The title
Nova! Nova!
comes from that of a new collection of Christmas carol arrangements by
Louis Halsey
, used here by the
Hertfordshire Chorus
. There are a few unusual items, but mostly the chorus hews to the traditional carol repertory, and it is not wrong to call this a collection of favorites. In many ways, this is a traditional carol recording that could have been made half a century ago. The
, 130 voices strong, bucks the trend toward small-group singing, and the foreign-language carols are French, German, and Czech, not drawn from non-European cultures. The chorus admits singers by audition and has strong roots in its community; there might be cleaner-sounding groups, but there are few with more of a genuine sense of enthusiasm. The
is actually known for commissioning contemporary music, but what the group has produced here is a thoroughly traditional holiday release. ~ James Manheim