Spotlight customer reviews:
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Customer Rating:  
Summary: Empire brass not at the best
Comment: Expected more with this CD. One time listening is enough.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Quite Disappointing
Comment: The Empire Brass is one of the premier brass quintets in the world, but you will not hear this on this Christmas album. Almost every single track has some kind of electronic backbeat or guitars, which frankly, is quite annoying, and the arrangments (though many might call them "original") are very poor. If you like "ecelectic" you might like this, but if you are in any shape or form a brass aficionado you will play this once and then it will begin to collect dust on your CD rack. Very disappointing!
Customer Rating:
Summary: Unique
Comment: I always collect unique Christmas albums. Where someone gives an old familiar carol a new, fresh spin. There are quite a few to choose from on this album.
I really enjoy "O Come All Ye Faithful," with its steady crescendo and addition of instruments. "The Little Drummer Boy" is similar, starting with a soloist.
"Oh! G," a montage of several Christmas carols is manic, fun, and really enjoyable. The tuba player is practically a virtuoso!
All in all, a very nice refreshing change of style.
Customer Rating:
Summary: An Eclectic Christmas Collection
Comment: Boston's Empire Brass' Christmas Album THE WORLD SINGS is an interesting mix of Christmas music. Listeners certainly will find Empire's polished and powerful sound in many of the tracks. While the group is a classically trained brass quintet, there are tracks that include contemporary musicians as well as a vocalist Laurie Monahan. The album includes many Christmas standards such as "Joy to the World," "Angels We Have Heard On High" and the like. Less familiar carols are included such as "Pat-a-pan" and "Still, Still, Still." A personal favorite is the group's unique rendition of the "Arabian Dance" from THE NUTCRACKER. People desiring a traditional brass quintet album will probably be better off looking at the Philadelphia Brass Ensembles A FESTIVAL OF CAROLS IN BRASS (a must have for all lovers of brass music), but listeners who enjoy creative sound rooted in classical music but open to contemporary music will certainly enjoy this wonderful collection.
Customer Rating:
Summary: Strikingly original,gorgeous,only one odd track
Comment: Strikingly original, gorgeous, and someday this will likely be considered a Classic. Christmas CDs are a penny-a-dozen, and they often take a safe, predictable route, but this one is a true original. On this CD, the Empire Brass' arrangements are often haunting, as, for example one of the opening arrangements of "God Rest You Merry Gentlemen". Some tracks explore Middle Eastern territory- a VERY appropriate, usually unexplored theme, considering Jesus' birthplace. Quiet tracks like "Bring a torch" have feeling of quiet snow falling on a medieval village centuries ago in Europe somewhere. Others are wildly, ecstatically played ; "The Holly & the Ivy" for example. Some carols features very original & exciting percussion - but none of it overbearing; the percussion stays in the background & does not overtake the other players. A beautiful medieval track is a real gem-"Ave Regina Caelorum" is quietly played by the brass with the wonderful soprano soloist. This one has an appropriaterly mysterious air, filled with wonder & pathos. As does the frequently recorded "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel", but here it is arranged differently than I've ever heard, as if I'd heard the words for the very first time. As usual, Telarc's recording is very realistic & with great dynamic range. There's only one track that seems a bit odd because it follows a few very touching tracks at the end. It's a Dixieland/Ragtime flavored Take on "Joy to the World"; very creative, perhaps it would be better somewhere else on the disc. Overall, this is probably my favorite of dozens of Christmas CDs.
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