Craig Ogden - Christmas Time (2013)

Tracklist
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01. Martin, H.: Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
02. Holst: In The Bleak Midwinter
03. Wade: O Come All Ye Faithful
04. Blake: Walking In The Air (Theme From "The Snowman"), Op.652
05. Traditional: Away In A Manger
06. Gruber: Silent Night
07. Traditional: God Rest Ye, Merry Gentlemen
08. Gauntlett: Once In Royal David's City
09. Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire (Christmas Song)
10. Fairytale Of New York
11. Traditional: Deck The Halls With Boughs Of Holly
12. Traditional: O Little Town Of Bethlehem
13. Adam: O Holy Night
14. Cornelius: Three Kings From Persian Lands Afar
15. Traditional: Quelle Est Cette Odeur Agreable
16. Little Donkey


Australian-born guitarist Craig Ogden, based for some years at Britain's Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester, has drawn comparisons to the legendary Julian Bream with the flair and what an American Record Guide critic called the daredevil quality of his playing. The catholic nature of Ogden's repertory is also noteworthy; he presents guitar chestnuts and contemporary premieres with equal enthusiasm, and he has worked as an accompanist to quite diverse vocalists. A native of Perth, Ogden took up the guitar at age seven and also studied percussion as a teen. Graduating with honors from the University of Western Australia, he moved on in 1990 for a performance degree at the Royal Northern College of Music and was hired as a lecturer in guitar by the RNCM, becoming the youngest instrumentalist ever to receive one of the school's fellowships. In concert and on recordings Ogden has managed to win acclaim even for performances in the most crowded field of all: the guitar concertos of Spanish composer Joaquín Rodrigo. Making his Royal Albert Hall debut with Rodrigo's Concierto de Aranjuez and recording all three concertos with the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra, Ogden gained not only strong notices but also praise from Rodrigo's daughter, Cecilia. More innovative Ogden programs were likewise successful; he gave the British premieres of guitar concertos by American composers John Corigliano and Aaron Jay Kernis (and has commissioned several concertos from British composers), and a disc combining passages from the novels of British writer Louis de Bernières with the music they describe made Top 10 on British classical sales charts. The roster of labels for which Ogden has recorded is thus unusually prestigious, including Nimbus, Virgin/EMI, Chandos, Nimbus, Hyperion, Collins Classics, and Sony. Ogden has collaborated with artists including countertenor David Daniels, with whom he released the album A Quiet Thing, and whom he joined for a series of duo recitals that introduced him to U.S. audiences. Another collaborator has been soprano Claire Bradshaw, to whom he is married; the pair have one child.

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