popular music: mysterium

popular music: mysterium

popular music:

Mysterium

Lauridsen: Lux Aeterna, etc. / Salamunovich, Los Angeles Master Chorale

M. Lauridsen

Rubedo Canis Musica, 1998

So beautiful that it hurts.
Two days ago I had never heard of Morten Lauridsen (shame on me). Our local PBS station (WITF in Harrisburg, PA) opened its morning show a few days ago at 9 AM with his lovely "Sure on This Shining Night," a segment of a poem by James Agee. I could not work for an hour ...

Christmas Echoes, Vol. 1

William Billings, Alfred S. Burt, ...

Gothic Records, 2005

Wonderful music for the season
Beautiful songs sung with clarity, interpretive artistry and attention to blend. Some of the more particularly lyrical songs (e.g. Zgodava's Out of Oriental Crystal Skies, and Paulus' Sing Hallelu to name two) are not found in more common choral album Christmas ...

A Robert Shaw Christmas - Angels on High

Charles Sprawls, Johann Sebastian Bach, ...

Telarc, 1997

Inspiring!
You simply cannot go wrong with this wonderful collection from a disciplined and masterfully-led chorus. If you want to hear Christmas choral standards in all their glory, no disappointment here - beautiful men's chorus version (original) of Beibl's Ave Maria, and the ...

Christmas Adagios

Gerald Finley, Adolphe Adam, ...

Decca, 2001

One of my very top 5 favorite holiday albums!
What a delightful surprise this 2 disc album was and I'm not a big fan of Christmas music. I loved all the selections and felt they were well performed. This is a true "must have" for any Christmas collection. Superior to many other compliations on the market. This ...

Lauridsen: O Magnum Mysterium

Morten Lauridsen, Nicol Matt, ...

Hänssler Classic, 2007

Spectacularly beautiful choral music
This CD was previously available on the Bayer label, performed by the Nordic Chamber Choir which has changed its name to the Chamber Choir of Europe. As of this date, the old version still appears on Amazon, available as a used CD. I heard Lauridsen's "O Magnum ...

Morten Lauridsen: Lux aeterna

Britten Sinfonia

Hyperion UK, 2005

beautiful music
I am not a classical singer or even someone who is well versed in the classic music, althugh I do love Classical music and have symphony tickets. I heard a portion of this CD on public radio and knew that I had to buy it. After having this Cd for over a year, I ...

O Magnum Mysterium

Thomas Tallis, Tomas Luis de Victoria, ...

Telarc, 2000

This is an amazing, amazing product
The only part of the CD I would quibble with is the selection from Rachmaninov's Vespers, but I'm really lucky and have heard that performed live several times and heard multiple recordings, and decided on one that I liked best early on. If you aren't blown away by ...

Sing We Christmas

Chad Runyon, Tim Krol, ...

Teldec, 1995

The Geese Are Getting Fat Again
Someone who likes my music reviews has requested a Christmas album. Well, here it is. Imagine a silent darkness with reflections of colored lights twinkling on the snow banks. Suddenly a group of carolers can be heard making their merry way toward your own front porch, ...

A Renaissance Christmas / Cohen, Boston Camerata

Joel Cohen, Boston Camerata

Nonesuch, 1991

Simply one of the best Christmas albums on the market.
There is nothing to criticize on this CD, along with its wonderful companions, Medeival Christmas and Baroque Christmas. The singing is absolutely masterful; the instrumentation is faithful to what would've been used during the time period for additional authenticity. ...

Cambridge Singers Christmas Album

Stephen Orton, Adolphe Adam, ...

Collegium, 2003

Glittering Chrismas Music
I own virtually all of the CD's of John Rutter (whom I greatly admire) and the Cambridge Singers, and I am a fan of English Choral music in general. If I were asked to recommend only one of the many Cambridge Singers Christmas albums, or indeed one of any English ...

Christmas Present From Polyphony

Polyphony, Stephen Layton

Hyperion UK, 2004

Choral perfectionists.
This is an essential Christmas choral CD. The program itself is fabulous and unique, lacking the tacky "favorites" found on most recordings of this type. Entirely a cappella except for two Rutter arrangements with orchestra. Not a single track is lacking in depth and ...

Libera

Libera

Erato, 2000

Amazing Voices
These boys continue to amaze me. I am transported when listening to their music. It is uplifting, haunting, invigorating, thoughtful...just incredible.

25 Sacred Choral Favorites

Johann Sebastian Bach, Gabriel Faure, ...

Vox (Classical), 1997

Religious Hit Parade
I was torn between four and five stars for this album. In the end, it got five because of the inclusion of the two wonderful traditional Jewish songs - "Alvinu Malkeinu" and "Tzadik Katamar". They are the highlights of the disc for me (no, I'm not Jewish, but that ...

CHRISTMAS at King's College

Gareth Morrell, Stephen Varcoe, ...

EMI Classics, 1998

4 Disc tour de' force of "high church" Christmas music
It's in there.. this is a great collection of Anglican Cathedral Christmas music. Highly recommended.

Lauridsen: Northwest Journey

Morten Lauridsen

Rubedo Canis Musica, 2000

one word: WONDERFUL!
I was given a copy of NORTHWEST JOURNEY for Christmas. Probably the best gift of music I've received ever. The opening song, Where Have All the Actors Gone, with Sunny Wilkinson singing and Shelley Berg on piano, is I think one of Lauridsen's finest. Ms. Wilkinson's ...