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Honegger's Une Cantate de Noël is Christmas music with a difference. His last work and one of his most popular compositions, it was written for the Basle Chamber Choir and Orchestra in 1953. The text of the cantata is derived from liturgical and popular texts. A notable feature is the intertwining of traditional carols in French and German. This combination of the different texts and forms creates a wonderfully uplifting effect. This recording from the BBC National Orchestra of Wales under Thierry Fischer also includes a selection of other works by Honegger, including his Cello Concerto which was premiered in Boston in 1930. It is a charming, urbanely lyrical work, with a distinct tinge of jazz. It is played here by the brilliant young cellist Alban Gerhardt, celebrated for his performances of little-known cello concertos in Hyperion's Romantic Cello Concerto series.