











Carlos Salzedo was the single most important figure in the history of the harp. He broke new ground in playing technique and discovered new timbres; he explored new sound worlds and brought forth new kinds of beauty; he took an instrument that was already magical and raised it to new virtuosic heights.
In 1938, Salzedo published two Christmas pieces: Concert Variations on Adeste Fidelis (O Come, All Ye Faithful) and an arrangement of Silent Night. A virtuoso transcription of Jingle Bells followed a few years later. These three works were so popular that Salzedo was asked to write more – a whole album’s worth, in fact, recorded by Salzedo himself on the Mercury label in 1956. For this disc, Australian virtuosa Alice Giles has recorded all of those pieces, plus two earlier Salzedo works: the ethereal Poem of the Little Stars and the gloriously joyous Recessional.
Completing this disc are four beloved Australian Christmas carols by W.G. James: Carol of the Birds, The Silver Stars are in the Sky, The Three Droversand Christmas Day, arranged by Alice Giles especially for this recording.
Alice Giles is celebrated as one of the world’s leading harpists, which a wide and varied international solo career that has taken her from London’s Wigmore Hall and New York’s Merkin, ‘92nd St Y’ and Carnegie Halls, to Mawson Station in Antarctica. A guest artist at numerous international festivals, Alice has also appeared as soloist with such orchestras as the Israel Philharmonic Orchestra, Collegium Musicum Zürich, and all the major Australian symphony and chamber orchestras. She has given master classes in many of the world’s major music institutions including the Juilliard School, Salzburg Mozarteum and London’s Royal Academy.
TRACKLISTING
CARLOS SALZEDO 1885–1961
1 Concert Variations on ‘Adeste Fideles’(O Come, All Ye
Faithful) 4’27
2 Paraphrase on ‘It Came upon the Midnight Clear’ 1’45
3 Paraphrase on ‘O Little Town of Bethlehem’ 2’27
4 Concert Variations on ‘O Tannenbaum’ (O Christmas
Tree) 3’38
5 Silent Night 3’29
6 Paraphrase on ‘Hark! The Herald Angels Sing’ 1’49
7 Paraphrase on ‘Away in a Manger’ 1’48
8 Paraphrase on ‘The First Noel’ 1’39
9 Concert Variations on ‘Deck the Halls’ 1’47
WILLIAM G. JAMES 1892–1977 arr. Alice Giles
10 Carol of the Birds 1’46
11 The Silver Stars are in the Sky 2’35
12 The Three Drovers 1’53
13 Christmas Day 1’52
From Australian Christmas Carols, Set I
CARLOS SALZEDO
14 Concert Variations on ‘Good King Wenceslas’ 2’21
15 Paraphrase on ‘Angels We Have Heard on High’ 1’42
16 Paraphrase on ‘Greensleeves’ (What Child is This) 2’04
17 Paraphrase on ‘We Three Kings of Orient Are’ 1’22
18 I Wonder as I Wander (Appalachian Carol) 2’38
19 Short Fantasy on a Noël Provençal 0’55
20 Short Fantasy on a Neapolitan Carol 1’14
21 Short Fantasy on a Catalan Carol 0’59
22 Short Fantasy on a Basque Carol 0’58
23 Paraphrase on ‘Away in a Manger’ (to the tune of ‘Flow
Gently, Sweet Afton’) 2’07
24 Paraphrase on ‘God Rest You Merry, Gentlemen’ 1’11
25 Jingle Bells 1’08
26 Poem of the Little Stars 4’08
27 Recessional 5’31
Alice Giles harp