Product Description

The program:

1. "O Come O Come Emmanuel"--choir procession
2. Fanfare
3. "O Come All Ye Faithful"--choir and congregation
4. HRH intro
5. "Once in Royal David's City"--choir and congregation
6. First Reading: Isaiah--Trevor McDonald
7. Handel: "For unto Us a Child Is Born"--choir
8. Second Reading: Luke, Chapter 2--Betty Boothroyd
9. Handel: "But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming"--Bryn Terfel
10. Eddie's Service (Kipling)--Joan Plowright
11. William Matthias: Sir Christemas--choir
12. Reading: "And there were in the fields..."--Greta Scacchi
13. Schubert: "Ave Maria"--Andrea Bocelli
14. John Gardiner: "Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day"--choir
15. Christmas Campaign (Frederic Coleman reading)--Trevor McDonald
16. "It Came upon a Midnight Clear"--choir and congregation
17. Stephen Adams: "The Holy City"--Charlotte Church
18. "The Lamb" (William Blake reading)--Greta Scacchi
19. "Mille Cherubini in Coro"--Andrea Bocelli
20. "Tna Bethlehem Dref" (Welsh)--Bryn Terfel
21. Christmas Carols (Dickens reading)--Richard Griffith
22. "Silent Night"--Bryn Terfel and Charlotte Church
23. Archbishop of Canterbury
24. "Mascagni: Sancta Maria"--Andrea Bocelli
25. HRH reading: "In the beginning..."
26. Fanfare
27. "Hark the Herald Angels Sing"--choir and congregation
28. The Blessing: Dean of Westminster
29. Widor organ with credits

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #54912 in DVD
• Released on: 2001-10-16
• Rating: NR (Not Rated)
• Aspect ratio: 1.33:1
• Formats: Classical, Color, DVD, Letterboxed, NTSC
• Original language: English
• Number of discs: 1
• Running time: 60 minutes

Amazon.com
It's a marketer's dream to have two PBS superstars, Andrea Bocelli and Charlotte Church, singing in Christmas Glory from Westminster. Bocelli and Church (who don't sing together here) are among a handful of performers in this 1999 service from London's Westminster Abbey, including actresses Greta Scacchi and Joan Plowright and Welsh baritone Bryn Terfel.

Following an introduction to the abbey by HRH the Duke of Edinburgh (his wedding took place there), the first part of the hourlong service tells the Christmas story, alternating poetry and Bible readings with musical selections from the choir and soloists, including Messiah's "For unto us a child is born" and "But who may abide the day of his coming" by Terfel. Bocelli contributes two Schubert selections, "Mille Cherubino in Coro" and the beloved "Ave Maria," as well as "Sancta Maria," a version of Mascagni's famous melody from Cavalleria Rusticana. Church performs Stephen Adams's "The Holy City" (from her second CD) and shares "Silent Night" with Terfel. The program isn't all solemnity, however. Actor Richard Griffiths offers a spirited reading from A Christmas Carol near the abbey's famous Poets' Corner, where Dickens is buried. A blessing from the Dean of Westminster closes the distinguished evening. --David Horiuchi

Customer Reviews

Glorious Christmas Music from Westminster Cathedral
I received my video yesterday and watched it immediately. I was captivated from beginning to end by the spectacular music, scenery and pagentry. The buyer of this video should be aware, however, that it is not just about Andrea Bocelli. I have been a loyal fan of Andrea's from his earliest days of singing in Italy, and once again he is in true form and sings his three songs beautifully. The music of Charlotte Church and Bryn Terfel is just as lovely, and the readings of scripture and the music of the Westminster choirs were wonderful and help to bring into focus the true meaning of this holy season. The expressions on the faces of the young boys in the choir were priceless. This video provided me with an hour of exquisite peace and was the perfect way to begin preparing for the upcoming holiday season. It helped to reinforce the true reason we celebrate this holy season-the celebration of the birth of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ.

Great Without Charlotte Church
This is a classic Christmas album with some of the world's greatest voices. And the setting is one of the world's great vocal settings in Westminster Abbey. Most notable among the vocalists is Andrea Bocelli and Bryn Terfel. The one drawback to this collection is the inclusion of Charlotte Church. Even singing in an area which is her strength, you cannot help but notice her lack of range, lack of vocal control, and incredible lack of emotion. It would have been better for all if Miss Church had stepped back into the participating choir where she is among peers. Fortunately, on Silent Night, we hear the great Bartione voice of Bryn Terfel coming through in spite of Miss Church's best efforts to drown it out. There are many classic moments here which make this video well worth its price despite the presense of Charlotte Church

TOTALY AWESOME
This is one of the best Christmas specials I have seen. The color, scenery and sound were very good. It also had a very nice feeling to it. Andrea Bocelli's version of Ave Maria was out of this world. You won't be disappointed.