Just two Christmas carols have managed to be known to this day: “Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her” and “In Dulci Jubilo”.

The remaining songs have more or less fallen into oblivion, songs that are characterised as “songs of the Praetorius era”:

Michael Praetorius (contemporary spelling also Michaël Prætorius), Latinised from Michael Schulteis or- Michael Schultheis (* 15 February 1571 in Creuzburg near Eisenach; † 15 February 1621 in Wolfenbüttel), was a German composer, organist, court conductor and scholar in the transition from the Renaissance to the Baroque period, who created the three-part Syntagma musicum.(wikipedia)

He is probably one of the most important composers of his time.

But not only compositions from his pen are offered here, but also from other contemporary composers who, unlike Praetorius, have been completely forgotten today.

It is therefore all the more pleasing that this high-quality “Archiv” label (a sub-label of Deutsche Grammophon) also gives them a hearing.

Choral songs of this kind, especially when they are Christian, may not be to everyone’s taste … the older I get, the more I like them … without, of course, allowing myself to be tied into this Christian ideology.

As with all archive productions, the design of the accompanying booklet is exemplary!

Personnel:
Boys-Choir Of The Secondary School, Eppendorf, Hamburg,
Town-Choir Of Hamburg
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Instrumental Ensemble Of The Archive Production
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Margot Guilleaume (Soprano)
Tenor Vocals – Helmut Krebs (Tenor)
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Adolf Detel (conductor)
Heinz Zabel (chorus master)

Tracklist:
01. 01. O Freude über Freud (Eccard) 3.06
02. Nun Ist Es Zeit Zu Singen Hell (Crappius) 2.16
03. Verkündigungsdialog: Maria, gegrüsset seist du, Holdselige (Schein) 10.04
04. Vom Himmel hoch, da komm ich her (Praetorius) 2.15
05. Wie schön singt uns der Engel Schar (Freundt) 1.53
06. Quem Pastores Laudavere (Praetorius) 4.40
07. Wie schön leuchtet der Morgenstern (Praetorius) 10.00
08. Gelobet seist du, Jesu Christ (Scheidt) 5.04
09. Ein Kind geborn zu Bethlehem (Scheidt) 2.48
10. In Dulci Jubilo (Praetorius) 7.06

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A UK re-issue from 1982: