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John Turner is best known as a virtuoso recorder player, but he is also a composer, and for the past several decades has made it a practice to compose a Christmas carol each year and include it in the holiday cards he sends to friends and family. All of these are collected here, and performed by the Intimate Voices ensemble. The works are mostly a cappella, and consist of both fully original compositions and new settings of familiar lyrics like “Away in a Manger” and “I Sing of a Maiden.”

Turner’s writing is tonal and accessible, but often nudges the boundaries of traditional harmony in gently intriguing ways. If you’re in the market for Christmas music and want something that departs delightfully from the norm, this album would make an excellent choice.

—Rick Anderson