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Editorial Reviews

You could probably listen to all of the Boston Camerata's Mediterranean Christmas without even realizing it's a Yuletide album. That's not a criticism: This is one holiday CD that you won't want to file away until next year once the season has passed. An early music group that just celebrated its 50th anniversary, the Camerata is joined here by Sharq, an Arabic music ensemble, for an incredibly wide-ranging program of works: from the 12th to the 19th centuries, circling the Mediterranean from Spain through Italy and Egypt all the way around to Morocco, all inspired by some aspect of the Christmas story. And if you're aware of the context for this music, the tone of expectation, joy, and praise is unmistakable in pieces like the lilting 13th-century Italian lauda "Gloria 'n cielo." There are carols for the Kings of the Orient, dialogues between shepherds and angels, and even a brief lamentation over Herod's crimes, but the program ends with a charming set of lullabies for Virgin and Child. The variety of instrumental sounds and vocal styles is a constant delight, beginning with the horns of annunciation -- a Jewish shofar and a Moroccan raita -- on "Madre de Deus," one of several cantigas on the program from the 13th-century Spanish king Alfonso el Sabio. Condensing almost a millennium's worth of music into their project, Sharq and the Camerata have managed to produce a unique Christmas album that will charm early music connoisseurs and more casual listeners as well. Scott Paulin, Barnes & Noble

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