Do the angels really sit on clouds, playing harps? There may well be reason to doubt this, due to the size and weight of the golden string instruments. But when one listens closely to the airy and yet powerful playing of the Leipzig Flute Ensemble Quintessenz on their new Christmas CD, one can very well imagine that the silvery pipes might be the choice instrument in heavenly realms, and not merely due to their greater practicability. From the fluttering wings of a Frank Bridge and the shepherd's songs of Jan Brandts Buys to an exalted Bach Chorale, Christmas feelings are stirred up regardless of the season. Sparkling, inspiring, airy – the songs of angels from a Saxon heaven...
