Four Songs for Christmastime Is Hilgrove Kenrick's Hauntingly Beautiful Gift to the Season

Photo Credit: James Greenoff

Based in Worcestershire, Hilgrove Kenrick is an award-winning composer whose work has been included in feature films, Netflix series, BBC shows, and even video games. He is also the founder, alongside Chloe May Evans, of Ǣfendrēama, a choral collective born out of a love of The Marches. It's within this setting that Four Songs for Christmastime enters the conversation, the collective's latest EP.

Winter's Breath begins proceedings. A wordless and ethereal offering that instantly hypnotises the listener, it's the perfect scene setter, and leads one gently into Here is the Man, a beautiful composition that premiered at the Worcester Cathedral Carol service.

When they saw the Star is another stunning piece of music, and the only one on the EP written by Chloe. Haunting yet simultaneously soothing, it unfolds at its own pace, leaning into restraint and allowing the vocals to take centre stage.

I Wonder as I Wander closes Four Songs for Christmastime, and this breathtaking arrangement is one I'd like you to discover and absorb on your own. Mere words cannot do it justice, and it deserves your undivided attention.

An utterly spectacular EP from beginning to end, Four Songs for Christmastime is a deeply rewarding listen - and leaves a lasting impression.

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