| 1. In dulci jubilo |
| 2. Away in a Manger |
| 3. 'Twas in the Moon of Wintertime |
| 4. Lo! How a Rose E'er Blooming |
| 5. Ding! Dong! Merrily on High |
| 6. Away in a Manger - English tune |
| 7. I Wonder as I Wander |
| 8. It Came Upon a Midnight Clear |
| 9. The Holly and the Ivy |
| 10. Coventry Carol (Lully, Lullay) |
| 11. Irish Carol (Christmas Day Is Come) |
| 12. What Child Is This |
| 13. The First Nowell |
Editorial Reviews
About the Artist
Nicholas Palmer works variously as composer, arranger, and most often as a pianist and organist. You can hear in his works a variety of influences ranging from classical composers such as Bach and Chopin to contemporary sounds of new age instrumentalists.
Product Description
This album is designed to help find a little peace in the busiest season of the year. Thirteen wonderful carol melodies are played on solo piano in arrangements ranging from classical to new age. Enjoy a little Christmas peace!
and "Come, Let Us Anew" are very good reasons to buy this CD, they each have truely powerful passages and make the CD worth having. The Mormon Tabernacle Choirs 2006 release entitled Then Sings My Soul is by far the best that I've heard from them.
Gave an album to each set of grandchildren. They loved it.
Harold KLlbertanz
As for the other works on this album, they are just as impressive. The bombastic, sonorous "Arise, Shine" has enough G-force to plaster you to the back of your seat. It is wonderful to listen to the dialog between the chorus and the flute in "Musica Dei donum." "A Clare Benediction" is absolutely beautiful, as is "Go Forth into the World With Peace." The chords in "Come Down O Lord Divine" are incredible.
As for the organ pieces, the "Toccata in Seven" is bright and exciting, though a little heavy in some sections. The epic "Variations on an Easter Theme" is just astounding. Rutter takes us through a labyrinth of harmonic and rhythmic variation on a simple theme with wild obligados, fierce runs, dynamic shifts, tense harmonies, argumentative counterpoint and lyrical melodies. This is an amazingly exciting piece with two organists using all eight of the appendages between the two of them to make some amazing music.
This is quite a great collection of great sacred music from one of the best composers around today. Not to mention, you cannot beat Naxos' value. For under 10 bucks, this CD is a must.
Rutter's Requiem was written in 1985. In Catholic liturgy, a requiem is a Mass for the Dead, and as such involves strong tones both of mourning and loss as well as elements of hope and eternal life as reflected in Christian belief. Rutter states that, like Brahms and Faure, there are elements that depart from the traditional lines of a Catholic requiem. Rutter takes some of the texts from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Both the first and second movements, Requiem aeternam and 'Out of the Deep', set very dark, low, sombre tones. The use of strings at the beginning of 'Out of the Deep' is very effective, together with funeral-dirge like vocals. This contrasts greatly with the Pie Jesu, light and spiritual. The Sanctus is almost playful in aspect, and the Agnus Dei and Lux aeterna draw the listener higher and higher into the fullness of expectation of God's presence.
--John Rutter--
Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.
This recording is produced by Rutter, but is performed by the London Sinfonia, a group that he has worked with but is not the usual Cambridge Singers. This performance compares favourably with Rutter's own group, with areas in which there is greater subtlety and depth.
I feel this is the greatest of Rutters compositions and as of now , this is the best production of his Requiem I have heard yet. IMHO
It was worth the wait.
The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.
I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.
There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."
But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.
First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.
Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?
On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?
The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).
There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.
With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?
Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.
In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.
Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.
Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:
* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.
* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.
* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.
* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.
* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.
Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!
This year I decided to try and find it on a CD, which I found was almost impossible. Until I found this here and absolutely love it, as it contains the audio and the video, which was a GREAT BONUS!
The opening hymn:'Christ, triumphant, ever reigning' is a good opener in that it is quick and begins with the boy sopranos and immediately gets your attention. John Barnard's majestic 'Guiting Power' tune sweeps the words up in a wide-ranging,flowing melody that creates from them a fine hymn.
'I, the Lord of sea and sky(Here I am, Lord) is a truly striking hymn! The words of this song begin with a proclamation in the verses; this is answered in the refrain by the singer's commitment to service. This is reflected in the tune. The melody for the verses has a vigorous movement to proclaim the work of God in creation, His continuing love for that creation,and His call for service. Both the words and music are by the American Jesuit musician Daniel L. Schutte, who has served both on college campuses and in parish ministry.
'All My Hope On God Is Founded' the tune of which is written by Herbert Howells and is called 'Michael'in memory of his son who died in childhood. It is a lovely melody and the words suit it very well.
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was the music editor of the 'English Hymnal'. The most widely used of his own tunes was the 'Monk's Gate' which he created from a folk tune. It is subtly contrived, as the rhythm of the alleluias shows. 'Sine nomine' simply means without a name.The resulting hymn is 'For All the Saints'.
The Wells Cathedral Choir under the direction of Malcolm Archer accompanied by Rupert Gough on the organ have produced an excellent disc.
Nicholas Palmer works variously as composer, arranger, and most often as a pianist and organist. You can hear in his works a variety of influences ranging from classical composers such as Bach and Chopin to contemporary sounds of new age instrumentalists.
Product Description
This album is designed to help find a little peace in the busiest season of the year. Thirteen wonderful carol melodies are played on solo piano in arrangements ranging from classical to new age. Enjoy a little Christmas peace!
Christmas Peace,Nicholas Palmer
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Peace Like a River
James Lucas , Janice Kapp Perry , John Rutter , Jean Sibelius , John Tavener , American Traditional , English Traditional , Spiritual Traditional , Mack Wilberg , Craig D. Jessop , Clay Christiansen , John Longhurst , Richard L. Elliott , Daron Bradford , and Meredith Campbell Manufacturer: Mormon Tabernacle ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD  All Works by Rutter
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ASIN: B00020H9W0 Release Date: 2004-06-22 |
Tracks:
- Sweet Peace
- Be Still, My Soul
- Peace Like a River
- All Things Bright and Beautiful
- Lord Is My Shepherd
- This Is My Father's World
- Wayfarin' Stranger
- Lord, Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace
- Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
- Deep River
- Lamb
- Child's Prayer
- It Is Well With My Soul
- Count Your Blessings Instead of Sheep
- Gaelic Blessing
- Thou Gracious God, Whose Mercy Lends
- Come, Let Us Anew
Customer Reviews:
Beautiful.......2007-06-14
A few bright spots, but also some disappointments.......2007-01-19
and "Come, Let Us Anew" are very good reasons to buy this CD, they each have truely powerful passages and make the CD worth having. The Mormon Tabernacle Choirs 2006 release entitled Then Sings My Soul is by far the best that I've heard from them.
This CD Deserves SIX Stars!.......2005-11-05
every good adjective .......2005-08-06
Fabulous!.......2005-05-29
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Let There Be Peace on Earth
Vince Gill Manufacturer: Mca Special Products ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B000002OP6 Release Date: 1999-10-05 |
Tracks:
- Do You Hear What I Hear?
- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- One Bright Star
- What Child Is This? (Greensleeves)
- Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town
- I'll Be Home For Christmas
- Let There Be Peace On Earth
- White Christmas
- Til The Season Comes Around Again
- It Won't Be The Same This Year
Amazon.com
Vince Gill's first holiday effort is split between secular favorites and Christian carols, but whether he's dreaming of a "White Christmas" or asking "What Child Is This," the performances and arrangements are consistently careful, quiet, and slow. Sometimes, this effect is nearly magical--on "I'll Be Home For Christmas," the hushed and hesitant piano and Gill's high tenor sound as yearning as a dream unfulfilled. But, excepting a couple of Chet Atkinslike instrumentals, the more common result is that what should sound peaceful and humble comes off merely solemn and emotionally detached. The closing "It Won't Be the Same This Year," however, makes up for these disappointments when the formerly restrained Gill cuts loose, for once, and cries sweetly in memory of a departed older brother. --David CantwellCustomer Reviews:
Best Christmas CD.......2007-01-12
Let there be peace on Earth.......2007-01-05
A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS CD.......2005-12-04
Beautiful Christmas music.......2005-11-20
It makes the Holidays.......2004-12-08
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Peace
Jim Brickman Manufacturer: RCA Victor ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000ABGD4 Release Date: 2003-09-23 |
Tracks:
- We Three Kings
- Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
- Early Snowfall
- Do You Hear What I Hear?
- Away In A Manger
- Rejoice (O Come, O Come Emmanuel)
- O Holy Night
- Jingle Bells
- God Rest Ye Merry Christmas
- Sending You A Little Christmas
- Blessings
- Peace (Where The Heart Is)
Amazon.com
Peace, Jim Brickman's second collection of holiday-themed music, is largely a mirror image of his first (The Gift, released in 1997). Both feature a mix of solo piano works, augmented piano selections (involving oboe, strings, synthesizers, a pop-jazz ensemble, or some combination thereof) and glossy, radio-ready pop vocal productions. To some ears, the polished sheen of the vocal tracks (four are included) may infringe on the more contemplative mood of Brickman's instrumental tracks, the way a city's after-dark glow can seep into your view of a deep night sky's canopy of stars. Still, as with The Gift, Peace is an attractive mood-setter for the season. Brickman's best arrangements will resonate with a listener's introspective sensibilities. "Jingle Bells," "Away in a Manger," and "We Three Kings," for instance, all receive slow-building, reflective treatments that might prod you into pondering deeper meanings. A pair of nonholiday originals, "Early Snowfall" and "Blessings," achieve the same heart-nudging effect. As for the vocals, The Blind Boys of Alabama reinforce the finger-snapping, muted-trumpet, `40s-swing vibe of "Let It Snow;" Kristy Starling takes a sweetly romantic turn on "Sending You a Little Christmas;" and country's Collin Raye (also featured on The Gift) earnestly conveys the clear-eyed optimism of the title track. --Terry WoodAlbum Description
2003 Christmas album featuring a mix of traditional and contemporary holiday songs, with guests such as The Blind Boys Of Alabama, Anne Cochran, Kristy Starling & Collin Raye. Includes the bonus track 'Peace (Where The Heart Is)'. BMG.Customer Reviews:
1st purchase with Amazon.......2007-01-31
Relaxing and Enjoyable.......2007-01-09
Music lover.......2005-12-08
Brickman's best yet - Sending us all a little Christmas!.......2004-03-14
Jim's beautiful renditions of traditional favorites like "We Three Kings", "Hark the Herald Angels Sing", "Away In a Manger", "O Holy Night", "God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen" and "Rejoice" lend such beauty to the season. "Do You Hear What I Hear?" with Tracy Scott Silverman's electric violin and Anne Cochrane's lovely voice ... if you've ever seen them perform this live in concert, well, it's a very special treat."
The title track, "Peace ... Where the Heart Is" is superbly performed by Colin Raye, who vocalized on "The Gift" with Susan Ashton on Jim's previous holiday CD. The Blind Boys of Alabama do a nice job of "Let It Snow"
Having seen Jim's live performances (and some are available on DVD: My Romance, and Love Songs and Lullabies), the CD is a wonderful way to close your eyes and re-live that show.
"Early Snowfall" was a favorite of mine ... original and accoustically descriptive, as Jim's native Ohio background sparks his creativity. "Blessings" was exactly my feeling about this collection ... each song was a blessing to enjoy from "America's Newest Romantic Piano Sensation"
GRAMMY NOMINATED FOR GOOD REASON.......2003-12-30
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The Christmas Album: Vienna Boys Choir
Manufacturer: EMI Classics ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General Modern
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ASIN: B0000VJFPU Release Date: 2003-12-02 |
Tracks:
- Sleigh Ride / Troika
- Mary's Boy Child
- Happy Christmas (War Is Over)
- Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
- The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting)
- Jingle Bells
- Jingle Bell Rock
- Ukraine Bell Carol
- Wexford Carol
- Suo-Gan
- O Holy Night
- White Christmas
- Winter Wonderland
- Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!
- Santa Claus Is Coming To Town
- Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree
- Little Drummer Boy / Peace On Earth
- Wonderful Christmas Time
- Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer
- We Wish You A Merry Christmas
- Coventry Carol
- Away In A Manger / Stille Nacht
Customer Reviews:
The Christmas Album: Vienna Boy Choir.......2007-01-10
Gave an album to each set of grandchildren. They loved it.
Harold KLlbertanz
THE BEST VIENNA BOYS CHOIR CHRISTMAS MUSIC!!.......2005-06-01
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Rutter: Requiem
Manufacturer: Naxos ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Rutter
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ASIN: B00008OP1S Release Date: 2003-04-29 |
Tracks:
- Requiem Aeternam
- Out Of The Deep
- Pie Jesu - Elin Manahan Thomas
- Sanctus
- Agnus Dei
- The Lord Is My Shephard
- Lux Aeterna - Elin Manahan Thomas
- Arise, Shine
- Come Down, O Love Divine
- Musica Dei Donum - Karen Jones
- A Clare Benediction
- Go Forth Into The World In Peace
- Toccata In Seven
- Variations On An Easter Theme For Organ
Album Description
Produced by the composer himself, this is the first recording of the original ensemble version of John Rutter's radiant Requiem. Written in 1985, the work is not a conventional setting of the Requiem Mass but comprises a personal selection of texts from the Catholic liturgy and the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. John Rutter maintains intimate ties with Clare College and many of his anthems are left as a musical legacy to the college. Among these are two simple, tender Blessings: Go forth into the world in peace, dedicated to the choir on the eve of its first tour to America; and A Clare Benediction, written as a gift to Rutter's alma mater. This recording is dedicated to the memory of Christopher Rutter.Customer Reviews:
Simply the best copy of Rutter's Requiem!.......2007-06-27
Requiem.......2006-07-07
Absolutely Beautiful.......2006-06-09
As for the other works on this album, they are just as impressive. The bombastic, sonorous "Arise, Shine" has enough G-force to plaster you to the back of your seat. It is wonderful to listen to the dialog between the chorus and the flute in "Musica Dei donum." "A Clare Benediction" is absolutely beautiful, as is "Go Forth into the World With Peace." The chords in "Come Down O Lord Divine" are incredible.
As for the organ pieces, the "Toccata in Seven" is bright and exciting, though a little heavy in some sections. The epic "Variations on an Easter Theme" is just astounding. Rutter takes us through a labyrinth of harmonic and rhythmic variation on a simple theme with wild obligados, fierce runs, dynamic shifts, tense harmonies, argumentative counterpoint and lyrical melodies. This is an amazingly exciting piece with two organists using all eight of the appendages between the two of them to make some amazing music.
This is quite a great collection of great sacred music from one of the best composers around today. Not to mention, you cannot beat Naxos' value. For under 10 bucks, this CD is a must.
A glorious piece.......2005-12-16
Rutter's Requiem was written in 1985. In Catholic liturgy, a requiem is a Mass for the Dead, and as such involves strong tones both of mourning and loss as well as elements of hope and eternal life as reflected in Christian belief. Rutter states that, like Brahms and Faure, there are elements that depart from the traditional lines of a Catholic requiem. Rutter takes some of the texts from the 1662 Book of Common Prayer. Both the first and second movements, Requiem aeternam and 'Out of the Deep', set very dark, low, sombre tones. The use of strings at the beginning of 'Out of the Deep' is very effective, together with funeral-dirge like vocals. This contrasts greatly with the Pie Jesu, light and spiritual. The Sanctus is almost playful in aspect, and the Agnus Dei and Lux aeterna draw the listener higher and higher into the fullness of expectation of God's presence.
--John Rutter--
Rutter was born in London and educated at Clare College, Cambridge. This was where his career as a composer, arranger and conductor began. His early work was with groups at King's College Chapel at Cambridge as well as the Bath Choir and Philharmonic Orchestra. He has worked for the BBC providing music for educational series such as 'The Archaeology of the Bible Lands', until in 1979 he began forming the Cambridge Singers, and has continued a remarkable career of performance and recording as their director ever since.
This recording is produced by Rutter, but is performed by the London Sinfonia, a group that he has worked with but is not the usual Cambridge Singers. This performance compares favourably with Rutter's own group, with areas in which there is greater subtlety and depth.
Rutter brought me into the 20th century with this recording........2005-10-01
I feel this is the greatest of Rutters compositions and as of now , this is the best production of his Requiem I have heard yet. IMHO
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Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
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ASIN: B00005R5UJ Release Date: 2001-11-20 |
Tracks:
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright - Yvonne Elliman/Murray Head/Ian Gilllan
- Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) - Steve Balsamo
- Jesus Christ Superstar: Superstar - Murray Head
- Evita: Oh What A Circus/Sing You Fools - Antonio Banderas
- Evita: I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Elaine Paige/Joss Ackland
- Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall - Barbara Dickson
- Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
- Evita: High Flying, Adored - Mandy Patinkin/Patti LuPone
- Cats: The Jellicle Ball - Andrew Lloyd Weber
- Cats: Memory - Elaine Paige
- Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat - Susan Jane Tanner/John Mills
- Cats: Mr Mistoffelees - Paul Nicholas
- Song And Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marti Webb
- Song And Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday - Marti Webb
- Song And Dance: Unexpected Song - Sarah Brightman
- Song And Dance: Nothing Like You've Ever Known - Sarah Brightman
- Song And Dance: Introduction - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Song And Dance: Variations 1 -4 - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Tracks:
- Starlight Express: Starlight Express - El Debarge
- Starlight Express: Crazy - Greg Ellis/Reva Rice/Caron Cardelle/Samantha Lane/Voyd
- Starlight Express: Next Time You Fall In Love - Reva Rice/Greg Ellis
- Starlight Express: I Am The Starlight - Lon Satton/Ray Shell
- Starlight Express: Light At The End Of The Tunnel - The Company
- Requiem: Hosanna - Placido Domingo
- Requiem: Pie jesu - Sarah Brightman/Paul Miles-Kingston
- The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera - Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman
- The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford
- The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Steve Barton
- The Phantom Of The Opera: Entr'acte - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- The Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade - The Company
- The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Sarah Brightman
- Aspects Of Love: Aspects Of Aspects - Orchester Der Vereinigten Buehnen Wien
- Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
- Aspects Of Love: Seeing Is Believing - Michael Ball/Ann Crumb
- Aspects Of Love: The First Man You Remember - Kevin Colson/Diana Morrison
- Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely - Sarah Brightman
- Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'Enfance - Sarah Brightman
Tracks:
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - Jason Donovan
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Joseph's Coat - Maria Friedman/Richard Attenborough/Donny Osmond
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Close Every Door - Donny Osmond
- By Jeeves: Travel Hopefully - John Scherer/Martin Jarvis/Don Stephenson
- By Jeeves: When Love Arrives - Steven Pacey/Diana Morrison
- By Jeeves: Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman
- Sunset Boulevard: With One Look - Glenn Close
- Sunset Boulevard: New Ways To Dream - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
- Sunset Boulevard: The Perfect Year - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
- Sunset Boulevard: Sunser Boulevard - Alan Campbell
- Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye - Glenn Close
- Whistle Down The Wind: Whistle Down The Wind - James Graeme/Lottie Mayor
- Whistle Down The Wind: Cold - Everly Brothers
- Whistle Down The Wind: No Matter What - Children/Adult Chorus
- Whistle Down The Wind: The Nature Of The Beast - Marcus Lovett/Lottie Mayor
- The Beautiful Game: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- The Beautiful Game: The Beautiful Game - The Company
- The Beautiful Game: Our Kind Of Love - Hannah Waddingham
- The Beautiful Game: Dont Like You - Josie Walker/David Shannon
- The Beautiful Game: Let Us Love In Peace - Josie Walker/Omagh Youth Community Choir
Tracks:
- Oh What A Circus - David Essex
- Memory - Betty Buckley
- The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman/Steve Harley
- All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Cliff Richard
- Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
- Any Dream Will Do - Donny Osmond
- Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman/Jose Carreras
- As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand
- The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll
- With One Look - Petula Clark
- You Must Love Me - Madonna
- The Heart Is Slow To Learn - Kiri Te Kanawa
- A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste - The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra
- Whistle Down The Wind - Tina Arena
- No Matter What - Boyzone
- The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones
- Try Not To Be Afraid - Boy George
- Pie Jesu - Charlotte Church
Tracks:
- Make Believe Love - Wes Sands
- Down Thru' Summer - Ross Hannaman
- I'll Give All My Love To Southend - Ross Hannaman
- Believe Me I Will - Sacha Distel
- Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969 Radio Luxembourg Commercial) - Joseph Consortium/Pete Murray
- Try It And See - Rita Pavone
- Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You - Time Rice And The Webber Group
- Goodbye Seattle - Paul Raven
- John 19:41 - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra
- What A Line To Go Out On - Yvonne Elliman
- Disillusion Me - Gary Band
- The Ballad Of Robert And Peter - Tim Rice
- Christmas Dream - Maynard Williams
- It's Only Your Lover Returning/All Through My Crazy And Wild Days/Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
- It's Easy For You (1977 Jungle Room Session Version) - Elvis Presley
- Magdalena - Tony Christie
- Buenos Aires - The Roja Rockers
- Pollicle Dogs And Jellicle Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
- Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer (Live At The Sydmonton Festival 1980) - Gemma Craven
- I Could Have Given You More - Petula Clark
- I've Been In Love Too Long - Marti Webb
- Benedicite - The Stephen Hill Singers
Album Description
Disc 1: Selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and Song and DanceDisc 2: Selections from Starlight Express, Requiem, Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love
Disc 3: Selections from Joseph nad the Amaziong Technicolor Dreamcoat, By Jeeves, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, and The Beautiful Game
CD 4: 1. "Oh What a Circus" --David Essex 2. "Memory" - Betty Buckleey 3. "The Phantom of the Opera" -Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley 4. "All I Ask of You" --Sarah Brightman, Cliff Richard 5. "Love Changes Everything"--Michael Ball 6. "Any Dream Will Do"--Donny Osmond 7. "Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)"--Sarah Brightman, Jose Caerras 8. "As if We Never Said Goodbye"--Barbra Streisand 9. "The Perfect Year"--Dina Carroll 10. "With One Look" --Petula Clark 11. "You Must Love Me" 12. "The Heart Is Slow To Learn" --Kiri Te Kanawa 13. "Whistle Down the Wind"--Tina Arena 14. "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing To Waste"--The Metal Philharmonic 15. "No Matter What"--Boyzone 16. "The Vaults of Heaven"--Tom Jones and Sounds of Blackness 17. "Try Not To Be Afraid"--Boy George 18. "Pie Jesu"--Charlotte Church
Disc 5: (All tracks available for the first time) 1. "Make Believe Love"--Wes Sands 2. "Down Thru' Summer"--Ross Hannaman 3. "I'll Give All My Love to Southend"--Ross Hannaman 4. "Believe Me I Will"--Sacha Distel 5. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: 1969 Luxembourg Radio Commercial--The Jospeh Consortium, Pete Murray 6. "Try It and See"--Rita Pavone 7. "Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You"--Tim Rice and the Webber Group 8. "Goodbye Seattle"-- Paul Raven 9. "John 19:41"--The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra 10. "What a Line To Go Out On"--Yvonne Elliman 11. "Disillusion Me" --Gary Bond 12. "The Ballad of Robert and Peter"--Tim Rice 13. "Christmas Dream" --Maynard Williams 14. "It's Only Your Lover Returning/All through My Wild and Crazy Days/Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington 15. "It's Easy for You" (1977 Jungle Room Session version)--Elvis Presley 16. "Magdalena"--Tony Christie 17. "Buenos Aires"--The Rioja Rockers 18. "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats"--Andrew Lloyd Webber original demo 19. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" (Live at Sydmonton Festival 1980)-Gemma Craven 20. "I Could Have Given You More"--Petula Clark 21. "I've Been in Love Too Long"--Marti Webb 22. "Benedicte"-- Stephen Hill Singers
Customer Reviews:
I waited for this for five years.......2006-06-30
It was worth the wait.
The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.
I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.
There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."
But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.
First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.
Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?
On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?
The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).
There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.
With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?
Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.
In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.
Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE! .......2006-01-10
ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS.......2005-03-21
Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.
Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:
* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.
* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.
* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.
* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.
* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.
Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.
SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!.......2003-01-19
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.
A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans.......2002-05-21
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!
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Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy
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ASIN: B000001J79 Release Date: 1995-11-14 |
Tracks:
- Peace On Earth / Little Drummer Boy
Customer Reviews:
oldie but a true goodie.......2007-07-23
good song but only one song on the cd, too short.......2007-01-23
Hard to find.......2007-01-21
This year I decided to try and find it on a CD, which I found was almost impossible. Until I found this here and absolutely love it, as it contains the audio and the video, which was a GREAT BONUS!
My Favorite.......2007-01-19
Little Drummer Boy.......2007-01-15
Average customer rating:
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Hymns Through the Centuries 2
Recorded Sound , R. Osborne , J. Reilly Lewis , and Cathedral Choral Society Manufacturer: Gothic Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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Similar Items:
ASIN: B00007K2GE Release Date: 2003-01-07 |
Tracks:
- Peal Bells
- Jesus, My All, To Heaven Has Gone
- Our Thanks We Give For Love And Hope
- In The Bleak Midwinter
- Creating God, Your Fingers Trace
- Rejoice, Ye Pure In Heart!
- Let All The World In Every Corner Sing
- Ar Hyd Y Nos (Organ Solo) - Eric Plutz
- Of The Father's Love Begotten
- Come Down, O Love Divine
- Spirit Of God, Descend Upon My Heart
- God Is Love
- What Wondrous Love Is This!
- All My Hope On God Is Founded
- Leoni (Carillon Solo) - Edward M. Nassor
- O God Of Our Divided World
- Christ, Mighty Savior, Light Of All Creation
- Breathe On Me, Breath Of God
- I Vow To Thee, My Country
- The Day Thou Gavest, Lord, Is Ended
- Lord Of All Hopefulness
- O Brightness Of The Immortal Father's Face
- O Praise Ye The Lord!
- Hyfrydol (Bagpipe Solo) - John G. Sprague
Customer Reviews:
Somewhat disappointing.......2005-09-25
Average customer rating:
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English Hymn 1
Manufacturer: Hyperion UK ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD All Works by Holst
| Holst, Gustav
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Howells, Herbert
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Vaughan Williams, Ralph
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ASIN: B000038I68 Release Date: 1999-12-14 |
Tracks:
- Christ Triumpant, Ever Reigning (Guiting Power)
- How Shall I Sing That Majesty [Coe Fen]
- Like a Mighty River Flowing (Old Yeavering)
- Father, Hear the Prayer We Offer (Cypress Court)
- I Vow to Thee, My Country (Thaxted)
- We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died (Bow Brickhill)
- I, Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I Am, Lord)
- All My Hope on God If Founded (Michael)
- Give Me the Wings of Faith (San Rocco)
- Lord Jesus Christ (Living Lord)
- For All the Saints (Sine Nomine)
- My Song Is Love Unknown (Love Unknown)
- Praise the Lord of Heaven (Vicars' Close)
- Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (Abbot's Leigh)
- Come Down, O Love Divine (Down Ampney)
- Hark What a Sound, and Too Divine for Hearing (Highwood)
- King of Glory, King of Peace (Redland)
- Holy Spirti, Ever Dwelling [Salisbury]
- For the Fruit of His Creation [East Acklam]
- Lead, Kindly Light (Alberta)
- Lord, for the Years Your Love Has Kept and Guided (Lord of the Years)
- Thy Hand, O God, Has Guided (Thorbury)
Customer Reviews:
a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-05
The opening hymn:'Christ, triumphant, ever reigning' is a good opener in that it is quick and begins with the boy sopranos and immediately gets your attention. John Barnard's majestic 'Guiting Power' tune sweeps the words up in a wide-ranging,flowing melody that creates from them a fine hymn.
'I, the Lord of sea and sky(Here I am, Lord) is a truly striking hymn! The words of this song begin with a proclamation in the verses; this is answered in the refrain by the singer's commitment to service. This is reflected in the tune. The melody for the verses has a vigorous movement to proclaim the work of God in creation, His continuing love for that creation,and His call for service. Both the words and music are by the American Jesuit musician Daniel L. Schutte, who has served both on college campuses and in parish ministry.
'All My Hope On God Is Founded' the tune of which is written by Herbert Howells and is called 'Michael'in memory of his son who died in childhood. It is a lovely melody and the words suit it very well.
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was the music editor of the 'English Hymnal'. The most widely used of his own tunes was the 'Monk's Gate' which he created from a folk tune. It is subtly contrived, as the rhythm of the alleluias shows. 'Sine nomine' simply means without a name.The resulting hymn is 'For All the Saints'.
The Wells Cathedral Choir under the direction of Malcolm Archer accompanied by Rupert Gough on the organ have produced an excellent disc.
Dan Schutte's Here I Am, Lord.......2001-01-08
Dan Schutte's Here I Am, Lord.......2001-01-08
God is an Englishman.......2000-06-05
Average customer rating:
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The Peace Album
Paul Horn Manufacturer: Kuck Kuck Records ProductGroup: Music Binding: Audio CD General
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ASIN: B0000018XB Release Date: 1991-10-16 |
Tracks:
- Joyous
- Joy To The World
- Good King Wenceslas
- Air
- God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
- Christmas Morning Prayer
- Ave Maria (Ave Maria! Jungfrau Mild!)
- Carol Of The Bells (The Ukrainian Bell Song)
- Angels We Have Heard On High (Les Anges Dans Nos Campagnes)
- Silent Night (Stille Nacht)
- The Lord's Prayer
- We Three Kings
- Magnificat (For Four Voices)
- Little Prelude
- What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
Customer Reviews:
Carol of the Bells.......1999-12-08
Awesome, beautiful, inspired!.......1999-10-29
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Flaming Star/Wild in the Country/Follow That Dream [Import]
Bach: Harpsichord Concertos [Box set]
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Berlin Philharmonic Play Plasir d'amour & Jalousie...