Trinity

Trinity

Editorial Reviews
Product Description
1995 compilation for the European goth-metal band. Nine tracks including, 'Symphonaire Infernus Et Spera Empyrium', 'God Is Alone' & 'De Sade Soliloquay'. 2001. --This text refers to the Audio CD edition.

Tracks:

Mining For Gold
Misguided Angel
Blue Moon Revisited (Song For Elvis)
I Don't Get It
I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry
To Love Is To Bury
200 More Miles
Dreaming My Dreams With You
Working On A Building
Sweet Jane
Postcard Blues
Walking After Midnight

Amazon.com essential recording

On their sophomore effort, Canada's Cowboy Junkies manage to make a one-day recording session in an old church one of their most satisfying listens. Featuring the sultry voice of Margo Timmins, the precise musicianship of her brothers Peter (on drums) and Michael (on guitar), and bassist Alan Anton, The Trinity Sessions is a spare, evocative, countrified-rock classic. Their inspired reworking of both "Blue Moon" and "Working On A Building" reveal the Timmins family to be talented interpreters and insightful neo-traditionalists. Mixing the ambitious songwriting of Margo and Michael Timmins with subdued covers of Lou Reed's "Sweet Jane" and Hank Williams' "I'm So Lonesome I Could Cry," The Trinity Sessions is an exquisite collection that holds up quite well under repeated listenings. --Mitch Myers

Customer Reviews:

Late nights and cold days.......2007-06-18

I got this as a hand-me-down cassette and it got me through so many late nights and cold, dark days when I was in college that I couldn't _not_ replace it when it finally gave out. I especially missed "Misguided Angel" and "200 More Miles". It's not dynamic, though, so if you're looking for something with a more obvious rock sound, this isn't it, but it's a great album.

the earliest is still the best.......2007-05-14

I got a new copy of this to put it on my ipod. My favorite line is "soul like a lucifer..soul like a piece of wood."

great tone poem for late night.......2007-05-09

I read reviews before buying this (which I typically do not do before writing a comment) and mostly I agree...however I would give this a 4.5 for the following: The Cowboy's version of Waylon's "dreaming my dreams' so diminishes the melody its a missed opportunity--and the bass line is just plain out of synch with what this song requires....and on Hank Williams "I'm so lonesome I could cry" nobody changes Hank's lyrics...especially "lonesome SKY to Haze" which doesnt make the next stanza rhyme...there are two times when the harmonica comes in and its mixed way too loud --its jolting...I have to say that their take on Sweet Jane kinda makes up for those lapses....

a unique work.......2006-08-31

This is the most intimate cd I have ever heard. The band actually went into a church and recorded the album live. What you hear is what they did, no studio modifications.

The sound is very slight and organic. No matter how much you turn up the volume, you cannot make the music loud. The drums are played with a brush, the guitars are turned way down and any electronic amplification is kept to a minimal.

B/c of the set up, the vocalist's voice is mixed way up front and is the feature of the cd. Boy, can she sing and her voice is beautiful and expressive.

That being said, not every song is fantastic and it is not an exceptional cd. The grandeur of the work is in the atmosphere not in the strength of songs. The silent, intimate nature of the cd does make some of the songs sounds a bit similar to each other.

The best songs are "Blue Moon", "Sweet Jane" (they do the version from Velvet Underground live 1969, the mellow version) and "Misguided Angel"

This is a unique work that is exactly what the title says it is. The "Trinity Sessions" a bunch of songs recorded inside of a church.

The Trinity Session is great!.......2006-02-24

I really enjoy listening to the Cowboy Junkies...if you like them, you'll like this CD too.

Average customer rating:

THE TRINITY is ever blazin' from head to toe!
YES!!
What Took Me So Long?
Good Follow - Up, But No Dutty Rock
dutty paul

The Trinity
Sean Paul
Manufacturer: Vp Records / Wea
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Jamaica | Caribbean & Cuba | International | Styles | Music

Dance Hall | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

General | Reggae | International | Styles | Music

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Dutty Rock
A Girl Like Me
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PCD

ASIN: B000AMPZ0S
Release Date: 2005-09-27

Tracks:

Fire Links Intro
Head In The Zone
We Be Burnin'
Send It On
Ever Blazin'
Eye Deh A Mi Knee
Give It Up To Me
Yardie Bone
Never Gonna Be The Same
I'll Take You There
Temperature
Breakout
Head To Toe
Connection
Straight Up
All On Me
Change The Game
The Trinity

Amazon.com

Just try to sit still during the first few tracks on dancehall-reggae star Sean Paul's third album, The Trinity. It's a nearly impossible feat, and you're in need of a serious scolding if tracks "Head in the Zone," "We Be Burnin'," "Send It On" and "Ever Blazin" don't make your toes tingle. Paul introduced a worldwide audience to the dancehall scene via his explosive 2002 album, Dutty Rock, and he scored bigger pop creds via bouncy duets with Beyonce and Sasha. The Trinity refines Paul's pop sheen while still staying true to his Jamaican roots. Beats squish and slide seductively, tempered by staccato rhythms and Paul's self-assured, sexy delivery. Things take a serious turn halfway through The Trinity, specifically during "Never Gonna Be the Same." The sweet, sad song is a wistful ode to Paul's friend and mentor, Daddigon, along with several other lost loved ones. "Temperature" raises the heat, sister-duo Nina Sky pops up on "Connection," and Beyonce sound-alike Tami Chynn contributes airy vocals to "All On Me." But even with the help, the album's second half fails to match the ferocious intensity of the first few tracks. Program your player to repeat The Trinity's first five or six flavorful tracks and get busy, indeed. --Joey Guerra

Album Description

Sean Paul is back with his 3rd album, The Trinity. Along with its spiritual reference, The Trinity also refers to Sean's signature mixture of the three elements of dancehall, hip hop and reggae.

Customer Reviews:

THE TRINITY is ever blazin' from head to toe!.......2007-04-05

From beginning to end, this album is great! His 2000 debut was solid and had some good songs throughout. Dutty Rock was OK but not spectacular although it did wonders for his career and brought him out to the mainstream audience. I found songs from that CD like "Like Glue" and "I'm Still In Love With You" and even "Gimme The Light" after hearing it a thousand times to be weak and very annoying and got on my last nerve hearing them so much.

However, "The Trinity," has no bad songs at all and is perfect from start to finish. Unlike Dutty Rock, I've repeated listening to this CD many times now and I'm still not sick of it which shows how good it is and how great it is to see Sean Paul go back to his Jamaican roots and stop trying to please the mainstream with cameos galore like he did on Dutty Rock. I also like the fact that all the lyrics are included, I wish all artists did that, but with Dancehall is even better to have the words, cause sometimes you just don't know what they are saying. This album is great all around.

YES!!.......2007-03-19

I was already a Sean Paul fan but this CD delivers. I love it.

What Took Me So Long?.......2007-03-14

This is dance music perfection. Not a single beat missed. Bravo.

Good Follow - Up, But No Dutty Rock.......2007-03-04

This album was pretty good and will put you on your feet, but Dutty Rock is the better of the two. Sean Paul fans won't be disappointed but its not a commericalized as Dutty Rock.

dutty paul.......2007-01-04

excellent crossover reggae-hiphop music. but I want my Jamaicans doing yard music not american fare

Vision: The Music of Hildegard von Bingen

Average customer rating:

A very different style of Hildegard
ONE WORD- 'AWSOME"
Very different. Hauntingly beautiful
"Every Element Has A Sound" ~ Heavenly Visions Of A Medieval Mystic
SUPERB MODERN CLASSIC

Vision: The Music of Hildegard von Bingen
Richard Souther , Emily van Evera , and Sister Germaine Fritz
Manufacturer: Angel Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music
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Hildegard von Bingen: Canticles of Ecstasy
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Luminous Spirit

ASIN: B000002SL6
Release Date: 1994-11-01

Tracks:

Praise For The Mother
Only The Devil Laughed
Vision
Song To The Mother
The Living Light (Instrumental)
Wherever
For The Virgin
For The Creator
This Honorable Fame
The Anointing (Instrumental)
For The Trinity
The Chalice
Divine Love
The Flower Gleams
From This Wicked Fall
Living Fountain
Vision: Full Length

Amazon.com

"Vision--The Music of Hildegard von Bingen"? Make that "Hildegard--the Dance Remix." (Yes, it has been used on the dance floor of at least one New York City nightclub.) What else can you call it when Richard Souther takes the stark, ecstatic plainchant of the 12th-century abbess and adds heavily produced electronic trance-and-dance tracks? Souther's additions aren't bad in themselves--they are a bit New Age-y, yet danceable in a druggy 3:00-a.m. kind of way--but slather them over Hildegard's spare, intense chant melodies and the effect is perverse, if not just silly. Don't blame poor Emily van Evera--she is a fine interpreter of Hildegard, and EMI simply asked her to record some unaccompanied solo tracks of the abbess's music and send in the tapes; she had no idea what was going to be done with them until this disc came out with her name on it. This shows up in the final product: the gently fluid pulse van Evera applied to Hildegard's music (which would make perfect sense in the a cappella performance she thought she was giving) feels completely disconnected from the rigid rhythms inherent in Souther's electronic accompaniment. Now, there are a number of customer reviews, below, from listeners who like this title a great deal--have a look at them, check out the sound clips, and by all means get this title if you're interested. But, if you're curious about Hildegard, go to the recording that made her famous eight centuries after her death: A Feather on the Breath of God. --Matthew Westphal

Customer Reviews:

A very different style of Hildegard.......2007-01-30

This CD isn't quite the shining example of Hildegard's music, but it isn't dissapointing either. The new-agey music and the chanting go well together, but at times the mix is a little akward, and it is those moments when it seems that the vocals are just stamped on top of the music that takes away from this album. Otherwise, the music is pretty rich and conjures epic and heavenly images. I'd have to side with the 'purists' on this one: if you're a stickler for authentic sounding Hildegard music, go for the other albums such as Luminous Spirit because this one might come across as a little weird.

ONE WORD- 'AWSOME".......2006-12-15

I have been a fan of music since before I was born it seems- I have almost all of her music- but this is the star on the night sky- people keep trashing this album /cd- I think this is the best of her visions/music and if you want to be swept away on clouds of tone and dance with angels of light then BUY this cd- I love to darken the house , light the candles and let this one spin again and again- listen closely to " for the virgin' it will make you want to play this over and over again-also this entire cd was recorded in the catacombs- how spiritual is that, music/thought/words/visions from years turned to dust and stone- may this cd bring you back to a time when the world was innocent and gentle/have played this along with Enigma and people can not get enough of this cd!!!!!!!!!!

Very different. Hauntingly beautiful.......2006-03-01

I bought VISION, THE MUSIC OF HILDEGARD VON BINGEN without even hearing it first. I couldn't resist the album's cover art and the premise of recording the chants of a 12th century nun with modern original scores. I was delightfully surprised at how well the experiment works. The tracks are absolutely beautiful and haunting. In listening to one of the chants accompanied by an almost jarring drum beat, I felt as if I were dropped deep into a dense African jungle where a safari of large powerful natives are escorting small white hooded nuns to some mysterious lost city. A very different, very intriguing, very fine work.

"Every Element Has A Sound" ~ Heavenly Visions Of A Medieval Mystic.......2006-01-29

Hildegard Von Bingen (1098-1179), 12th century Benedictine nun, abbess and mystic wrote some of the most heavenly spiritual chants, psalms and canticles in the history of the Catholic Church. Compositions that are so unique and universal in appeal that they were embraced by the 'New Age Movement' more enthusiastically then they were originally by her own Church.

Similiar yet subtly different from the lofty, remote gregorian chants sung in the monastery, the music of Hildegard is much more accessible. Her experience of the 'Divine Mysteries' is conveyed in more emotional and earthy tones, thus linking the higher aspirations of the soul with the passionate nature of the human heart.

'Vision' was performed and recorded within the stone walls of St. Andrew's Church in Toddington, England, an almost perfect location to capture the medieval atmosphere of Hildegard's compositions. The female voices involved in this project are a sharp and welcome contrast to the all male gregorian choirs most of us are more familiar with.

Truly a mystical musical experience has been captured on these 17 exquiste tracks. For the spiritual seeker in all of us!

SUPERB MODERN CLASSIC.......2005-10-26

SOARING, ETHEREAL voices are followed by haunting, vaguely Middle Eastern new age sound. HILDEGARD meets ENIGMA. It works. The purists make no room for this kind of interpretation of Hildegard but I remind you that the Louvre built a separate museum to house the Impressionist art not because they were so valued but because they did not consider it serious art and would not put it under the same roof with the classics. Time made buffoons of them. Listen to the sound clips and judge for yourself.

Average customer rating:

I'd say this is their best.

Trinity
Visions of Atlantis
Manufacturer: Napalm
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Alternative Rock | Styles | Music

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Ghost Opera
Cast Away
Tarot
Paradise Lost
Eternal Endless Infinity

ASIN: B000PHW2LI
Release Date: 2007-06-05

Tracks:

At The Back Of Beyond
The Secret
Passing Dead End
The Poem
Nothing Left
My Dark Side Home
Wing-Shaped Heart
Return To You
Through My Eyes
Flow The Desert
Seven Seas

Album Description

With their third offering, Trinity, the Austro-American sextet takes Symphonic Metal to a new level as majestically powerful Metal songs complete with heavy guitars and unrelenting drumming meet emotional ballads and romantic soundscapes. The distinctive epic string arrangements compliment the multi-faceted compositions, superbly crowned by fantastic soprano vocals and the equally strong singing talents of the male counterpart. By masterfully merging their classic roots with powerful modern elements, Visions Of Atlantis deliver an album that is not only mystic and heavy but also insightful and bombastic.

Customer Reviews:

I'd say this is their best........2007-07-18

Unlike VOA's two previous releases, I'd say this one is actually pretty good. They have a new female vocalist who, while faulting only a bit on her lower notes, really outshines the old vocalist when she goes for those higher notes. The songs are also a lot better. They still maintain the band's creative symphonic metal sound, but also have some catchier choruses, some nice guitar solos and some excellent drumming. Some really touching duets between the male and female vocalist are featured also.

The CD's only downfall would have to be its lyrics. The words can get a bit corny at times. Lines like "I'm so sorry 'cause you're dead" don't do it for me, personally. It'd also be nice if the vocalists put a bit more emotion into their voices and concentrate on what they're singing about instead of getting a perfect, crystal clear sound.

I'd recommend it, nonetheless, for symphonic metal fans.

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Average customer rating:

A good value
The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann
Good mix of film music
A mixed collection of movie music
Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens

Varese Sarabande 25th Anniversary Celebration

Manufacturer: Varese Sarabande
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Star Wars | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Paramount 90th Anniversary Collection: Scores
In Session: Film Music Celebration
The Essential Elmer Bernstein Film Music Collection
Jerry Goldsmith: 40 Years of Film Music
Music In Film (National Public Radio Milestones Of The Millennium)

ASIN: B00008WI90
Release Date: 2003-04-22

Tracks:

The Man from Snowy River (Bruce Rowland)
The Winds of War (Bob Cobert)
Blue Velvet (Angelo Badalamenti)
Witness (Maurice Jarre)
Raising Arizona (Carter Burwell)
Pee Wees Big Adventure (Danny Elfman)
Halloween (John Carpenter)
A Nightmare On Elm Street (Charles Bernstein)
The Fly (Howard Shore)
RoboCop (Basil Poledouris)
The Empire Strikes Back (John Williams)
The Right Stuff (Bill Conti)
The Final Conflict (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Abyss (Alan Silvestri)
Brainstorm (James Horner)
Peggy Sue Got Married (John Barry)
My Left Foot (Elmer Bernstein)
The Dead (Alex North)
Stanley & Iris (John Williams)
The Milagro Beanfield War (Dave Grusin)
Driving Miss Daisy (Hans Zimmer)

Tracks:

Steel Magnolias (Georges Delerue)
Unforgiven (Lennie Niehaus and Clint Eastwood)
Raggedy Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
The Grifters (Elmer Bernstein)
Green Card (Hans Zimmer)
City Slickers (Marc Shaiman)
Father Of The Bride (Alan Silvestri)
While You Were Sleeping (Randy Edelman)
Babe (Nigel Westlake)
The Adventures Of The Great Mouse Detective (Henry Mancini)
The Adventures of Robin Hood (Erich Wolfgang Korngold)
The Young Indiana Jones Chronicles (Laurence Rosenthal)
The Secret Garden (Zbigniew Preisner)
A Little Princess (Patrick Doyle)
Rudy (Jerry Goldsmith)
Iron Will (Joel McNeely)
Memphis Belle (George Fenton)
Eye Of The Needle (Mikl)
Total Recall (Jerry Goldsmith)
Back To The Future Part III (Alan Silvestri)

Tracks:

To Die For (Danny Elfman)
The Player (Thomas Newman)
Black Robe (Georges Delerue)
Medicine Man (Jerry Goldsmith)
2001 (Alex North)
Star Wars: Shadows Of The Empire (Joel McNeely)
The Crow (Graeme Revell)
Blade (Mark Isham)
The Omen (Jerry Goldsmith)
Vertigo (Bernard Herrmann)
Scream (Marco Beltrami)
The Sixth Sense (James Newton Howard)
Xena: Warrior Princess (Joseph LoDuca)
Air Force One (Jerry Goldsmith)
Starship Troopers (Basil Poledouris)
The Matrix (Don Davis)
The Iron Giant (Michael Kamen)
Youve Got Mail (George Fenton)
A Little Romance (Georges Delerue)
Pleasantville (Randy Newman)

Tracks:

Sunset Boulevard (Franz Waxman)
L.A. Confidential (Jerry Goldsmith)
Rounders (Christopher Young)
The Score (Howard Shore)
The Replacements (John Debney)
Gone In 60 Seconds (Trevor Rabin)
The Bourne Identity (John Powell)
Rush Hour 2 (Lalo Schifrin)
XXX (Randy Edelman)
Die Hard (Michael Kamen)
The Last of the Mohicans (Trevor Jones)
Moby Dick (Christopher Gordon)
The Mists Of Avalon (Lee Holdridge)
Cleopatra (Alex North)
Life As A House (Mark Isham)
Emma (Rachel Portman)
In The Bedroom (Thomas Newman)
Cast Away (Alan Silvestri)
One True Thing (Cliff Eidelman)
Unfaithful (Jan A.P. Kaczmarek)
Far From Heaven (Elmer Bernstein)
Ice Age (David Newman)
Shrek (Harry Gregson-Williams and John Powell)

Customer Reviews:

A good value.......2007-05-17

I wasn't expecting to have 4 discs for this price, and the music is a quality selection of film music, giving a good scope of the genre, and a very listenable transfer.

The Sound Track Since Bernard Hermann.......2006-07-25

This collection is bound to capture your heart and evoke a tin ear on successive tracks. I found much to like and some duds - easy to skip over.
Very good value.

Good mix of film music.......2006-07-02

Good mix of films!
I'm a big fan of this soundtrack music and will be looking for more CD's like this.

A mixed collection of movie music.......2006-02-23

For the price, this CD is a great bargain. The musical selections, as you might expect, are mixed in quality ranging from extraordinary to so so, the balance being worthwhile and interesting. Sonically the CD is excellent.

Uplifts your soul, takes your mind into the heavens.......2006-01-06

I have been listening to great scores for many years and this collection is truly inspirational in so far as the choice of different scores takes you on a journey of listening pleasure matched by only a few collections.The price is incredibly reasonable for hours of listening pleasure. Don't pass this one up

Average customer rating:

Rounds out the edges...
Unique, Original, Definitive!
Perfection!
Breathtaking
MIND BLOWING

Matrix Revolutions (Score)
Don Davis
Manufacturer: Maverick
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music

Electronica | Dance & DJ | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

General | Soundtracks | Styles | Music
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The Matrix Reloaded
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ASIN: B0000DJYQ4
Release Date: 2003-11-04

Tracks:

The Matrix Revolutions Main Title
The Trainman Cometh - Juno Reactor
Tetsujin - Juno Reactor
In My Head - Pale 3
The Road To Sourceville
Men In Metal
Niobe's Run
Woman Can Drive
Moribund Mifune
Kidfried
Saw Bitch Workhorse
Trinity Definitely
Neodammerung
Why, Mr. Anderson?
Spirit Of The Universe
Navras - Juno Reactor Vs. Don Davis

Customer Reviews:

Rounds out the edges..........2007-01-05

Wow, a lot of reviewers have had a lot to say about this one. Well, I'm not going to say a lot because so much has already been said, just know that as far as scores go, this is one of the best, and even though I really wanted another hard rock/techno infused powerhouse of an album, the few songs provided by Pale 3 and Juno Reactor are enough to satisfy me (In My Head is just freaking awesome). Don Davis is genius here and provides a beautifully written piece of work that will burrow itself inside your head and stay with you. The final track Navras is reason enough to own this perfect compliment to a highly regarded franchise and serves as a nice way to round out this trilogy, not only of film but of music.

Unique, Original, Definitive!.......2006-08-18

There is a lot to rave about regarding Don Davis' work on the Matrix scores, but the clearest and most appropriate compliment would be to attest to their uniqueness. He did not find the right sound for the film; he invented a completely new sound. That this new sound was also the right sound--the only right sound--is what beckons the listener to pay attention. This is not music for every occasion; it want lull your baby to sleep. But when the moment is right, and you are in the right mood, it is an experience like no other.

Whereas the score to Reloaded was a techno-feat that was pure fun, this score establishes deeper orchestral roots that take it to a more refined, emotional level. Listen to the many places to which the listener travels: the frenetic chaos of the action cues, the solemnity of the elegies, the operatic tidal wave of the full chorus, and the sublimity of the film's denouement. Each is united into a unique and altogether representative symphony that has come not just to underline the Matrix universe but to utterly define it.

Three cheers for Don Davis, with the unavoidable question: why don't you score more films?

Perfection!.......2006-04-02

This score is absolutely astounding in every way. To say that it's musically complex is an understatement - it's often difficult and intricate to such a level that hasn't been seen much before or to such an extent - but unlike a lot of other complex and dissonant works, Revolutions is also so enjoyable and exciting thanks to it's ongoing energy and the sheer perfection of the music itself. Davis' tone for this movie and for the whole franchise has been spot on, which in itself is difficult to achieve, however, whereas the previous two scores incorporated a lot of techno riffs and beats, Revolutions thankfully allocates far more time to the orchestral elements, with only a few cues incorporating techno. I think this was wise; whereas in the first two movies, the techno element helped to contribute to that overall `cool' and `stylish' feel, by the time of the third movie, I feel the whole shiny black leather and cool shades image was quickly becoming cheesy and satirised and a back to basics, orchestral approach was far more appropriate.

Not that Davis delivered anything basic, far from it! As already mentioned the level of musical complexity is impressive and as it is, sounds unlike scores you may have heard before, a perfect and distinct sound for a distinct franchise. The tone here is generally dissonant and harsh with two predominant choirs in the music, strings and brass, with warm woodwinds pushed right into the background except for a few choice moments. This, along with the actual nature of the music, helps to create a sense of conflict between the two, which obviously suits the movie.

Despite its atonality, Revolutions is also often surprisingly melodic and unexpectedly produces some of the finest examples in film music of beautiful, uplifting and majestic moments. The love theme hinted at in Matrix Reloaded is given the full treatment here in Trinity Definitely and it is stunning - it's simple but achingly beautiful and effective and it's hard to imagine anything else fitting the scene so perfectly. Revolutions also gives the best rendition of the Main Titles so far with the now famous brass crescendo, wave effect perfectly complimented by the orchestration and leading into an exciting rhythm and chord progression. This alternating brass effect is such a neat and clever little motif and perfectly encapsulates the dreamy, warped sense of reality theme of the movie(s) - we're so used to the idea of a memorable melody or hook defining a franchise or representing the main themes and characters that I find it refreshing that such a simple technique can have exactly the same effect.

However, it is the action cues that impress the most and there are lots of them. It's very rare that you can say music is genuinely thrilling and exhilarating but from the exciting going to war cue Men in Metal right through to the score's epic highlight Neodammerung, the score never lets up in its energy, excitement and invention - the only other score I can think of that contains so many action cues but manages to keep them all fresh and exhilarating is Shearmur's Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow and it must be so difficult to achieve but Davis manages it here seemingly effortlessly. Niobe's Run is exciting and frightening and gives the sense of being chased; Moribund Mifune is great `race against time' music; Saw Bitch Workhorse is un-relentlessly dissonant building to an almighty crescendo and Neodammerung is operatic and very classical sounding, with the truly immense choir singing over a simple chord progression and layered with timpani, constantly swirling strings and high woodwinds and the rest of the orchestra playing at top volume - it's breathless, absolutely perfect for the movie's big showdown and gives way to some great moments of the brass motif. It all ends with the glorious Spirit of the Universe, a wonderfully pastoral and uplifting contrast to all that's preceded it and gives a wonderful sense of a new dawn in utopia.

It's surprising just how good this score is, every cue perfectly compliments and augments the scenes they are accompanying whilst still being so enjoyable to listen to away from the movie - Davis manages to maintain this superior level of writing at all times with hardly any dull moments (at least in the fully orchestral cues anyway). The Matrix Revolutions is certainly an important achievement in film scoring not to mention Davis' career and is one of the best examples of modern action scoring if not one of the best in the genre, it's thrilling and always impressive, a master class in counterpoint, orchestration and musical development and above all, a highly enjoyable listen. Perfection.

Breathtaking.......2005-01-12

While opinions on the movie of the same name are all over the map, one thing everyone agrees on is the incredible musical score to "The Matrix Revolutions" (warning: This review contains spoilers to the movie, so read with caution)

The Matrix Revolutions main title: The always haunting musical opening to the movie. Very good

The trainman cometh: Starts off gentle and happy, with Neo talking to Sati and her family. Calm, relaxing music plays while they talk, before beats start to come in, transfering to a frantic chase that goes along at breakneck speed in a fast beat.

Tetsujin: A quiet start with a foreboding Asian beat hints that its not all fun and games here. After a quick Asian beat down, we get some quiet harp and bean shakers. And then it's an all out war as electronic beats pulse while our heroes blast the oposition to smithereens.

In my Head: The only song on this track (thank goodness), this is actually quite catchy. I'll never be a fan of rock n roll, but this track is quite fun. Heavy on electronic insturments and only mild vocals, its a memorable song.

The road to sourceville: A quiet start shattered by a fast vocal, followed by quiet happy music as Neo is reunited with Trinity, then slow atmosphere while they visit the oracle for the last time.

Men in Metal: As the battle draws ever nearer, the war insturments (drums and such) begin to play as the soldiers prepare for the inevitable battle. A rousing speach gives them strength. This track is heavy on preparation music, and uses it well.

Niobies run: Quiet and atmospheric as Niobie and the others head closer to the tunnel, the music indicating the uneasiness as they try to slip past the sentinels. But of course they get spotted. Then its an all out frantic race as they zoom deep into the earth to try and escape with thier lives. In the Zion dock there's a few seconds of final preparation before the grim fighting begins. This track is heavy on "race for your life!" music.

Woman can drive: Things get desperate as the battle to save Zion continues. Niobie struggles to pilot the hammer to safety while being attacked non-stop. This track features more frantic racing and fighting music with drum beats.

Morbid Mifune: Pure war. This track excellently captures the horror and the hopelessness of the dock battle. The humans are doomed, but they keep fighting. With quick military beats and haunting vocals, this is a standout track. My favorite moment begins when the music is loud and filled with military beats as we see Mifune fighting for his life. As the kid tries to get ammo to him, the music truly shows how hopeless everything is, while also showing the will to keep fighting and not give up. A quiet military beat follows with the death of Mifune.

Kidfried: Thundering blasts as the Hammer closes in on Zion, followed by haunting vocals, and a standout moment where the Hammer zooms into Zion, where the music is heavy and quick and the vocals compete with quick beats as the end of the frantic race is in sight. Then all is quiet and calm as the first battle is won.

Saw B***h workhorse (what an odd name): The gloom of the real world shows itself as Neo and Trinity head towards the machine city. When they reach it's borders, heavy beats and ominous vocals give the feeling on huge bemoths guarding its borders. Yet hope remains among the chaos as we witness the wonder of Neo's power. A strong and gloomy (yet hopeful) track.

Trinity definitly: Out of all the tracks in all the matrix movies, this one stands out among the others. Its a pure musical track, with no electronic enhancments, no fancy beats, nothing. It's simply sad, quiet orchestra music. As Trinity lies dying within the Logos, Don Davis does a standout job of conveying the sadness of her death. I actually cried a little when I first heard this one because it's so sad, yet at the same time, dignified. It has an identity all its own because its so different from the music we've heard before. A standout track.

Neodammerung: If there was ever a contest to determine the best one on one fight music ever made, this would be in the top three. It's the apacolypse mixed in with heavy dramatic beats as two foes fight to the death, each carrying incredible power. You can really feel the dramatic wieght contanined within each beat as Neo and Smith face each other for the final time. The haunting vocals adds so much to the experience that its impossible to imagine the music withought them. When the two take to the skies, the music increases in drama and epic scope as the two fight high above the ground. Then theres the final moment where the two head straight towards each other, readying for the final blow that will determine the fight. I get goosebumps every time I hear it.

Why Mr. Anderson?: As Smith stands over the beaten Neo, he asks him why he does it. The music is sad and curious. The end is near. We can feel that Neo is beaten and how exhausted he is. A final brief fight commences before Smiths raw power and fury shows itself through quick and hard beats. Then the music swells in triumph as Smith is finally defeated before quietly drifting into nothing as "it is done"

Spirit of the universe: Happiness is mingled with sadness in this track. Everything is happy, yet the sad vocals appear when Neo's body is taken away. Then the music slowly swells upwards as the end arrives. Everything is over and finished. Then the music finally swells one last time as the sun rises in a big happy moment.

Navras: Fantastic vocals (male and female) really define this track as just about every insturment comes into play here. Drums, australian digery doos, pianos, electronic beats, and flute music comes into play for one grand finale of music. Truley stunning, and tied with Neodammerung as best track on the CD.

In my humble opinion, the third matrix movie has the best music of the entire trilogy. It's hard edgy no-nonsense action music, untainted by unnecessary songs. It's all insturmental and hard hitting, making it a truley magnificant soundtrack that I listen to almost everyday. A truly worthy buy.

MIND BLOWING.......2004-12-12

I have not bought this CD yet... and I am not really a matrix fan however, my boyfriend is. On this cd, the song Navras made my boyfriend cry because of all the emotion that song brings. It is truely a good sound track and I cant wait to get it for him for christmas. If you love hard beats and soft strings this is the CD for you!

Average customer rating:

This was a fantastic cd!
Couldn't have been better...
Awesome
Can we please get over this hip-hop phase?
Wow.

Blade Trinity
Various Artists
Manufacturer: New Line Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Blade II
Blade: Music From And Inspired By The Motion Picture
Resident Evil: Apocalypse: Music from and Inspired by The Original Motion Picture
Resident Evil: Music From and Inspired By the Motion Picture
Underworld

ASIN: B000667GN2
Release Date: 2004-11-23

Tracks:

Fatal - The RZA
I Gotta Get Paid - Lil' Flip featuring Ghostface Killah & Raekwon of Wu-Tang Clan
When The Guns Come Out - WC, E-40 & Christ Bearer of Northstar
Thirsty - Old Dirty Bastard AKA Dirt McGirt and Black Keith
Daywalkers - Ramin Djawadi & The RZA
Party In The Morgue (Club Mix) - Kool Keith Presents Thee Undatakerz
Skylight - Overseer
This Blood - Black Lab
Bombs Away (Danny Saber Remix) - Paris Texas
Weapons of Mad Distortion - The Crystal Method
Hard Wax - Manchild
Blade's Back - Ramin Djwadi

Album Description

The soundtrack to this motion picture features new music from The RZA (Wu Tang Clan) with Lil' Flip, Ol' Dirty Bastard, WC and E-40, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah, The Crystal Method, and much more. There are three editions: regular, clean, and deluxe. The deluxe edition includes a 12-page comic by Takashi Okazaki and a bonus DVD with an animated short, a story board animatic and making-of footage, character designs, Blade Manga art, a weapons gallery, behind the scenes footage of The RZA scoring the film, and more. Exclusive liner notes from director David Goyer. PARENTAL ADVISORY.

Customer Reviews:

This was a fantastic cd!.......2005-09-11

To answer a previous question to whats the song on the blade trinity trailer. The song is called Weapons of Mad Distortion by The Crystal Method. Its actually on the cd....this was my favorite song. Definitely a cd to have...it has great music. To whoever buys it, they will enjoy it.

Couldn't have been better..........2005-04-28

Unlike what some may think who are opposed to hip hop, this soundtrack features one of the co-composers' for some of the most well known tracks from the movie- The RZA. Plus a couple more good hip hop tracks and some killer techno and metal. "Fatal" being the best track, and everything else superb. If you liked the movie you will love the soundtrack!

Awesome.......2005-01-02

As expected for an action movie, the soundtrack is fast-paced and all the music gets you pumped. I love it and the range of music on it, all of it is simply awesome. There is plenty of electronic and rap on there for everyone to enjoy

Can we please get over this hip-hop phase?.......2004-12-26

As usual, for a horror action movie, the soundtrack the is the predictable mix of dance/techno/whatever you call it tracks and hip-hop/rap/whatever you call it tracks. The dance/techno tracks on this album are excellent. The Crystal Method track is a stand out, as is the Black Lab track, but the rest are also impressive, and best experienced at high volume just as they were in the movie. Why people insist on pushing this hip-hop/rap garbage on us is still a mystery. It's terrible music, and when the dance/techno music fits the mood so well it's a wonder they don't just fill the soundtrack/movie with that style and ignore the try-hard home boys. If nothing else at least out of the 12 tracks on the album, only the first 4 are unbearable hip-hop "music", and the rest is excellent. Still, as long as you are happy with paying for an album that is a third garbage, then the rest of the tracks are worth the purchase.

Wow........2004-12-22

It has somthing for everybody. Dance, acoustic, rap, and heavy metal. Buy it. What?? Quit looking at me and go buy it!!

Average customer rating:

Another good addition to collection
Amazing CD
Perfect!
great from start to finish
Don't buy this here

See the Sun
Black Lab
Manufacturer: blacklabworld.com
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Your Body Above Me
Passion Leaves A Trace
Soma Holiday
Sleepwalker
Nostalgia

ASIN: B000BQPY04
Release Date: 2005-10-04

Tracks:

see the sun
remember
lonely boy
perfect girl
ecstasy
tell me why
without you
dream in color
learn to crawl
wide open
lifelike
circus lights

Product Description

The follow-up to Black Labs critically acclaimed Geffen debut Your Body Above Me (feat. "Wash it Away," Time Ago), See the Sun is a lush, epic union of heartbreak and rock & roll, diamond-cut lyrics set to hard candy melodies, raging guitars and gin-soaked stories of love, loss and redemption. Like U2 and Live and the Goo's getting drunk together. Like a five star hotel, you check in and youre sorry to check out. Their new album has a depth and emotional range that broadens with each listen. Grammy award-winning engineer Tom Lord-Alge (Live, Blink 182) mixed most of the album. What shines brightest is the band's pop sensibility the liquid swirl of "Remember," the epic sweep of "See the Sun," the raging loss of "Without You," and the open-armed surrender of "Lonely Boy." Black Lab has contributed to the soundtracks of Spider Man, Can't Hardly Wait, Varsity Blues, Permanent Midnight, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Party of Five, What I Like About You, MTV's The Real World, and most recently, Blade: Trinity.

Customer Reviews:

Another good addition to collection.......2007-02-11

If you like black lab then what can I say you'll enjoy it. I'm not one to analyze every aspect. If it makes feel like moving then that is all I care. I think I almost like it better than their first. You won't waste your money.

Amazing CD.......2007-01-05

I've had this cd for over 2 months now and I can't stop listening to it. If you loved Black Lab back in the 90s, you will love them even more. Songs like Lonely Boy and Remember will stay in your mind for days. This is a must buy!!

Perfect!.......2006-12-26

Ever since I heard 'Learn To Crawl' on the Spider-Man Motion Picture Soundtrack I had a thirst to hear more of Black Lab's music. I bought this CD, praying I would not be let down. I wasn't one tiny bit. I LOVE this CD! I wasn't too pleased with Your Body Above Me, which I found moderately okay. I found this much superior. The only song I didn't like was Ecstasy, it just didn't have a catchy beat or lyrics and wasn't very memorable. With awsome songs like 'Lifelike' 'Wide Open' 'Without You' and 'Tell Me Why,' this CD will keep you entertained for hours while you hum along to your favourite songs. The lyrics were insightful and catchy. The music fitted perfectly to each and every song, each song being unique in it's own special way. Buy this CD, it's not a waste of money. Black Lab is an awsome bands which deserves more recognition. After listening for this, I have a thirst for a new album by Black Lab!

great from start to finish.......2006-10-30

This is a great,great CD. It is not as impressive as 'Your Body Above Me', which is truly a masterpeice, but this is a great CD. Fantastic vocals and melodies, unforgettable. A great CD from a truly incredible band. Glad to see they are still around and putting out great music, anxious to hear their next effort.

Don't buy this here.......2006-03-13

This is a very good album by a very underrated post-grunge band. This album is very different from "Your Body Above Me", but it's still a very solid, well-crafted effort. One gripe about it iss how rare it is,m though. It took me forever to find it, and I didn't want to pay $20 for it here, so I searched the internet. There is a webiste called Alternativeaddiction.com (google it). They loved this album, and they sell it for a mere $8 for download. And you pay through PayPal, so its a safe, fast transaction. So do yourself a fovor: but his great album and, if you haven't already, get "Your Body Above Me" (it's better). And buy "See the Sun" on Alternative Addiction's website.

Enjoy!

Trinity and Beyond Motion Picture Soundtrack CD

Average customer rating:

A Rousing Score!
Classical Thunder move over!!!
This is still in print???
A Stunner!
One to remember - lest we forget

Trinity and Beyond Motion Picture Soundtrack CD

Manufacturer: VCE
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Atomic Journeys - Nukes in Space Soundtrack CD
Trinity & Beyond - The Atomic Bomb Movie
The Atomic Bomb Collection
Atomic Journeys - Welcome to Ground Zero
Nukes in Space - The Rainbow Bombs

ASIN: B00018YGUQ
Release Date: 1997-08-05

Tracks:

Monument Site / 100 Tons of TNT
Newsreel
Fat Man and Little Boy
Hiroshima / Nagasaki Requiem
Operation Crossroads
Armada Annihilation
Deus Vult
Nautical Graveyard
Operation Sandstone
Improved Stockpile Bomb
Russia Gets the Bomb
Operation Ranger-Able
Operation Greenhouse
Boosting with Tritium
The George Device
The Atomic Cannon
Castle Bravo
Operation Wigwam
Cherokee Deliverable H-Bomb
The Hood Device
Operation Hardtack / Teak and Orange
Russian Monster Bomb
Operation Dominic
Christmas Island Tests
Thor Missiles
China Gets the Bomb

Album Description

Twenty Six cuts of music representing almost an hour of full orchestration was composed for "Trinity and Beyond (the Atomic Bomb Movie)." Composed and conducted by William Stromberg and performed by the Moscow Symphony Orchestra.

This great CD contains the only full orchestral music influenced by the Atomic Bomb.

Customer Reviews:

A Rousing Score!.......2007-04-06

I watched this movie the other night on HDTV.

The visuals were stunning and the score was magnificant.

It reminded me of the old Victory at Sea series (NBC 1952-53) which featured music composed by Richard Rogers and performed by the RCA Victor Symphony Orchestra.

I was hoping the Trinity soundtrack was available on CD, and, fortunately, it is...

Classical Thunder move over!!!.......2007-02-07

I am by no means a classical music expert, but this music tells as much of the story of the evolution of the atomic bomb as the movie does. Whoever teamed up William Stromberg and the makers of this movie hit it out of the park. I highly recommend the movie too, it's not preachy and covers the history like a true documentary with very intense footage. Narrated by my hero, William Shatner. I was fortunate enough to see it in HD and WOW! The music only makes it better, Classical Thunder move over!!!

This is still in print???.......2006-04-01

I'd have never guessed.

I first saw "Trinity and Beyond" on TLC back in 1997 (between sixth and seventh grade.) I fell in love with it immediately, thanks in no small part to William Stromberg's moving, passionate score. But more on that later:

::THE MOVIE::
During that particular period in my life, I was very much intrigued by atomic and hydrogen bombs, but this film pushed my intrest into an obsession. I brought it to school and treated my friends to a screening years before the chemistry teacher would make it an annual event. I researched on these weapons and nuclear physics and was quickly becoming an expert on the subject. (I would stop friends in the hallway and drop factoids one moment and quiz them the next, and if anybody genuinely wanted to know, I'd talk their ears off until they gave up in the face of my feriority.) I actually wanted to build one of those Goddamned devices; my parents were called when someone went in my backpack and found instructions, as well as eavesdropping on my search for lithium-6 distributors.

If you think about it, atomic and hydrogen bombs can be seen as the ultimate form of masturbation that man has yet devised. Period. I don't think I have to emphasise my point any further (Stanley Kubrick has already done that, handily) but suffice it to say that it was one of my age group's favorite pastimes. I was all too awed by the raw cosmic power and brutality of these weapons, almost to the point of wanting to participate in these most sophomoric experiments in mass destruction. I have since matured in my views, and the movie has a bit as well (the DVD has some extra footage and public service films that add more of a feeling of tragedy and or pathos to a picture that mostly consists of watching things go "BOOM" for two hours. Can you blame me?)

::THE SCORE::
What can I say? "TandB" has one of the most beautiful and powerful scores I've ever heard from a movie, let alone a documentary. I had to order mine directly from VCE, and it took literally months for it to arrive, but damn if that wasn't one of the best days of my life. After hastily breaching the shrinkwrap and fondling the jewel case with all five senses to make myself sure of its existence, I popped in the CD, slipped on my headphones, and set sail for the heart of the Dark Sun--- and my cockamamie Discman couldn't get past the TOC, so I threatened to smack it with a hammer (while I actually turned off the shock protection) and it finally capitulated and played my shiny new disc.

I was surprised and disconcerted by the inclusion of leftover parts of the score (the tracks "Russia Gets the Bomb" and the original version of "Operation Ranger-Able"-- which in the film was the latter half of "Operation Hardtack, Teak, and Orange.") Those tracks eventually grew on me, and I both admire their strength and recognize why the director might have left them out of the film--- they call a bit too much attention to themselves. A welcome surprise was the full version of the track "Thor Missiles." This, I read, is Peter Kuran's favorite cue, and it's one of the more somber cues on the album, but be forewarned... it'll make you turn up the volume before it finally blows your speakers. I especially enjoy the last three cues, "Thor Missiles" included, "Christmas Island Tests," possibly the most beautiful track on the album, but way too short, and "China Gets The Bomb," the finale and recapitulation of the sinister, bombastic "Hiroshima/Nagasaki Requiem" Theme (which you may have heard in the trailers for X2.) 'Tis a great album, this. I've never heard of William Stromberg or John Morgan, or Lennie Moore or Edgardo Simone before TandB, and I wonder why, because these guys and the titanic MSO could go toe-to-toe with anyone in Hollywood. I'm baffled.

A Stunner! .......2005-12-17

This is a concert masquerading as a film score. And what a concert! I have never seen the 1996 documentary film TRINITY AND BEYOND (and have no intention of ever doing so), but I'll wager this score boosted the appeal (or palatability) of the film many, many fold. The CD contains edge-to-edge dazzling, dynamic, and dramatic (and, possibly, dangerous!) aural delights, track after track. It presents combinations of original compositions with a distinct overarching flavor from some of the unparalleled music composed for films during the 30's, 40's, and early 50's. The latter is far from surprising. William Stromberg is the composer and conductor who is also credited along with John Morgan as being part of the team who orchestrated the score. Messrs. Stromberg and Morgan are the foremost classic-film restoration, reconstruction, and arrangement magicians of our time. They are the masters. Moreover, Mr. Stromberg is hands down the finest conductor of classic-film scores, and one of the top three or four film-music conductors on the planet. (All of this is probably an underestimate!) There is no CD-music booklet--a MAJOR disappointment. Instead you'll find a glossy cross-marketing insert that primarily hypes this and other documentaries made by the same director, the director himself, and the director's company. Reads like part of a press kit (which it probably was). This is the first of two related CDs. The other is ATOMIC JOURNEYS / NUKES IN SPACE, VCECD 02, 2004. Both highly recommended!

William Flanigan, Ph.D.

One to remember - lest we forget.......2005-09-23

I must admit, I've listened to a lot of music and a lot of soundtracks but few have come close to matching the the specticle displayed on the screen so perfectly. Stromberg's score created a very powerfull sense of menace and doom. It really brought out a sense of poignancy and the music coupled with the terrible images of atomic bombs and people dieing in the fallout of Hiroshima had me almost in tears. Films and music like this don't get enough recognition so this it one review the score thouroughly deserves!

Average customer rating:

The best CD that I own
Superb Vaughan Williams Collected Hymns & Hynm Tunes
Vaughan Williams was not an atheist!
Superb Performance of Superb Music
My favorite hymnal CD

A Vaughan Williams Hymnal
The Choir of Trinity College
Manufacturer: RCA
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Treasures of English Church Music
The Music of St. Paul's Cathedral
Praise to the Lord - Hymns From St. Paul's Cathedral
Abide With Me
Best Loved Hymns

ASIN: B0000024E0
Release Date: 1997-08-12

Tracks:

Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones
Virgin - Born, We Bow Before Thee
Disposer Supreme
Father, Hear The Prayer We Offer
From The Eastern Mountains
Organ Prelude On Rhosymedre
It Is A Thing Most Wonderful
Deck Thyself, My Soul, With Gladness
Hail Thee, Festival Day
Bread Of The World
He Who Would Valiant Be
Organ Prelude On Bryn Calfaria
Faith Of Our Fathers
Firmly I Believe And Truly
Christ The Lord Is Risen Again
Come Down, O Love Divine
I Heard The Voice Of Jesus Say
Organ Prelude On Hyfrydol
O God Of Earth And Altar
God That Madest Earth And Heaven
Saviour, Again To Thy Dear Name We Raise
For All The Saints
Wherefore, O Father
All People That On Earth Do Dwell

Amazon.com

English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams not only was the esteemed author of symphonies, choral masterpieces, chamber works, and songs, but he also was the major force behind the compilation of the 1906 English Hymnal, a task that put the composer in touch with "some of the best--and some of the worst" music in the world. His esthetic and artistic values, and his well-grounded sense of what makes a good, singable tune, led him to select the best and reject the worst--and through the process he contributed several of his own tunes and harmonizations to the collection. This outstanding recording includes five of Vaughan Williams's own tunes, 16 more that he selected and arranged for the hymnal, and his beloved Three Preludes Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes. This is a wonderful, "must-have" collection, beautifully, articulately, and reverently sung, with first-rate organ solos and accompaniments and excellent liner notes. --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

The best CD that I own.......2007-03-29

Vaughan Williams may not have believed much that he wrote but he was intelligent enough to lean on the body of truth that hymn writers have communicated down through the ages. His words ring true, not because he himself believed them, but because he allowed them to rest on the vital testimony of others and because he allowed to be framed by the exquisite tradition of lofty and Spirit-filled harmony that we call the Hymns of the Christian faith.
Since we have heard in an earlier review from a Christian who became an Atheist, it seems only fair that we should hear from an Atheist who became a Chistian. I was a confirmed Atheist until the age of 20 when I "dropped out" and went to work on a farm in Germany with mentally handicapped adults. I remember once passing a plum tree in summer and thinking that it really was a coincidence that food for my body just grows. About that time I also realized that I needed to identify for myself all of the contradictions in the Bible so that I could intelligently communicate my Atheistic beliefs. To my great surprise, I could not find the mythical "many contradictions" and instead found that Jesus Christ was even more opposed to religious pomposity and self-centered grandeur than I was and that He had dedicated his life to correcting those perversions of religion. As I continued to read a chapter a day from the New Testament, I began to realize that if Jesus Christ were alive today, I would want to stand beside Him and share his joys and struggles. I also realized that my Atheist beliefs and lifestyle had made a hopeless mess of my life and that God, if He existed could surely do a better job of being at the helm. To cut to the chase, after evaluating the claims of Jesus Christ, I did become a Christian and He did prune out a lot of deadwood from my life, but He also provided me with everything that I now look back on some 37 years later with joy and satisfaction and pleasure.
Life is not always easy and just this morning, I was saddened by some events but found that Vaughan Williams Hymnal and the Trinity College choir bathed my soul, not in emotional fluff or the misty sound of nature, but with the timeless truths expressed in both words and music and passed on to us all via the great instrument of Christian Hymns.

Superb Vaughan Williams Collected Hymns & Hynm Tunes.......2007-01-24

Ralph Vaughan Williams was the most prolific single composer of hymns in the Anglican Tradition. This was in addition to his many famous symphonic works. He was simply amazing. Here is a compilation of his most famous hymns and hymn tunes, both sung in the matchless style made famous in the English choral tradition (boys and men). Also, included are organ improvisations on tunes such as O Quanta Qualia (O what their joy and their glory must be, that great hymn for All Saints/All Souls Days), and many others. It is arguably the best single CD of Williams hymns. A must for your library of hymns and hymn tunes. Absolutely superb!

Vaughan Williams was not an atheist!.......2006-09-01

As to the CD - RVW was the indisputed master (in my mind, anyway, and that's all that matters to me!) of the English hymn. The tunes like Down Ampney (Come Down O Love Divine) and Sine Nomine (For All The Saints) are nearly without equal, and the touch he brought to preexisting ones like Last uns erfreuen (Ye Watchers And Ye Holy Ones) and Kingsfold (I Heard The Voice OF Jesus Say) turns what could be completely dull in any real church setting into something with at least the potential for beauty and art. The performances here are great, and the addition of his Organ Preludes is a welcome bonus.

As to his spirituality, and his "right" to write spiritual music, well, just because Stravinsky said something doesn't make it so. RVW was, in his own words (or those of a biographer; I'm not 100%), a "hopeful agnostic". He wanted to believe. He tried to believe. And you can feel that longing in his music. His body of works is not something created by someone who was content with sudden death and cessation of existence.

The final minutes of so many of his great works - Pilgrim's Progress, Hodie, Sancta Civitas, tell you where his heart was. He was no mercenary court composer writing for the church because it paid well. The idea of the existence of God was one of the most important creative forces in his life. But because he couldn't reconcile the desires for it to be true with his experience and evidence in the world around us in no way lessens the meaning of what he created.

So many tunes that are now considered the old classic hymn tunes began as bar songs, folk songs, and other "atheist" sources. Do they now not speak to you the same? Why does knowledge of the source change anything? How? I just don't get it...

I'm an atheist. I was raised a Christian, and while as RVW my experience can no longer allow for belief in God and remain honest to myself, I do feel a great sense of loss, regret, and longing. I do wish that when I die, it could be with a sense of peace and transformation, that I really would be welcomed into eternal peace and beauty. 80 years (if that) is not enough to experience life.

Religion wasn't created and formed the way it exists now for no reason. It does give people something (even if we can't all see it). Probably 50% of the music I listed to at this point is spiritual in some way or another. Despite the fact that I firmly don't believe in any of it, the vision presented is undeniably powerful and I can't get away from it.

One of the most telling moments in the body of work by Vaughan Williams is a movement from Hodie, a Christmas cantata (buy it now - it's one of his best!). He set the poem "The Oxen" by Thomas Hardy. The poem is the embodiment of everything contained in the idea of hopeful agnosticism, supported in heartbreaking fashion by the music. The poem follows. Perhaps most significantly, he left off the final stanza, leaving us sad, dissolusioned, in the dark, and acutely conscious of what we've lost.

The Oxen
Thomas Hardy

Christmas Eve, and twelve of the clock.
"Now they are all on their knees,"
An elder said as we sat in a flock
By the embers in hearthside ease.

We pictured the meek mild creatures where
They dwelt in their strawy pen,
Nor did it occur to one of us there
To doubt they were kneeling then.

So fair a fancy few would weave
In these years! Yet, I feel,
If someone said on Christmas Eve,
"Come; see the oxen kneel,

"In the lonely barton by yonder coomb
Our childhood used to know,"
I should go with him in the gloom,
Hoping it might be so'

Then pealed the bells more loud and deep:
`God is not dead; nor doth he sleep!
The Wrong shall fail,
The Right prevail,
With peace on earth, good-will to men!

Superb Performance of Superb Music.......2004-12-29

All of this music is by just one composer and it is just hymns, yet it shows both remarkable diversity and consistency. Every minute is worth listening to. Much of the credit for this is indeed due to Vaughan Williams, but some is also due to Richard Marlow, the director of Trinity College, Cambridge who compiled Vaughan Williams' best hymns, thought about how each verse would be performed and guided the choir into a careful, enthusiastic and effective performance.

Truly, very enjoyable recording---if you're going to by one CD by an English choir, excluding Christmas music, this one should be it. Track #20 "ar hyd y nos" is the definate highlight. Tracks #8, #16, and #24 are other tracks to look forward to.

My favorite hymnal CD.......2004-10-25

I have many, many CD's of this Church hymn-choral style but this is my favorite that keeps me coming back for more, very meditative & worshipfull.

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