A child for us is Born CD

Release Date: November 4, 2022

CD Edition

American bass and lutenist Joel Frederiksen has recorded a fascinating album of 16th and 17th-century Spanish and Latin American Christmas music with his ensemble Phoenix Munich. Works by renowned composers such as Tomás Luis de Victoria and Mateo Flecha the Elder are intertwined with others virtually unknown to the general public.

The centerpiece of the album is "La Trulla" by Bartolomé Cárceres. It is a collection of ten Christmas songs that include passages in Catalan, French, Portuguese, and Latin, in addition to Castilian. Composers such as Antonio de Cabezón, Diego Ortiz, and Luys de Narváez are also included in this fascinating compilation, released by the Deutsche Harmonia Mundi label under the title Un niño nos es nacido.

The album takes listeners on a journey from contemplative sacred vocal music from Spain to some delightful examples of Christmas music from Latin America. Some of these works have been arranged for two vihuelas, viola da gamba, flute, Spanish harp, and percussion. The journey ends with "Ay andar, andar," composed by Juan de Araujo (1646-1712), who studied and worked in Lima and Panama.

Joel Frederiksen is one of the most charismatic artists in the flourishing early music scene.

He has performed with figures in the early music world, including Emma Kirkby, Jordi Savall, Paul O'Dette, and Stephen Stubbs, and with ensembles such as Musica fiata, Freiburger Barockorchester, Josquin Capella, Ensemble Gilles Binchois, and Huelgas Ensemble.

He studied voice and lute in New York and Michigan, where he received his postgraduate degree. From 1990 to 1999, he was a member of two distinguished early music ensembles in the United States, The Waverly Consort and Boston Camerata. Frederiksen is a particularly outstanding performer of English lute music and early Italian Baroque music. His deep bass voice and expressive interpretations have earned him worldwide recognition.

Ensemble Phoenix Munich was founded in 2003 by Joel Frederiksen. The ensemble focuses on Renaissance and early Baroque music but is not exclusively limited to one era. The programs range from medieval to contemporary music and reflect the interests of its artistic leader.