Lux

Imagine a large snow-covered church at Christmas, lit only by candles, the voices of a well-trained choir curling up into the roof, and you have a good idea of the mood this album evokes. Jean-Sébastien Vallée’s fine Montreal choir mixes carols—“Once in Royal David’s City” comes with a very impressive solo from Stephanie Manias—with modern classics by Morten Lauridsen, Eric Whitacre, and Paul Mealor. Vallée’s singers have a beautiful internal balance and blend, while the recording captures the lovely church acoustic. A memorable Canadian Christmas.