The Manchester Carols, a new sequence of Christmas carols, was written in 2007 by Poet Laureate Carol Ann Duffy and composer Sasha Johnson Manning.
Performer Biography
Richard Tanner, the conductor, is the Director of Music at Blackburn Cathedral and an Organist and Musical Director for the BBC Radio 4 Daily Service.
Instruments
The ensemble for the premiere included two percussionists who played a wide array of instruments, including medieval bells that once belonged to Early Music expert David Munrow.
Performer Biography
Sasha Johnson Manning, the composer, studied singing, cello, and piano at the Royal Academy of Music and has composed for notable artists like Emma Kirkby.
Composer's Artistic Vision
The Manchester Carols re-tell the Christmas Story for the 21st century, celebrating a child's birth and championing the marginalized in a society fraught with political tensions.
Recording & Production
This recording of The Manchester Carols was made at St Thomas' Church, Stockport, England, on October 22nd, 2007.
Composer's Artistic Vision
These carols are intended for everyone: believers, non-believers, people of other faiths, and anyone wishing to join in Christmas celebrations.
