Studio Ars

This anthology of Christmas carols from the European tradition is not as banal a collection as it may seem. Paul Hillier's intention here is to place himself in the context of history and musicology, his work being similar to that of Arthur Honegger, who at the end of his life composed A Christmas Cantata, which was based on various traditional songs, motets and folk songs.

Michal Wojtas is a highly talented multi-instrumentalist and a dedicated fan of Mike Oldfield. That's why he gave this name to his band project. Influences from that famous paragon cannot be totally denied neither in his playing style nor in the kind of music offered here on their debut album. Most of the tracks are pure instrumental and up to a considerable proportion more in an acoustic vein. There are occasionally very pleasant female vocals. Especially instruments like piano, violin and flute are providing a nice symphonic atmosphere.