Forrest): The First Noel
The Brigham Young University Combined Choirs, Philharmonic Orchestra, Ronald Staheli, conductor
Harris Fine Arts Center, Provo, Utah
The Piano Puzzler: This week's contestant is Alison Hall from Minneapolis
Duke Ellington: Balthazar, from Three Black Kings
The Buffalo Philharmonic Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Kleinhans Music Hall, Buffalo, New York
Edward Elgar: Finale from the Starlight Express
The Virginia Symphony Orchestra, JoAnn Falletta, conductor
Chrysler Hall, Norfolk, Virginia
Traditional (arranged by David Cherwien): Of the Father's Love Begotten
Merilee Klemp, oboe, Nikki Lemire Bodurtha, harp
Basilica of St. Mary, Minneapolis
Traditional Irish (arranged by Matthew Oltman): Love Came Down at Christmas
Chanticleer
Stanford Memorial Church, Stanford, California
Hour 2
Anonymous: Angelus Ad Virginem
The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles
The Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus, Gower, Missouri
Anonymous: Hodie Christus Natus est, from Vespers for Christmas Day
Apollo's Singers, Jeannette Sorrell, director
St. Paul's Episcopal Church, Cleveland Heights, Ohio
Traditional Villancico (arranged by Roger Harvey): Riu, Riu, Chiu
Burning River Brass
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York City
Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart: Andante in B-flat for Oboe and Orchestra
Albrecht Mayer, oboe, the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra
Carnegie Hall, New York City
Fr. Frederick Faber: Like the Dawning
The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles
The Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus, Gower, Missouri
Anonymous: Benedixisti Domine
The Benedictines of Mary, Queen of Apostles
The Priory of Our Lady of Ephesus, Gower, Missouri
Johann Sebastian Bach: Excerpts from the Christmas Oratorio, BWV 248
The Frauenkirche Chamber Choir, Dresden Staatskapelle, Christian Thielemann, conductor
Frauenkirche, Dresden, Germany
Traditional English: Improvisation on Greensleeves
Bolette Roed, recorder
Music in Paradise Festival, Paradyz, Poland
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