The songs heard on A Chatman Christmas, composed over a twenty year period (1988-2008), were inspired by Chatman’s keen interest in the rich tradition of Christmas choral music and his personal experiences over many Christmas holiday seasons. In contrast to some of Chatman’s other music, these songs reflect the simplicity and directness of much traditional Christmas music. His compositional approach – for example, strophic settings of strophic poems, diatonic melodies and harmonies, and traditional vocal textures – is not only a conscious, deliberate homage to the Christmas choral tradition but also a significant contribution to this canon of choral repertoire.

« This is a lovely collection. » – Jason Victor Serinus, Secrets of Home Theatre & High Fidelity

« The choir sings with a terrific mix of tonal purity and musical phrasing. »
– David Stabler, OregonLive.com

« Let us toast with wassail this quality Christmas CD from our northern brethren. »
– Mary Kunz Goldman, The Buffalo News

« The pieces are tasteful and harmonically conservative, yet also sound like they belong to the here-and-now. »
– John Terauds, The Toronto Star

– WCMA Nominations – Classical Recording of the Year University of British Columbia Singers – A Chatman Christmas

« The content is the wonderful Christmas music composed over two decades by one of Canada’s finest composers, longtime UBC professor Stephen Chatman. Much of it deserves to get into the Christmas concerts of other choirs. » Gerry Grzyb, The Oshkosh Northwestern

« Chatman’s settings are contemporary New World, smelling of frankincense. They are full of flowing lines possessing the warmth of a hearth fire on a snow solstice. Chatman, like Kile Smith, can evoke Old World ambiance from modern forms. Chatman’s setting for traditional carols, « Christmas Joy, » makes for a dandy holiday songfest that includes « Good King Wenceslas, » « Here We Come A’wassailing, » « O Come O Come, Emanuel » and « Lo How a Rose. » A Chatman Christmas is a fine contemporary holiday collection that deserves to stand above the majority of releases in this genre. » Michael Bailey, All About Jazz

1. Love Came Down at Christmas

2. Little Child in a Manger

3. A Cradle Song

4. The Falcon Carol

5. Make a Wish for me on Christmas

6-12. Carols of the Nativity

13. Voices in the Mist

14. Lullay My Liking

15. Shepherds, Rejoice!

16. Sterling Bells

17. Christmas Joy

18. Jumalisten Joucko

19. Lo in a Manger

20. The Star-Song

WMCA Nomination Classical Recording of the Year University of British Columbia Singers – A Chatman Christmas