Sacred Sacrifice

Editorial Reviews
Half Moon Bay Review, CURRENTS magazine:
A quote from Half Moon Bay Review, CURRENTS magazine:

setting magic to a world beat is Fontain's M.U.S.E. playing original music to warm up the audience and improvisational segments throughout the show. Leading the group is Fontain who traveled to Singapore, Malaysia and Europe to do research for her music. Also set to play are Robert Constantine on jazz guitar, Shivpreet Kapoor on tablas and flute and Farhan Khan on sitar and guitar,A must see event at Mell Mello Center for the Arts

Main Street School
Date: Sat., 21 Mar 1998 00:10: 28 -0800 From: Thom Dunks Organization: Soquel School District To: fontain@sirius.com Subject: Family Concert on Main Street

Dear Fontain's M.U.S.E., Thank you for bringing your music and spirit to our Family Concert Series. You are a joy to listen to and we greatly appreciate your generosity and creativity. I don't know if anyone mentioned this to you. All proceeds from our Concert Series go directly to provide a regular weekly program to our students. We are... read more

Album Description
Y2k music for the cosmic space in your head. A unique blend of alternative rock, Jazz Improvisation, eastern styles and world influences.

Sacred Sacrifice

Sacred Sacrifice, Music, Fontain's M.U.S.E.

Lo the Full Final Sacrifice & Other Choral Works
Average customer rating:

Ravishing Music, Ravishingly Sung

Lo the Full Final Sacrifice & Other Choral Works
Finzi , Robinson , Whitton , and Choir St John's Collg
Manufacturer: Naxos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00006RHPP
Release Date: 2003-01-21

Tracks:

God Is Gon Up, Op.27, No.2
Magnificat, Op.36
My Lovely One, Op.27, No.1
Welcome Sweet And Sacred Feast, Op.27, No.3
Thou Didst Delight My Eyes, Op.32
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Op.35
I Praise The Tender Flower
I Have Loved The Flowers That Fade
My Spirit Sang All Day
Clear And Gentle Stream
Nightingales
Haste On, My Joys!
Wherefore Tonight So Full Of Care
Lo, The Full, Final Sacrifice, Op.26

Customer Reviews:

Ravishing Music, Ravishingly Sung.......2003-04-09

As a choral singer myself, I was particularly drawn to this new Naxos release of sacred and secular choral music, some of it familiar but much of it quite unfamiliar (at least on this side of the Atlantic).

The disc leads off with what is probably Finzi's most popular sacred choral work, 'God is gone up with a triumphal shout,' set to a text by Edward Taylor. The opening organ fanfare is followed by sung fanfares with men's voices echoing those of the trebles. [The choir in this recording is that of St. John's College, Cambridge, and as such follows the Anglican tradition choirs consisting of boy sopranos, male altos, tenors and basses. There are some who dislike this sound but I find it very attractive, and of course it is the sound that Finzi surely heard in his mind's ear as he was writing these pieces.] The piece has colorful choral and organ writing that mirrors such words as 'Methinks I see Heaven's sparkling couriers fly.'

This is followed by 'Magnificat,' Op. 36 (Finzi's only American commission, written for the choirs of Smith and Amherst Colleges), a moving setting without the usual concluding 'Gloria', that begins with an exulting 'My soul doth magnify the Lord' and ends on the words 'for ever and ever' gradually dying away to the final 'Amen.'

'God is gone up' is the second of three sacred pieces in Opus 27. The other two are included (although not in consecutive order). They are 'My lovely one,' and 'Welcome sweet and sacred feast.' The latter is a setting of Henry Vaughan's poem celebrating the poet's redemption through religious conversion ('Dead was I, and deep in trouble'). It contains a meltingly beautiful passage on the words 'O rose of Sharon! O the Lily of the Valley!'

There are two part-songs for male voices, the a cappella 'Thou didst delight my eyes,' Op. 32, and one set to the famous passage from Ecclesiastes, 'Let us now praise famous men,' Op. 35. The latter, in two-part harmony, is notable for its Elgarian treading bass in the organ.

'Seven Unaccompanied Partsongs,' Op. 17, are set to texts by Robert Bridges. They are lyrical and tender and the part-writing is especially grateful to sing. The joyous 'My Spirit Sang All Day' is a particular favorite of small choirs. (For American readers/singers I will add that these songs remind me harmonically and in tone of those in Randall Thompson's 'Frostiana.')

The final and longest piece here is 'Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice,' Op. 26, a 14-minute festival anthem set to Crashaw's elegant translation of Aquinas's 'Adoro te' and 'Lauda Sion.' It starts with a longish organ introduction and features a cappella and accompanied passages and short solos following the poetry's verse structure. There are some ecstatically lovely melodies, particularly at the words 'Jesu, Master, just and true' and at the final 'Amen.'

The singing here is impeccable and stylish. The recorded sound is all one could ask. Another triumph for St. John's, Cambridge, its conductor, Christopher Robinson, and for Naxos.

Tracks:

What Sweeter Music
The Blue Bird
Te Lucis Ante Terminum (After 'Song Of The Birds') - Helen Tunstall/The Choir Of New College Oxford/Edward Higginbottom
Crux Fidelis (After 'Ombra Mai Fu' From 'Xerxes')
Ave Maria - Ben Hulett/Helen Tunstall/The Choir Of New College Oxford/Edward Higginbottom
Ave Maris Stella
Lo, The Full, Final Sacrifice, Op.26: Amen
Liturgy Of St John Chrysostom No.2, Op.29: Veruyu (Creed) - Ben Hulett/The Choir Of New College Oxford/Edward Higginbottom
God Be In My Head
Lugebat David (After 'Pavane', Op.50)
All Night Vigil, Op.37: Lord, Now Lettest Thou - Ben Hulett/The Choir Of New College Oxford/Edward Higginbottom
Beati Quorum Via
Song For Athene
All Night Vigil, Op.37: Blessed Is The Man
Mater Christi
Ave Maris Stella
O Salutaris Hostia
O Sacrum Convivium!
Sieben Magnificat-Antiphonen: O Weisheit
And I Saw A New Heaven

Customer Reviews:

Some Glorious and Well-Sung Hymns! .......2006-02-27

I was surprised to read the wide variation of reactions to this CD, which I read whilst re-hearing it. Talk about one man's meat being another man's poison!

Let me say at the outset, I am one who found the disk to be delicious meat, and far from poison. While I, too, was a bit fearful when I saw the number of re-arranged familiar works, I approached them with an open mind, prepared to enjoy them or not as the listening experience unfolded, with no odious comparisons nor particular expectations nor religious purposes in mind. I will speak then of my musical experience listening to the disk.

I enjoyed the music immensely, and was grateful for the provision of texts and translations (in lieu of any other notes about the pieces). I found the variety of cultures, styles, periods, and level of familiarity a very refreshing reminder of the countless ways in which composers of various times and places have approached Christian ideas (for no other religion is represented here).

Let me say a word or two about the individual pieces, then offer a very brief summary.

First, the Rutter hymn "What Sweeter Music" was familiar to me, but I delighted in its sheer loveliness, almost as if it were the first time! I had to play it several times before proceeding. We all owe John Rutter a great deal for his musical contribution to our times.

I was impressed with the beauty and imagination of Stanford's setting of Mary Coleridge's "Blue Bird." Not really a hymn, I suppose, it speaks of joy in nature, reminiscent in basic idea to "All Things Bright and Beautiful," though not musically similar.

The rendering of the Catalan folksong (brought to us originally by Pablo Casals) as a hymn with 7th century Ambrosian text was a welcome chance to re-hear that lovely music, and not as the Christmas carol "El Cant dels Ocells" ("The Song of the Birds"). Higginbottom's arrangement, with harp accompaniment, is very atmospheric and gorgeous.

The setting of Handel's "Ombra Mai Fu" (from his opera Xerxes) was a bit difficult to separate from its original context simply because of its immense popularity; still I managed to suppress those connotations, and found the new topic really not so different, after all. The "Crux Fidelis" text speaks of the holy cross as a "noble tree," while in Xerxes the aria renders thanks to a tree for its shade. The choral arrangement, sung in unison, with string accompaniment is tasteful and musical.

The Bach-Gounod "Ave Maria" is another extremely familiar hymn, but this one is not so much different from its Gounod setting. Higginbottom has simply added a choral accompaniment to the original vocal solo and used the harp to provide instrumental support. The tenor, Ben Hulett, sings very beautifully, as does the chorus behind him, and the balance is fine overall, though some might prefer the soloist to be more prominent in one or two spots.

I was glad to be reminded of Grieg's "Ave Maris Stella," which I had forgotten about, and of his expertise in writing for voice. His most popular works are undoubtedly the instrumental "Peer Gynt Suite" and the piano concerto. Here we get back to original versions again. I enjoyed this, though the intensity of the choral singing may be too much for some.

The "Amen" by Finzi shows a delightful interweaving of voices and some delicious harmonies within its short span (hardly more than 60 seconds).

Grechaninov's "Veruyu," or "Credo" from the important Russian Orthodox Liturgy of St. John Chrysostom brings to us the lovely, mystical chant of the all-male church choirs with their ultra-high tenors and ultra-low basses offering a huge richness of (unaccompanied) vocal sound. This is lovely and devout-sounding music, dramatically presented!

The utterly simple and ravishingly beautiful "God Be In My Head," by HW Davies, is probably alone worth the price of the CD! The choral singing here is absolutely first-rate.

The arrangement of Faure's "Pavane" is one of the more problematic pieces, being again so very familiar to us all in the original flute and strings version. I was rather pleased with the choral arrangement, perhaps perversely, for I have grown a bit tired of hearing the original. The 15th century Latin words seem to me appropriate to the emotional character of Faure's music, being very mournful indeed. (Faure's title is simply the name of a very old Italian dance from Padua, so I don't know if he meant it to be sad.)

The 2 selections from Rachmaninov's setting of an "All Night Vigil" (tracks 11 and 14) present music from the Russian Orthodox church, as did Grechaninov's, and the musical style is quite similar. For a piano virtuoso, Rachmaninov astounds us with his fine choral writing. Listen for the extremely low bass notes at the end of track 11, but don't try them at home: they're really subterranean! Track 14 "Blessed Is the Man" is a remarkably fine hymn with lovely Alleluias at the end of each verse.

Stanford's "Beata Quorum Via" is another expert piece of choral writing, and it is quite beautiful as presented here, a capella, with lovely interweaving voices in varied textures.

The "Song for Athene," by contemporary English composer Sir John Tavener, is a lament for the death of a woman, with words from Shakespeare and the Russian Orthodox funeral service and music very reminiscent of the Russian music presented earlier, except that 20th century touches appear here and there in the form of dissonances which occur suddenly and then resolve quickly back into the predominant, often austere, harmony.

"Mater Christi" is by John Taverner (not Tavener!), a 16th century English composer of church music, much of which is fairly well known today. This is a fine, longish Marian hymn sung a capella in Latin.

Monteverdi provides another Marian hymn whose Latin text is very familiar and much used, being the "Ave Maris Stella." The chorus is supported by organ and chamber orchestra, and all perform well. Very fine music!

Rossini, of operatic fame, puts on his ecclesiastical mantle here to offer a hymn to words of St. Thomas Aquinas, "O Salutaris Hostia," which is appropriately devout in character and as dramatic as you might expect. It's also a lovely a capella hymn.

Messiaen's "O Sacrum Convivium" is, like Rossini's, a hymn which centers upon the Paschal victim as recalled in the holy communion, but this time in the exquisite and piquant harmonies characteristic of the 20th century French mystical composer.

Arvo Part is a contemporary Estonian composer (born 1935) of a mystical character akin to Messiaen's and Tavener's. "O Weisheit," a hymn to Divine Wisdom, is sung in German and has a chant-like quality.

"And I Saw a New Heaven," a liturgical anthem, is the best-known work of the 20th century English composer Edgar Bainton, who is less well known than most of the others here (two of whom--Davies and Stanford-- were his teachers). The English text, from the Book of Revelations, is highly mystical and prophetic, and the music, for chorus and organ, is absolutely glorious!

Though some have complained about the singing and the recording quality here, I don't agree with them overall. There are points where the intensity of the voices in the perhaps overly resonant environment may seem a bit harsh, but such points are relatively few, and I find the many moments of exquisite delight outweigh them by far. Thus I recommend this CD highly for the large amount of musical satisfaction it brings.

Beautiful.......2005-12-06

I love this cd. I don't use it for serious listening - perhaps it is too sweet for that as the previous reviewer suggests, and perhaps there are better renditions. All I know is that this cd is wonderful to fall asleep or wake up to - and listening to it never fails to make me feel peaceful and happy. I recommend it.

Like Adding Sugar and Honey to Syrup.......2002-10-10

This disc largely consists of sticky-sweet, bastardized choral arrangements done in a saccharine style. The pieces whose texts are set to familiar "Top 40" classical works are really quite tasteless- Lugebat David and Crux Fidelis being the worst of them.

The recording has been made with a manufactured sound in an unusually resonant space, which has allowed the producer to gloss over a startling number of sloppy entrances, a poor blend, occasional pitch problems, and a shrill soprano section.

Borrow the disc from your library and listen to the transcriptions for the novelty of it- but for more legitimate recordings of the Rutter, the Messaien, Part and Rachmaninov, you'd best look elsewhere.

Good choir but not best choice of music.......2002-06-17

This is my first and, as yet, only recording of the Choir of New College Oxford, and I must say I am not wholly enamored with it. The choir makes a lovely sound and the quality is good, but I just cannot bring myself to enjoy the choice of music itself. I have listened through several times and only a handful of pieces capture my fancy - the Rachmaninov, Tavener, and Rossini, in particular - with the rest of the music simply too romantic and "ordinary" for me. To be blunt, I find the program rather boring. As for the singing, it is mostly beautiful but perhaps a little "too much" for lengthy listening - the vibrato is, for me, slightly overdone in places and the trebles sound a bit shrill and/or flat on occasion. However, I am certainly not going to argue that the quality of this ensemble is anything less than first-class; I would just prefer to hear then performing what to my taste would be a more interesting program.

Stunning.......2002-05-16

When I first got this album, I listened to only the first three tracks, while I prayed in the morning and the evening. One night, I accidentally fell asleep with the CD still playing, and I awoke to hear Gabriel Faure's beautiful "Lugebat David". Soon after, I listened to the entire album and was blown away by its utter beauty. The voices are perfect, the arrangements luminous, and they create an ethereal mood. I still listen to this album when I pray, for it puts me in the best frame of mind for that exercise.

Among my favorites on the album are: "What Sweeter Music" (Rutter), "The Bluebird" (Stanford), "Song For Athene" (Tavener), "Nyne otpushehayeshi" (Rachmaninov), "O Weisheit" (Part), and "God Be In My Head" (Davies). But, the reason I gave this album five stars is it breathes as a whole: beyond my favorite tracks, every song is stellar. If you own no other choral music, you should own this album

Gerald Finzi: Choral Works
Average customer rating:

Distinctive and moving

Exceptionally moving and spiritual compositions, performance

Gorgeous compositions and performances

Loving performances of a distinctive composer

Gerald Finzi: Choral Works

Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Finzi, Gerald | ( F ) | Featured Composers, A-Z | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B000000AMD
Release Date: 1992-10-28

Tracks:

God Is Gone Up, Op. 27, No. 2
Welcome Sweet And Sacred Feast, Op. 27, No. 3
Three Short Elegies, Op.5: Life A Right Shadow Is
Three Short Elegies, Op.5: This World A Huntin Is
Three Short Elegies, Op.5: This Life, Which Seems So Fair
Thou Didst Delight My Eyes, Op. 32
My Lovely One, Op. 27, No. 1
Let Us Now Praise Famous Men, Op. 35
Seven Partsongs, Op. 17: I Praise The Tender Flower
Seven Partsongs, Op. 17: I Have Loved Flowers That Fade
Seven Partsongs, Op. 17: My Spirit Sang All Day
Seven Partsongs, Op. 17: Clear And Gentle Stream
Seven Partsongs, Op. 17: Nightingales
Seven Partsongs, Op. 17: Haste On, My Joys!
Seven Partsongs, Op. 17: Wherefore Tonight So Full Of Care
Magnificat, Op. 36
White-Flowering Days, Op. 37
All This Night, Op. 33
Lo, The Full, Final Sacrifice, Op. 26

Customer Reviews:

Distinctive and moving.......2005-03-09

The highlight of this wonderful disc is the recording of Lo, the Full, Final Sacrifice, which is heard less often than Finzi's shorter, better known songs such as My Spirit Sang All Day or Clear and Gentle Stream. But this is perhaps his masterpiece. Certainly it's among my favorite choral pieces, and on my short list for desert island music of any genre. The Finzi Singers are, as always, superb.

Exceptionally moving and spiritual compositions, performance.......2004-11-29

Why is it that some people feel that to be current in musical appreciation--knowledgeable in the work of the cutting edge--one has to give up intimacy, the soulfully lyric introspective music of the middle years of the 20th century? Why does the ugliness of "music concrete", of serialism, and minimalism hold more validity than "Intimations Of Immortality" or these choral works? I am a composer; I have-- over my 42 years of writing-- composed my share of experimental work, but after that period of being a L'enfante Terribe, I have come back to the sensuousness of clustered harmony and the ecstasy of soaring melody. These works of Finzi are filled with a real passion and love for all that is beautiful and spiritually uplifting. There is an achingly intense lovliness to such works as , "Lo, the Full and Final Sacrifice"...particularly the final Amen. The a capella works display such a great gift for counter-point, and a marvelous knowledge of 17th century prose and poetry. Finzi has wedded music and text in a very subtle way; his understanding of this melding of music and verse is greater than many of his contemporaries. If you as listeners appreciate the achingly beautiful lines of melody combined with lush harmony in a personally intimate expression-- undergirded with spiritual intensity--it is my humble belief that you will love this recording. Put aside the amateurishness of Phillip Glass, and embrace this music from a deep lyrical composer-Gerald Finzi.

Gorgeous compositions and performances.......2001-02-26

This recording will definitely boost your seratonin levels. Some of Finzi's most transcendentally beautiful -- yet also quite accessible -- pieces are presented here. Even the secular texts chosen by this composer tend to have a mystical quality about them, and this aspect is also usually evident in Finzi's harmonic approach. The Finzi Singers approach these compositions with such enthusiasm and obvious love for the music that you can't help but feel your heart swell and the occasional tear come to your eye. They sing with excellent ensemble and dynamics, and offer a vocal sound that seems well suited to the material. The recording is finely done, with a proper balance of natural reverberation. On a crisp autumn morning, there could hardly be a better disc with which to begin the day.

Loving performances of a distinctive composer.......1999-11-28

With this disc, Chandos provides a decent introduction to the lyrical and sometimes quirky choral music of Gerald Finzi. As might be expected, The Finzi Singers produce loving renditions of works great and small, in which a good balance of sacred and secular texts (some by renowned poets) is created. The unaccompanied works speak very much for themselves, and when the organ appears it is finely played. Not everyone will find the disc to their taste- for a twentieth century composer, Finzi seems more at home writing in the style of the partsongs of the previous century and this leads to some works sounding pedestrian or uninteresting. Then again, some works can take you by surprise, especially the concluding track, "Lo, the full final sacrifice", in which the intensity, languidity, joy and sadness of all the previous tracks seem to be brought together in an astounding single piece. The performances are generally faultless. I believe this disc would make a fine Christmas gift- for lovers of choral music in particular.

Average customer rating:

Something Different!
Sacred Sacrifice
Excellent Debut

Sacred Sacrifice

ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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ASIN: B00004RG4O
Release Date: 2000-01-01

Tracks:

breath
unholy
spiders in the attic
ghost
wanabe
bitter wine
warrior
sacred sacrifice
deja vu
le miroir
savannah

Album Description

Y2k music for the cosmic space in your head. A unique blend of alternative rock, Jazz Improvisation, eastern styles and world influences.

Customer Reviews:

Something Different!.......2001-08-22

This is something very spiritual. I got one last year from this site. I can't wiat for her to cut the next one.

Sacred Sacrifice.......2000-04-28

Way to go! Woman power in spiritual voices that excite the feminine psyche stirring echoes from the goddess culture. East meets West. Buy it!

Excellent Debut.......2000-03-22

While riding in a San Jose taxi several months ago I struck up a conversation with the driver, asking what else he did. He said he was a musician. When I asked what kind, he said "you're listening to it." I was hooked right away, and immediately offered to purchase a copy from him.

This cd has a worldbeat, yet pop sound. Within the confines of a basically pop sound, Fontain displays a distinct middle eastern sound. With, at times, pronounced use of the sitar. Highlights are hard to determine. I like the whole album. However, "Wannabe," "Spiders in the Attic" and "Sacred Sacrifice" have an infectious groove I can't seem to get out of my head.

All instruments are played well, but the vocalist has a particularly compelling voice.

Tracks:

Ainsworth Psalms: No. 100
Ainsworth Psalms: No 25
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 1
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 111
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 97
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 55
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 34
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 13
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 27
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 18
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 75
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 37
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 39
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 33
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 24
Ainsworth Psalms: No. 84
Bay Psalms: No. 4 'Oxford Tune'
Bay Psalms: No. 23 'Low Dutch Tune'
Bay Psalms: No. 73 'York Tune'
Bay Psalms: No. 39 'Martyrs Tune'
Bay Psalms: No. 100 'Old Hundredth'
Canon: Thus Saith The High, The Lofty One
Four Hymns: China, Despair, Amanda And Salisbury
Three Fuging Tunes: Montgomery, Russia, Northfield
Anthem: Behold I Bring You Glad Tidings
Anthem: O Be Joyful In The Lord
Anthem: As The Hart Panteth
Come Fair Rosina
My Love Is Gone To Sea
Beneath A Weeping Willow's Shade
O'er The Hills Far Away
See, Down Maria's Blushing Cheek
Enraptur'd I Gaze
Rondo - My Gen'rous Heart Disdains
The Traveler Benighted And Lost

Tracks:

Introduction: Standish, Isle Of Wight, & 100 Psalm Tune New
Grounds And Rules: Southwell New, Windsor, Litchfield, Psalm 148
Urania: Standish, Isle Of Wight, 100 Psalm Tune New
Cambridge Tune & Southwell Tune
Urania: The Lord Descended From Above
Urania: 19th Psalm
O, Be Glad, Ye Daughters Of His People
God Was In Jesus
I Will Make An Everlasting Covenant
I Will Freely Sacrifice To Thee
How Beautiful Upon The Mountains
O, There's A Sight That Rends My Heart
Look Ye, How My Servants Shall Be Feasting
Bunker Hill
An Homage To George Washington: 1. A Toast 2. Washington's March 3. Ode For The New Year 4. Funeral Dirge On The Death Of General Washington
The Seasons: Spring, Summer, Autumn, Winter
Two Anthems On The Same Text: 1. Down Steers The Bass 2. Consonance
Four Ballads: 1. My Days Have Been So Wond'rous Free 2. A Cook My Good Masters 3. The Mischievous Bee 4. Last Week I Took A Wife
Friendship - An Ode

Average customer rating:

Bad executions??!
...Just as it should be
Good Intentions, Bad Executions

Finzi, Bax and Vaughan Williams
Ralph Vaughan Williams , King's Singers , Stephen Cleobury , Gerald Finzi , King's College Choir Cambridge , David Willcocks , and Arnold Bax
Manufacturer: EMI Records [All429]
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Imports | Stores | Music
ASIN: B000005GSG
Release Date: 2000-10-10

Tracks:

Mass In G Minor: Kyrie - John Eaton (Treble)
Mass In G Minor: Gloria - John Eaton (Treble)
Mass In G Minor: Credo - John Eaton (Treble)
Sanctus - Osanna I - Benedictus - Osanna II - John Eaton (Treble)
Mass In G Minor: Agnus Dei - John Eaton (Treble)
Lo, The Full, Final Sacrifice, Op. 26 - Richard Farnes (Organ)
Mater ora filium - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
God Is Gone Up, Op. 27 No. 2 - Richard Franes (Organ)
I Sing Of A Maiden That Is Makeless - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
This Worldes Joie - Choir Of King's College, Cambridge
Magnificat, Op. 36 - Richard Farnes (Organ)

Customer Reviews:

Bad executions??!.......2006-04-30

I'm sorry - but I just had to write something in response to "kris's" (whoever she is) review of this cd. Shock horror - no adult female voices, no sopranos and no "breathy alto entrance" in the Kyrie! Sure, this work was first perfomed by the whitsuntide singers, which would have included female singers. However, it is a Mass for goodness sake. It was written surely with R.R. Terry's (not to mention the Pope's) drive for the revival of the great latin music of Tudor composers in mind. In fact, the first liturgical performance was in the Cathedral. So to say that the performance loses anything from not having female singers is quite frankly poppycock. The great English choral foundation was founded upon the distinctive sound of the treble voice and the counter tenor - for purity and for tone. This is not to say of course that this is not achieved by female altos and sopranos - because it can be and is - but only that Tudor music is not about rich and fruity, over dramatic voices. In the context of the liturgy, the mass is certainly about high emotion - sure - but in the context of the time and style in which it was written, it is also about restraint. (See also Howell's mass in the dorian mode) This is the fine line a choir has to tread in performing this music and that is what makes this recording good (although not the best). It is certainly not "dull" or "lifeless." Diction, clarity of tone, ensemble and accuracy. What more could one want. Well, the new Westminster Cathedral recording would be a good investment! As for the Finzi and Bax - Check out the Finzi singers on Chandos.

...Just as it should be.......2003-02-22

Vaughan Williams composed his G Minor Mass for a reasonably sized double choir of men and boys voices. And that is just how the work is performed here, with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge under the direction of famed English composer/conductor Sir David Willcocks. The Kyrie is hauntingly beautiful while the rich double choir Gloria is full of richness and depth while maintaining a light buoyancy in the Allegro. This, ladies and gentleman, is how the Mass in G Minor was meant to sound.

Don't stop listening after the Vaughan Williams! Sir David passes the baton to Stephen Cleobury (conductor and English music scholar) who conducts alternating works by Gerald Finzi and Arnold Bax. Although these works will probably be new to most listeners, you will be sure to find a new favorite by the conclusion of the set. The best English composers. The best English Conductors. The best English performers. You can't go wrong!

Good Intentions, Bad Executions.......2002-12-07

It would appear that i have been duped. I bought this album for the exquisite and tender Mass in Gm, quite possibly the most emotional mass next to Bach's mass in Bm. From the breathy alto entrance of the Kyrie to the final invocation of Amen at the end of the Agnus Dei it is a rollercoaster ride through devotion. Sadly this recording of it is dull, lifeless and faulted in it's pompous belief that an English choir needs little more than to sing it. In truth it is one of the most difficult pieces of music i have ever performed and my expectations were set high. I was also saddened by the lack of adult FEMALE voices, the trebles could not dare to come close to the deep, powerful sound of the altos nor the bright, angelic sopranos. This CD isn't all bad though, the performances of 6 works by Finzi and Bax were extrordinary, i just wish that they could have brought that out in the Mass in Gm. I recommend the Corydon Singers if you are looking for a copy of the Mass.

Average customer rating:

Top of the pile
Sublime
Masterpiece

20th Century Choral Masterpieces

Manufacturer: Lindenberg
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Anthems | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Masses | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
ASIN: B000005SCA
Release Date: 1997-03-18

Tracks:

Set Me As A Seal Upon Thine Heart
Lo, The Full, Final Sacrifice
The Twelve
Messe Solenelle: Kyrie/Gloria/Sanctus/Benedictus/Agnus Dei
In The Beginning - Kathryn Turpin/St. John's College Choir Cambridge/Christopher Robinson

Customer Reviews:

Top of the pile.......2001-01-08

This sees John's at their best. Particularly good is the Langlais which is such a challenging work, but dealt with well, particularly by the trebles. Whilst the fugue at the end of the Walton is a bit slow for my liking, the thing is kept going with a good rhythmic performance.

The Finzi, for me, is the least rewarding, and here is where both the John's and King's recordings fall down, if only slightly. The piece is so dramatic that it has to be dealt with in the Sunday evensong Anthem sort of way - after three pints and a Sunday roast for an added bit of gusto.

Overall, however, a triumph. It is worth buying for the Langlais alone, which has to be one of the most impressive masses written.

Sublime.......2000-12-29

This is quite simply the best choral CD you can buy. St.John's have gone from strength to strength throughout the 20th century and this is one of the pinnacles of their achievement. Don't dither around with King's - this is the real McCoy

Masterpiece.......1998-12-21

To hear this choir sing " Lo the full final sacrifice " by Gerald Finzi is to hear music at its most beautiful. These youngsters are quite simply magnificent , and 5 stars just does not do them justice - they deserve more. This is traditional Sacred Music at its best - a must for any collector.

Music: