From Carol Swanson at WWW.ChristmasReviews.Com
Peter Durward Harris | 12/06/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Rosanne Simunovic, the accomplished founder and conductor of the Timmins Youth Singers (subsequently called the Timmins Concert Singers), told me in recent correspondence that I Remember December is the group's most popular CD. It is easy to see why. Snow, children, and Christmas make for a potent blend, and that potential is realized on I Remember December. This CD features 15 wonderful tracks, nicely blending popular favorites with classical compositions. On the classical side, Composer John Rutter, a great favorite of mine, has three winning songs here, beginning with the opening number Good Ale. Although it may be somewhat disconcerting to have youngsters boisterously singing "Bring me good ale!", the upbeat and celebratory tune sets the tone for this fine holiday offering. As the young singers move into Rutter's Blow, Blow, Thou Winter Wind, the ambiance becomes much moodier, and you can almost feel the cutting winter wind whipping through Timmins. The final Rutter number, Here We Come A-Wassailing, is a natural fit for these young voices; you can just picture the children moving up and down the snowy streets, wassailing with natural joy and energy. As for popular numbers, Christmas Is presents a wonderful solo by featured guest artist Kevin Closs, and when the Timmins Youth Singers do The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year, the sentiment rings entirely true. The short, but fun, Jingle Bells almost explodes with cheeriness; the young singers' enthusiasm permeates every note. I Remember December ends on another high note (literally). Guest performer Patricia O'Callaghan (a former member of the Timmins Youth Singers) possesses a crystalline soprano voice and joins with Kevin Closs on the title number. Their voices form a lovely blend on this bittersweet tale of holiday memories. It should be noted, too, that O'Callaghan does a masterful job on the prior cut, singing a gorgeous soprano solo on O Holy Night/Cantique De Noel. Considering that these immature voices are relatively untrained, the Timmins Youth Singers demonstrate a surprisingly even musicianship throughout. Timmins, the hometown of Shania Twain ("Timmins' Singing Sweetheart"), obviously must have music magic in the water. After all, Timmins (in northern Ontario) is not a major metropolitan area (population about 43,000); supporting a quality vocal ensemble like this one in such a setting is no small feat. In fact, in recent times, the Timmins Concert Singers have gone on sabbatical, although their web site and their conductor remain quite active. The group already leaves a substantial legacy of music (A Christmas Legacy and Scenes From A Dream, both also reviewed on this site) for their many fans throughout North America. If you are looking for a well-balanced set of memorable holiday songs presented by a talented youth choir, you have found the right CD. You will remember to put I Remember December on your audio system each December year after year after year.--Carol Swanson"
An outstanding choral Christmas collection
Peter Durward Harris | Leicester England | 12/17/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Timmins is a mining town in Ontario, Canada where Shania Twain lived for several years of her childhood. The Timmins youth singers (now the Timmins concert singers), founded by Rosanne Simunovic, are a choir in which there are about two female singers to every male singer. They have recorded a series of Christmas albums, of which this was the first. Helped by the appearance of both Patricia O'Callaghan and Kevin Closs as soloists, this 1994 album has proved hugely successful and deservedly so.The songs are a great mix of old chestnuts and original material. If you are looking for a collection of obvious songs, you'll find some here, but not many. Classical composer John Rutter wrote the first two songs (Good ale and Blow blow thou winter wind) and also arranged the ancient but rarely recorded Here we come a-wassailing. Old-fashioned Christmas, Unto you this night, Let their celestial concerts unite, Let there be praise and I Remember December are among the songs that are new to me.Patricia was originally a member of the Timmins youth singers and has since become a successful cabaret singer. Patricia has a clear, operatic soprano voice, which she controls perfectly as you can hear on the three songs she sings - Have yourself a very merry Christmas, O Holy Night/Cantique De Noel (both featuring her as soloist) and I remember December (which also features Kevin Closs).Kevin is a renowned Celtic folk singer-songwriter and would seem to be an unlikely choice of guest on an album of choral music but his contribution is outstanding. He is the featured soloist on The Christmas song and Unto you this night.This is an interesting choral Christmas album made more so by the addition of Kevin and Patricia as soloists on selected songs."
A REALLY MAGNIFICENT CD FOR CHRISTMAS!
Peter Durward Harris | 09/22/2001
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I Remember December is my all time favorite Christmas CD. There is something truly magical about this wonderful recording that features the stellar vocal talents of Cabaret Star Patricia O'Callaghan, Celtic/Folk Artist Kevin Closs and the Timmins Youth Singers.
All the favorite traditional songs are here, with a refreshing twist...thanks to some wonderful new musical arrangements by conductor Rosanne Simunovic, pianist Sue Steel and keyboardist Gordon Simpson.
The title song...I Remember December...should be played on all the airwaves during the Christmas season. It's a beautiful and inspiring performance by all the artists. Buy this CD now...you won't be disappointed...and it's a steal at this price!"
Track Listings (15) - Disc #1
