As the winter season approaches, the GRAMMY® Award-winning National Children's Chorus of the United States of America (NCC) proudly unveils their debut holiday album, Illumine, in collaboration with the London Symphony Orchestra. This exquisite musical collection, recorded at the esteemed Abbey Road Studios and AIR Studios in London, showcases numerous recent commissions, arrangements and orchestrations curated to beautifully represent traditions and holiday expressions from around the world. Conducted by NCC Artistic Director Luke McEndarfer and Associate Artistic Director Dr. Pamela Blackstone, Illumine shares beloved choral pieces by renowned composers, while also shining a spotlight on new music from diverse cultures, including selections written in Hebrew, Tagalog, Spanish, and Hindi.
Recorded in a remarkable three-day span during the National Children’s Chorus’ international tour to the U.K. by over 250 young singers, Illumine is a testament to the unparalleled professionalism with which NCC students approach their shared passion of singing. Drawing from the organization's eight chapter cities across the United States, members of the NCC’s Senior Division showcased their remarkable ability to unite and create stunning music while training seamlessly and uniformly across the country.
A solo album release of this magnitude with such high artistic excellence has been a dream of the National Children’s Chorus for many years, which was amplified after their recent GRAMMY® Award win for Best Choral Performance with Gustavo Dudamel and the Los Angeles Philharmonic. “As 2024 marks my 20th anniversary as Artistic Director of the NCC, I must say that upon hearing Illumine’s final tracks our team approved for mastering and final production last month, I was astounded by the beauty and sheer excellence of the album. Knowing how far we have come since my first NCC rehearsal in 2004 is truly humbling, especially in light of this epic recording that honors the NCC’s rich history and foreshadows a thrilling future,” said Luke McEndarfer, NCC Artistic Director & CEO.
Illumine will be available for streaming on all major platforms, including Spotify, Apple Music and Amazon Music on Friday, November 10th, 2023.
The full discography is listed below:
“Carol of the Bells”, Mikhail Leontovich, Peter J. Wilhousky
“Himig Pasko”, Filipino Traditional, Arr. George Gemora Hernandez
“Yaldei Haor (Children of Light)”, Sharon Farber
“Tomorrow Shall Be My Dancing Day”, English Traditional, Arr. John Rutter
“A La Nanita Nana”, Spanish Traditional, Arr. Carlos Cordero
“I Dream a World”, André J. Thomas, Langston Hughes, Orch. by Robert Elhai
“Betelehemu”, Nigerian Traditional, Arr. Andy Beck
“In Winter”, German Traditional, Arr. Victor C. Johnson, Orch. Nicholas Nicassio
“I Saw Three Ships”, English Traditional, Arr. John Frederick Hudson
“Northern Lights”, Ola Gjeilo
“Ose Shalom”, Hebrew Traditional, Arr. John Leavitt
“Diya Jalein”, Gaayatri Kaundinya
“Glow”, Eric Whitacre
“It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year”, George Wyle & Eddie Pola, Arr. Bob Krogstad & Simon Curtis, Orch. Robert Elhai
“Lully, Lulla, Lullay”, English Traditional, Arr. Philip W.J. Stopford
“The World for Christmas”, Anders Edenroth
“Silent Night”, Franz Gruber, Joseph Mohr, Arr. Rhonda Polay, Orch. Dr. Nicholas Nicassio
