Feminine Voices at Christmas Ensemble Altera & Christopher Lowrey

• Hildegard von Bingen (ca. 1098 - 1179): O viridissima, Virga:
• 1 Bingen: O viridissima, Virga 02:11
• Imogen Holst (1907 - 1984): Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow:
• 2 Holst: Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow: I. Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow 01:45
• 3 Holst: Welcome Joy and Welcome Sorrow: IV. Shed no Tear 01:28
• Gustav Holst (1874 - 1934): Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Op. 26, H. 99:
• 4 Holst: Choral Hymns from the Rig Veda, Op. 26, H. 99: No. 7, Hymn to the Dawn 03:30
• Joanna Marsh (b. 1970): Magnificat:
• 5 Marsh: Magnificat 05:52
• Cecilia MacDowall (b. 1951): Ave Maria:
• 6 MacDowall: Ave Maria 03:40
• Adrian Peacock (b. 1962): There Is No Rose:
• 7 Peacock: There Is No Rose 03:16
• Ian Shaw (b. 1960): I Sing of a Maiden:
• 8 Shaw: I Sing of a Maiden 02:21
• Barbara Strozzi (1619 - 1677): Sacri musicali affetti, Op. 5:
• 9 Strozzi: Sacri musicali affetti, Op. 5: No. 7, O Maria quam pulchra es 03:11
• Kerensa Briggs (b. 1990): Coventry Carol:
• 10 Briggs: Coventry Carol 04:18
• Elizabeth Poston (1905 - 1987): Jesus Christ the Apple Tree:
• 11 Poston: Jesus Christ the Apple Tree 03:41
• Benjamin Britten (1913 - 1976): Friday Afternoons, Op. 7:
• 12 Britten: Friday Afternoons, Op. 7: No. 5, A New Year Carol 02:44
• Germaine Tailleferre (1892 - 1983): Sonate pour harpe:
• 13 Tailleferre: Sonate pour harpe: II. Lento 04:06
• Benjamin Britten: Ceremony of Carols:
• 14 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: I. Procession 01:48
• 15 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: II. Wolcum Yole! 01:22
• 16 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: III. There is no Rose 02:51
• 17 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: IVa. That Yongë Child 01:56
• 18 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: IVb. Balulalow 01:29
• 19 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: V. As Dew in Aprille 00:58
• 20 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: VI. This Little Babe 01:22
• 21 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: VII. Interlude 04:17
• 22 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: VIII. In Freezing Winter Night 03:49
• 23 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: IX. Spring Carol 01:14
• 24 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: X. Adam Lay I-Bounden 01:07
• 25 Britten: Ceremony of Carols: XI. Recession 03:05
• Anonymous: Dancing Day:
• 26 Anonymous: Dancing Day: No. 1, Prelude 03:44
• 27 Anonymous: Dancing Day: No. 8, Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day 03:06
• Total Runtime 01:14:11

Info for Feminine Voices at Christmas

Feminine Voices celebrates the female voice and the Christmas season, with a kaleidoscopic selection made up of the Magnificat, Ave Maria and carols, each of which is more wonderful than the last. Eight female composers feature in the programme that Christopher Lowrey and the singers of the Altera ensemble have devised, with works by Hildegard von Bingen, Imogen Holst, Germaine Tailleferre, Cecilia McDowall, Joanna Marsh, Barbara Strozzi, Elizabeth Poston, and a world premiere by Kerensa Briggs. Male composers are also included, with works by John Rutter, who has written many Christmas carols, and Benjamin Britten's famous Ceremony of Carols, a work now generally performed by boys' choirs but which was originally written for the women of the Fleet Street Choir. The version recorded here is Britten's original: "seven Christmas carols for women's voices and harp! Very sweet and full of charm". Altera and the harpist Li Shan Tan perform this magical and spellbinding music with delight.

Ensemble Altera
Christopher Lowrey, direction

Ensemble Altera
A chamber choir described by the BBC as "something extraordinary", ENSEMBLE ALTERA in its short history has already been identified as "a leading ensemble on the American choral scene" (Scherzo Magazine). Led by internationally celebrated countertenor Christopher Lowrey, the group has quickly become known for thoughtful programming, passionate performances, and tireless advocacy for the importance of ensemble singing in the broader music culture. BBC Music Magazine called Ensemble Altera's debut album, The Lamb's Journey, "clean as a whistle and confident". Europadisc proclaimed the performances "wonderfully refined and expertly blended, with that combination of radiance, power and transparency that comes with the best chamber choirs". In the words of the Preis der deutschen Schallplattenkritik (German Record Critics’ Award), which awarded the disc its coveted prize, "no recent recording debut in this field has been as spectacular."

Recent programs include Feminine Voices (to be released on Alpha Classics in 2026), weaving together music for upper voices and harp by women composers across the ages with Benjamin Britten's timeless Ceremony of Carols, A New Song: Psalms for the Soul, an exploration of the Biblical Psalm texts in all their dizzying variety, and A Christmas Present, a sumptuous collection of seasonal music written in the new millennium. Ensemble Altera is now beginning to undertake tours throughout the USA, including repeat visits to Carnegie Hall, and expands this work over the coming season. Upcoming projects include The Four Elements, a contemplation of the awesome beauty and terrifying power of the natural world through the prism of the sky, earth, fire, and water. Additionally, Altera teams up with celebrated conductor Raphaël Pichon, and the Orchestra of St. Luke's in a program entitled Mein Traum, starring soprano Ying Fang and baritone Christian Gerhaher. Later in 2025, the group offers new performances of its acclaimed chamber version of Handel's Messiah in its native home of Rhode Island. Deeply committed to championing new works and lifting up new voices from around the globe, over the past few seasons Altera has premiered works by Ian Gabriel Corpuz, Motshwane Pege, Toby Young, Joanna Marsh, Daniel Gledhill, Zuzanna Koziej, and Michael Garrepy, and is currently collaborating with young composer Piers Connor Kennedy in a major work, Declarations​, to mark the 250th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence in 2026.

In addition to performing, Ensemble Altera undertakes an extensive education and outreach program. Such activities include clinics and interactive presentations with school students in a variety of settings, with a particular focus on opening musical horizons to those from underserved backgrounds. Additionally, Altera has a profound faith in the healing power of music both in and out of the concert hall, and is proud to offer its complete recorded music library free of charge in collaboration with select partners in music therapy.

Christopher Lowrey
was born and raised in Johnston, RI, and trained at Brown University, the University of Cambridge, where he sang under Stephen Layton with Trinity College Choir, and the Royal College of Music. In addition to conducting, he enjoys a dynamic international solo career as a countertenor, working at some of the world’s leading opera houses and concert platforms, including the Metropolitan Opera, Royal Opera House, the Philharmonie de Paris, The London Symphony Orchestra, and this season he will be making his debuts with Theater an der Wien, The National Symphony Orchestra, Opera Australia, and The Grange Festival in the UK.

Booklet for Feminine Voices at Christmas