An American Christmas

Shapenote Carols from New England and Appalachia
The Tudor Choir
Doug Fullington, Director

The Tudor choir explores Christmas tunes belonging to the American shapenote tradition. Contains an early American version of Joy to the World.  Full texts and extensive notes on the music

Shepherd's Star

Shiloh

The Cherry Tree

Antioch

Sherburne

Emanuel. For Christmas

Redemption. S.M.

Anthem from Luke

Joys Seven

Bethlehem. C.M.

Redemption. L.M.

Boston. For Christmas

Bonnie Doon

Star in the East

Oxford

Judea

New Bethlehem

London

I saw Three Ships

Raymond

Convoy

Distress

Milford

Clifford Bartlett, Early Music Review (UK)

This is our favorite disc this Christmas. Both EB [Elaine Bartlett] and I like it. We were very pleased to be given this magnificent successor to the choir's The Shapenote Album (see EMR 49) when we met Doug Fullington in Seattle earlier this year, and it has been played often in our household. He manages to get a balance between the sing-songy shape-note style, which can be powerful but which has also become routine, with the sophisticated sound of a professional choir, though keeping a bit nearer the style than Psalmody [Peter Holman's group] does to the English equivalents. I like the way they sing some tunes through to the shape-note syllables as introductions. The disc includes the best-known Christmas pieces of the repertoire and is supported by an excellent booklet. This is my Christmas recommendation.