If the problem of organizing music for your Christmas party seems daunting, take a page from the book of the 17th century Duchesse de Guise and commission your own – or simply throw the products of her largesse into your sound system. The Baroque composer Marc-Antoine Charpentier was just one of the artists to enjoy the duchess’ patronage, and to judge by this sumptuously performed disc, the Christmas pastorales that he wrote for her household three years running during the 1680s were marvels of musical invention – soulful, expressive, rich in melodic design.