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Cover: Jouluyö, juhlayö. Christmas Carols

Jouluyö, juhlayö. Christmas Carols

YL Male Voice Choir
Soile Isokoski, soprano
Matti Hyökki, conductor

ODE 1088-2 · CD · October 2006

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Track listing

20 tracks · 66:04

Listen to samples on selected tracks.

Joseph Vogler

  1. 1 Hoosianna (Hosanna) 3:15

Traditional

  1. 2 Maa on niin kaunis (The Earth is Beautiful) 2:39

Karl Collan

  1. 3 Sylvian joululaulu (Sylvia's Carol) 4:16

Martti Hela

  1. 4 Jouluihme (Christmas Miracle) 3:47

Selim Palmgren

  1. 5 Ja neitsyt pikku poijuttansa (The Virgin Rocks Her Baby Boy) 3:08

Heino Kaski

  1. 6 Mökit nukkuu lumiset (The Snowbound Cabins Sleep) 4:05

Melchior Vulpius

  1. 7 Es ist ein Ros entsprungen (Lo! How a Rose, E?er Blooming) 5:24

Teuvo Hakasalo

  1. 8 Jouluyönä (On Christmas Night) 2:12

Pekka Juhani Hannikainen

  1. 9 Jouluaattona (Oi terve, joulukuusi) 1:43

Jean Sibelius

  1. 10 En etsi valtaa, loistoa (We Ask for Nothing Rich or Rare), Op. 1 3:34

Otto Kotilainen

  1. 11 Kunnia korkeudessa (Glory in the Highest) 3:11

Randall Thompson

  1. 12 Alleluia 4:27

Einojuhani Rautavaara

  1. 13 Joulun virsi (Christmas Hymn)for male choir (1953) 1:22

Franz Gruber

  1. 14 Jouluyö, juhlayö (Silent Night, Holy Night) 4:53

Otto Kotilainen

  1. 15 Varpunen jouluaamuna (A Sparrow on Christmas Morning) 4:12

Ahti Sonninen

  1. 16 Jouluhymni 2:24

Jukka Linkola

  1. Christmas Suite (trad.)
  2. 17 I. God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen (Taas rauhaa, hyvät herrat) 3:20
  3. 18 II. Deck the Hall (Kuusen kotiin tuoda saamme) 2:02
  4. 19 III. The First Nowell (Ensimmäinen joulu) 3:32
  5. 20 IV. We Wish You a Merry Christmas (Taas toivotus hyvän joulun) 2:38

About this recording

This Christmas release features star soprano Soile Isokoski in favourite Christmas Carols from Finland, Germany and Britain. Matti Hyökki conducts the renowned Finnish YL Male Voice Choir accompanied by organ and cor anglais. Released in Finland in October 2006, this disc sold over 15,000 copies in two months and won Gold Disc from the Finnish IFPI.

Finnish soprano Soile Isokoski is recognised as one of the finest singers in the world. Her rendition of Luonnotar and orchestral songs by Sibelius won both the BBC Music Magazine Award Disc of the Year and a Midem Classical Award in 2007 (ODE 1080-5). Four Last Songs and other orchestral songs by Richard Strauss with Marek Janowski and the Berlin Radio Symphony Orchestra received a Gramophone Award in 2002 (ODE 982-2).

The YL Male Voice Choir is one of the world's most prominent male voice choirs. Founded at the University of Helsinki in 1883, it is the oldest Finnish language choir in Finland with an extensive history of concerts, several tours abroad and numerous critically acclaimed recordings.

This recording also features:
Antero Törhönen, tenor (17)
Keimo Joensuu, bass (17, 19)
Mikko Tiira, tenor (18, 19)
Mikko Lehti & Teemu Rinttilä, tenors (18)

Features

Booklet with song lyrics in the original language and in English

Press

From the annual clutch of carol-based collections Jouluyö, juhlayö particularly catches the attention. (...) served up by the outstanding YL Male Voice Choir of Helsinki. This is choral singing of elevated quality, technically impeccable but with absolutely no evident straining for effect.
Terry Blain, BBC Music Magazine, December 2007

Isokoski sings Christmas Carols with such a humility and sincerity that it seizes the heart of the listener. When one adds the starry-sky like brightness and spaciousness of her voice, we are at the core of the art of singing.
Risto Nordell, Kirkko & Kaupunki - Magazine, October 2006

The artists

YL Male Voice Choir

The YL Male Voice Choir is a pioneer in Finnish choral music. Founded at the University of Helsinki in 1883, it is the oldest Finnish-language choir in Finland. Its cultural merits, extensive history of concerts, several tours abroad and numerous critically acclaimed recordings have established it as one of the world’s most prominent male voice choirs.

Full biography

Soile Isokoski

Soile Isokoski is recognized as one of the world's finest lyric sopranos. After graduating from the Sibelius Academy, she gave her début recital in Helsinki in 1986 and subsequently won a number of important international singing competitions. She made her début at the Finnish National Opera as Mimì in Puccini's La Bohème and has since delighted audiences and critics alike at opera houses in Vienna, Berlin, Munich, Hamburg, London, Milan and Paris, at The Metropolitan Opera and at music festivals in Salzburg, Savonlinna, Edinburgh and Orange.

Full biography

Matti Hyökki

An unparalleled figure in Finnish choral music, Matti Hyökki led the YL Male Voice Choir as conductor from 1980 to 2010, with many international accolades along their way. He was also chorus master of the Finnish National Opera from 1992 to 1995. Having earlier completed diplomas as church organist and music teacher at the Sibelius Academy, he became in 2003 the first graduate in Finland of a doctoral degree programme in choir conducting, with YL as his instrument. Since 2007, Matti Hyökki has been Professor of Choir Conducting at the Sibelius Academy. He is a regular jury member at international choir competitions and has conducted numerous international choir workshops.

Full biography