The Promise Of Ages: A Christmas Collection – A Raw, Unfiltered Take
Alright, let’s get into this. Andrew Parrott and the Taverner Consort & Choir dropped The Promise Of Ages: A Christmas Collection back in '98, and holy crap, it’s not your average holiday playlist. This isn’t some cheesy pop album with sleigh bells slapped on every track—it’s a deep dive into classical, folk, and medieval vibes that’ll either make you feel like you’re sipping mulled wine by a roaring fire or questioning all your life choices. Either way, it sticks with you.
First off, let’s talk about “O Magnum Mysterium (Fantasie).” If this track doesn’t give you goosebumps, check your pulse. It’s haunting, raw, and layered with choral harmonies so rich they could choke a horse. The Taverner Consort & Choir absolutely crush it here—no auto-tune, no gimmicks, just pure human voices blending together like some kind of angelic smoothie. You can almost picture monks in drafty stone cathedrals singing their hearts out centuries ago. It’s heavy stuff, man. Like, spiritually heavy but also emotionally heavy because damn, do these guys know how to hit those high notes without breaking a sweat.
Then there’s “I Wonder As I Wander,” which hits different. Not gonna lie, when I first heard it, I thought, "Is this even Christmas music?" But after a few listens, it sunk its teeth into me. It’s stripped-down, almost bare-bones compared to the bombastic arrangements elsewhere on the album. There’s something unsettling yet beautiful about how sparse it feels—like someone whispering secrets instead of shouting them from the rooftops. And yeah, maybe it’s the lyrics about wandering and wondering, but it makes you stop scrolling through Instagram for a second and actually think. Whoa, right?
Now, credit where it’s due: Andrew Parrott directing this chaos deserves props. Dude didn’t phone it in—he went full throttle. Same goes for John Hadden pulling double duty as producer and engineer. These tracks sound crisp, clean, and timeless, like they were recorded yesterday but still carry centuries of history in them. Malcolm Bruno as executive producer probably had his work cut out keeping everyone in line, though. Can you imagine wrangling an entire choir? Madness.
But here’s the kicker—the thing nobody tells you about The Promise Of Ages: it ain’t background music. You can’t throw this on while wrapping presents or baking cookies unless you want existential crises mid-icing. This album demands attention, respect, and maybe a stiff drink. It’s intense, dude. Intense.
So yeah, if you’re tired of Mariah Carey blasting “All I Want For Christmas Is You” for the millionth time, slap this bad boy on. Just don’t blame me if you end up staring at the wall contemplating the meaning of life halfway through. Oh, and one last thing—why does Europe always seem to nail Christmas music better than anyone else? Food for thought.
