King's College Choir, Cambridge Among England's famed university choirs, the King's College Choir of Cambridge has both one of the deepest histories and some of the most visible present-day activities. Its annual broadcasts of the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, begun in 1918, have been an integral part of Christmas celebrations in many countries. The Choir of King's College was founded in 1441 by England's King Henry VI as the resident ensemble of King's College Chapel, a status it continues to hold today. The choir shrank during some of the tumultuous events of the 15th through the 17th centuries but continued to operate. By the early 20th century, it had reached its present complement of 30 members: 16 boy choristers and 14 adult choral scholars. There are also two associated organ scholars; choral scholars and organ scholars are Cambridge students who perform in exchange for discounted tuition.

The Orchestre Philharmonique de Strasbourg has a long history reflecting its home city's location near the border between France and Germany. Designated as one of France's national orchestras, it has an international reputation and has toured widely.

Alligator continues its Trumpet reissue series with an excellent 15-cut anthology covering early Rice Miller (Sonny Boy Williamson II) material, some of it also including guitarist Arthur "Big Boy" Crudup and guitarist Bobo "Slim" Thomas. Miller was honing the uncanny technique that made him a harmonica legend, playing long overtones, spitting lines, droning and angular phrases that are now part of blues lore. His voice was gaining strength and stature, and he repeatedly demonstrated the kind of vocal character and instrumental acumen later immortalized on his Chess sessions. Alligator has found a genuine treasure chest with this series.

This 1962 set by Cal Tjader, recorded at the beginning of the bossa nova craze in the United States (released in the same year and on the same label as the smash Jazz Samba by Stan Getz and Charlie Byrd), has one of the most boring titles imaginable, and it doesn't begin to describe the laid-back yet magical innovations in the grooves. Produced by Creed Taylor, the date was arranged and orchestrated by the great pianist Clare Fischer (who also wrote the liner notes). Tjader set out to offer a very modern portrait of the music pouring out of Mexico City by showcasing selected Mario Ruíz Armengol compositions, and out of Brazil by spotlighting numbers by singers such as Elisete Cardoso and João Gilberto. Tjader's vibes are placed in juxtaposition with Fischer's piano and percussion by Changuito, Milt Holland, and Johnny Rae, with a woodwind section that included both Don Shelton and Paul Horn…

Although it features the beautiful recorder of Leslie Penny and the Chieftains' Paddy Maloney playing the uilean pipe, Ommadawn didn't gain Mike Oldfield the success he was looking for. The album was released in the same year as the David Bedford-arranged Orchestral Tubular Bells and nine months after Oldfield picked up a Grammy award for the original Tubular Bells album. The most pleasing attribute of Ommadawn is its incorporation of both African and Irish music in its symphonic rock & roll mainframe. Boosted by a hearty amount of different horns, piano, cello, trumpet, and synthesizer, the album has its moments of rising action, but the whole of Ommadawn fails to keep its lovely segments around long enough, and there are some rather lengthy instances that include bland runs of unvaried music…

Nuits blanches (White Nights) is a much anticipated new recording by soprano Karina Gauvin, who stylishly animates the opera heroines of the 18th century Russian court. Musical life during the reign of Tsar Peter the Great was a rich blend of diverse styles and influences originating from all over Europe. The Tsar was known for his love of music, a tradition that was carried on by his successors, the Empresses Anne, Elizabeth, and Catherine II, who cultivated cosmopolitan tastes for all kinds of music, including opera.

One of the earlier members of that elite caste of composers who lived only into their mid-thirties (one thinks, of course, of Mozart, Schubert and Mendelssohn), Italian Baroque composer Alessandro Stradella is considered one of the most versatile and influential musical figures of the mid-seventeenth century. Born in Rome in 1644, Stradella first appears in the historical record eleven years later when his name is among the singers listed at St. Marcello del Crocifisso Cathedral. In 1658 he became a singer at the court of Queen Christina of Sweden (stationed in Rome), who, by 1663, was sufficiently impressed with Stradella's musical skills to begin commissioning compositions from him (beginning with the motet Chare Jesu suavissime).

A Christmas programme with a difference: Rory McCleery and his acclaimed consort echo the shepherds’ noels through a motet by Jean Mouton which, astonishingly, remained in the repertoire of the Sistine Chapel for over 100 years after its composition around 1515. So famous already by the middle of the century, when Cristóbal de Morales was engaged as a singer in the papal chapel, that Mouton’s motet would form the basis for a mass by Morales; and, later still, a new motet to the same text by Annibale Stabile. A world premiere recording of the latter work crowns this unique programme, drawn from new performing editions by McCleery himself.

A blend of cosmic and spacey music and recorded exclusively with analogue synthesizers. An album that you can't miss if you love the way of composing and playing synthesizers by Michel Huygen. This album was a huge success worldwide. This album was released in 1982 , after the release of the Neuronium album Chromium Echoes. New digital master prepared by Michel Huygen at his private studio (Barselona) in March 1990.

Made Up Mind, the second studio album from the Tedeschi Trucks Band, contrasts considerably with Revelator in that it showcases the strength of an 11-piece band willing to experiment as they assimilate inspirations – from Stax, Muscle Shoals, Motown, Delaney & Bonnie, blues, and jazz – and incorporate their various experiences into a new whole. Co-produced by Derek Trucks and Jim Scott, there is an increased emphasis on songwriting and more sophisticated arrangements. At the behest of Sony, Susan Tedeschi and Trucks invited other songwriters (some old friends) to contribute to these songs, adding perspective.

This album is often described as a lost gem of the Italian Prog, but what the listener will get listening to this work is some decent, well-played but very calm and relaxing Italian Pop with just a few bits of a light symphonicism on numbered occasions. All tracks are extremely short, the longer one clocking under 4 minutes, most of them have a strong late-60's feeling, when Beat was the king of music in Italy with sax solos, soft pianos, heavy lyrical moments (dealing with religious themes) and some psychedelic guitars parts. A few of them though contain some strong flute drives in the vein of Delirium and Jumbo, offering the listener moments of a more challenging musicianship, though even these very limited instrumental parts can be described as prog, they are rather close to Psychedlic Pop/Rock than Classic Prog.

A Day Without Rain is the fifth studio album by the Irish singer, songwriter and musician Enya, released on 20 November 2000 by WEA. In a musical departure from her previous albums, Enya incorporates a string section on the record. A Day Without Rain received mixed reviews from critics; some felt it too derivative of Enya's previous albums whilst others complimented the minimal use of overdubbing that her sound had become known for. It was a commercial success peaking at No. 6 in the United Kingdom and initially, No. 17 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Following the 11 September 2001 attacks, sales of the album and its lead single, "Only Time", skyrocketed after it was used by several radio and television networks in their coverage and aftermath of the attacks. As a result, "Only Time" climbed to No. 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart and A Day Without Rain reached a new peak on the Billboard 200 at No. 2. It became the fifth highest selling album of 2001 in the United States, and the best selling new age album of all time with an estimated 16 million copies sold worldwide. It remains Enya's highest selling album of her career. To promote the album, Enya made several interviews and televised performances, including the 2001 World Music Awards. In 2002, the album won Enya her third Grammy Award for Best New Age Album.

L'edizione internazionale di AD ASTRA, disponibile da venerdì 29 novembre, contiene 5 nuovi brani: tra i momenti salienti ci sono le note dorate di Now We Are Free, il tema iconico del film Gladiator di Ridley Scott, composto da Hans Zimmer, oltre a classici americani senza tempo come The Sound of Silence e Hallelujah, rielaborati con arrangiamenti originali di M. Tenisci e S. Marletta. L'album include anche una collaborazione speciale con la rinomata soprano Pretty Yende in Amazing Grace e una versione in inglese del loro singolo di successo Capolavoro. AD ASTRA è un vero e proprio abito fatto su misura, cucito sulle tre distinte e complementari personalità di Piero Barone, Ignazio Boschetto e Gianluca Ginoble. Un progetto discografico unico nel suo genere, nato da un intenso lavoro condiviso con un eccezionale team composto da alcuni dei più importanti autori e producer del momento.

“AMORE E BLUES” è il primo album di SHARI, in uscita venerdì 29 novembre su tutte le piattaforme digitali per Columbia / Sony Music Italia. Suggerito dal titolo, il concept dell’album avvicina due parole storicamente legate: l’amore e la malinconia del blues, una forma di tristezza che non paralizza ma che alimenta. La giovane artista filtra il contatto con i suoi sentimenti, raccontando il proprio vissuto attraverso questa lente: lo “struggimento romantico” che da sempre ispira artisti di ogni campo è al centro di ciascun brano, accompagnato dalla voce graffiante e intensa di Shari.

The 1998 remastering of the Strawbs' best album sports the finest sound of any of their CDs, which, by itself, would make this purchase worthwhile – the detailed notes and the presence of three bonus tracks – the shorter, punchier single version of "Lay Down," "Will Ye Go," and "Backside" – only add to the enticements offered. Additionally, the song order has been changed to the correct one (on the LP, "The River" had to follow "Down by the Sea" to end the first side, because of its heavy bass part), but the main virtue is the sound, which is extraordinary: every instrument sounds as though it's miked directly into your speakers.