Music Is the Message [Original recording remastered]

Track Listings

1. Music Is the Message

2. Electric Frog, Pt. 1

3. Electric Frog, Pt. 2

4. Soul Vibrations

5. Love the Life You Live, Pts. 1 & 2

6. Stop, Look, Listen (To Your Heart) - Kool & the Gang, Kool & the Gang

7. Blowin' With the Wind

8. Funky Granny

Music Is the Message,Kool & the Gang,Polygram Records,Funk,Pop,R&B,Soul/Reggae/Rhythm & Blues,Urban

Music Is the Message [Original recording remastered]

This Universe
Average customer rating:

Enchantment

Heavenly

Equisite and Filled Eternal Bliss

All Pain And Sorrow Depart

This Universe
Singh Kaur
Manufacturer: Sequoia Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | New Age | Styles | Music
Meditation | New Age | Styles | Music
Relaxation | New Age | Styles | Music
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Fairy Night Songs

Spiritus: Breath of Life

REMEMBERING YOUR SOUL PURPOSE: A Part of Ascension - SECOND EDITION

The Ascension Primer

Buddha Spirit

ASIN: B000AOEMY6
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Spark In The Night
This Universe
The Lord's Prayer

Album Description

Experience the perfect peace within and without. This exquisite music is soothing, uplifting and will illuminate your heart with joy. The final recording from legendary vocalist Singh Kaur (Fairy Nightsongs, The Crimson Series) -- This Universe is an enchanting message of love that radiates grace and serenity. The purity of Singh Kaur's ethereal voice shines through on the extended ancient chant "This Universe," a gorgeous and enchanting original version of "A Spark in the Night," and a breathtaking musical version of "The Lord's Prayer." The deeply touching beauty of Singh Kaur's voice is a rare gift and she recorded this extraordinary music as her final offering to her fans. Produced by Gary Stadler (Fairy NightSongs, Fairy Heart Magic) and featuring artfully sensitive keyboard orchestrations by Raphael (Music to Disappear Into) and special guest Lisa Lynne on Celtic harp, "This Universe" will deepen and enhance your yoga, the healing arts or meditation.

Customer Reviews:

Enchantment.......2007-04-03

This music is so exquisite it brings tears of joy to my eyes. I have never been so moved. Wonderful for meditation or just relaxed enjoyment. A singer with perfect pitch and an enormously talented composer. This beautiful music will take you into presence.

Heavenly.......2007-03-10

Singh Kaur's heavenly music is the perfect antitdote to a busy and stress-filled day. I easily come back home, to my most shining self, when I listen to her other-worldly CD.

Equisite and Filled Eternal Bliss.......2005-10-12

Just exquisite! I love Singh Kaur from her Crimson Series releases and absolutely adored her previous collaboration with Gary Stadler on "Fairy NightSongs". But this new release fills me with such joy and wonder and opens my heart in a way that I have never experienced from music before. Singh Kaur's voice is radiant and pierces my soul with it's devotional passion and tenderness. I feel blessed to have found this magnificent piece of music. Thank you, thank you, thank you Gary Stadler for bringing Singh Kaur's final musical gift to us all. Many Blessings.

All Pain And Sorrow Depart.......2005-09-14

As I've mentioned elsewhere I have a deep, visceral reaction when I hear Singh Kaur's voice. Suddenly I stop for a moment, as the wise say, my mind opens, and I remember that the problem isn't me, the problem is my reaction to the problem. This dates back to my first discovery of her series of chants done on the independent ?Invincible label with Kim Robertson on harp. This Crimson collection, her final recording, is the closest thing to healing music that I have ever heard. Unfortunately, the set has to be sought out or ordered, and many people simply have never heard what is one of the most powerful voices in new age music.

I don't know if I can put my finger on what exactly is it about her singing that does this. The Spark in the Night, the first cut on this album is a reworking of an old melody of hers. The simplicity of her voice, the purity of her tone fits right into the music. As her singing matured, her voice gained coloration, and this song works not simply as and easy melody, but it reaches the listener emotionally as well.

Most of the album (43 minutes) is spent on the title piece, this universe. Combining wit Gary Stadler, Lisa Lynne, and several others, it is meditation music perfection. While anything of this length is going to be repetitious, Singh Kaur manages to vary dynamics, rhythm and color so that even the repetition is soothing. This is no small accomplishment in a world where many people think that meditation music should be electronic choirs droning over electronic strings. Singh Kaur is never hackneyed.

Rather than drone on about Kaur's talents, I suggest that, if you are looking for the narrow path to inner quiet, you stop a moment and listen for yourself.

Average customer rating:

Dream a dream
This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!
This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!
A must-have for Christmas music lovers
Gorgeous!

Dream a Dream

Manufacturer: Sony
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Voice of an Angel
Charlotte Church
Enchantment
Prelude: The Best of Charlotte Church
Our Favorite Things

ASIN: B00004ZDPO
Release Date: 2000-10-17

Tracks:

Dream A Dream (Elysium)
O Come, All Ye Faithful
The Little Drummer Boy
Mary's Boy Child
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
Winterwonderland
The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting On An Open Fire)
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
The Coventry Carol (Lully Lullay)
Joy To The World
When A Child Is Born
What Child Is This?
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
Draw Tua Bethlehem/Far Over Bethlehem
Ave Maria
Gabriel's Message
O Holy Night
Lo! How A Rose E'er Blooming
Silent Night

Amazon.com

Everybody's favorite precocious sprite of a soprano comes out with her third album in Dream a Dream. It's only been two years since Charlotte Church's smash debut, Voice of an Angel, but that's a big chunk of the Welsh singer's life span so far. This latest is basically a Christmas album, so full of festive cheer you'd never guess it was recorded in the summer. Even the glummest of moods will disappear when you hear Charlotte's infectious take on chestnuts such as "Winter Wonderland" and "Little Drummer Boy" (and having the London Symphony Orchestra as your backup band doesn't hurt either). And on top of that is a really special treat: the title song (borrowing an unforgettable classical melody) which blends Church's soaring vocals with the tender voice of young country prodigy Billy Gilman. --Sarah Chin

Customer Reviews:

Dream a dream.......2007-04-03

I bought this CD after watching the music video of the same name. Their performance of "dream a dream" is exquisite. The fact that they wrote the lyrics just adds icing to an already magnificent cake!

This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!.......2007-03-01

You know charlotte church has received so much harsh critismn about her,I find that people were jeolous of her voice, and of how a young girl can sing, she is definetly my dream ome true, (So back off johnathan flanders),this girl in the past has done some wonderful music which is inspirational and she is a wonderful person, I dont care whether she has changed, anyway her rock albumn has given me a lease on life and has given me potential in my singing,I love your voice very much, and this reviewer hasnt been written by a kid at all,if charlotte church is reading this,good on yeah girl,you definetly my dream come true,and I hope I will see you one day. your best friend JJCox

This girl has Potential (I wish the press would back off)!!!!!!.......2007-03-01

A must-have for Christmas music lovers.......2006-12-07

this cd is pure magic...almost 20 great christmas songs on one cd sung by the voice of an angel herself..there may be a few mixed reviews by some people who must be opera voice teachers because there is nothing wrong with this cd...it is flawless....charlotte's soaring vocals, the beautiful orchestra and background singers, the whole cd has the christmas feel to it..."o come all ye faithfull" has to be heard to be believed...it is breathtaking...i love charlottes take on "winter wonderland" and "ding dong merrily on high" ..made me want to go dance in the snow or something.....she hits every note beautifully..buy this cd...i bought it back in 2000 and have listened to it at every Christmastime since or Christmas doesnt feel the same.

Gorgeous! .......2005-12-07

Charlotte Church has done it again! She is extremely talented. Even if she was 25 when she put this out, she'd be amazing. But she was only 14-15 years old when she recorded this! Beautiful. This album has great choral accompaniments and fabulous orchestra arrangements. It is a little on the high side in certain songs, but it still sounds amazing. I love her voice.

Average customer rating:

Almost angelic
Great choir, but mostly recycled material
Glittering Chrismas Music
The Spirit of Christmas On CD
Superb voices!

Cambridge Singers Christmas Album

Manufacturer: Collegium
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The John Rutter Christmas Album
Christmas Star
Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity
The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College
John Rutter Collection

ASIN: B0000DJEOL
Release Date: 2003-10-07

Tracks:

The holly and the ivy (arr. H. Walford Davies)*
Blessed be that maid Mary (arr. David Willcocks)
Somerset Wassail (arr. John Rutter)
Shepherds, in the fields abiding (French, arr. Willcocks)*
The Infant King (Basque, arr. Willcocks)
What is this lovely fragrance? (French, arr. Healey Willan)
Gabriel's message (Basque, arr. Willcocks)*
Still, still, still (German, arr. Rutter)
Quittez, pasteurs (French, arr. Rutter)
Un flambeau, Jeannette, Isabelle (French, arr. Rutter)
Personent hodie (German, arr. Rutter)
The shepherds' farewell (Hector Berlioz)
O holy night (Adolphe Adam)
O magnum mysterium (T. L. de Victoria)
Hodie Christus natus est (J. P. Sweelinck)
For unto us a child is born (G. F. Handel)
In dulci jubilo (Samuel Scheidt)
Lully, lulla, thou little tiny child (Kenneth Leighton)*
A New Year Carol (Benjamin Britten)
Balulalow (Peter Warlock)
I saw a fair maiden (Peter Warlock)
The Lamb (John Tavener)
Fantasia on Christmas Carols (Ralph Vaughan Williams)

Album Description

Christmas Never Sounded So Good!

For more than a decade, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers have shared the Joy of Christmas with the world. The ethereal sound of perfectly blended voices, singing the most beautiful seasonal music ever composed never fails to touch the heart or lift the spirit. This year, John Rutter and the Cambridge Singers have assembled a NEW collection - compiled from the archives, including FOUR NEVER BEFORE RELEASED TRACKS! This is a holiday feast you will NOT want to miss!

Customer Reviews:

Almost angelic.......2007-01-18

Choral music by the Cambridge Singers is always top-notch. An older album that might have sounded better with newer technology but no complaints. Has great vocals and orchestral support.

Great choir, but mostly recycled material.......2005-12-16

I have the utmost respect for John Rutter and his Cambridge Singers, probably the best choir in the world (at least, the English-speaking world). I have almost all their CDs. Two of their Christmas CDs are "desert-island" class for this listener.

Unfortunately, I cannot give this otherwise excellent CD the same high marks. If they wanted to release a "best of Cambridge Christmas" CD, this would not be it. It does a few of the absolute best Christmas selections, including Sweelinck's "Hodie", Willcocks's breathtaking arrangement of "The Infant King", and Rutter's own quirky reading of "Personent Hodie". And it does contain a few tracks not previously released.

However, if you want the best of Cambridge and Christmas, start with "Christmas Night", which is always the first CD I pull out the day after Thanksgiving. The sound of the famliar Persall setting of "In Dulci Jubilo" sets my holiday in motion. And that CD also has Rutter's own magical "There is a flower". After that CD, get "Christmas with the Cambridge Singers", which has "The Infant King" and some other treasures.

So, you can't really go wrong with this CD, especially if you just want an introduction to how this fine ensemble addresses the most choir-friendly holiday of all. But if you're serious about getting all the good stuff, start with the other two mentioned above, then add "Christmas Day in the Morning" and the early "Christmas Star".

Glittering Chrismas Music.......2005-11-15

I own virtually all of the CD's of John Rutter (whom I greatly admire) and the Cambridge Singers, and I am a fan of English Choral music in general. If I were asked to recommend only one of the many Cambridge Singers Christmas albums, or indeed one of any English Christmas album, a hard choice, this would be it. As others have noted, this CD is a compilation of songs from previous cds with four new releases. It is, I believe, longer playing than the other Cambridge albums. In style, it is a mostly quiet sounding collection--in fact several carols are sung a cappella-- with pieces ranging from carols such as "The Holly and the Ivy" to the more robust "Fantasia on Christmas Carols". In sum, this is a sensitively arranged and performed collection of beautiful Christmas music.

The Spirit of Christmas On CD.......2005-06-02

I have never been disappointed by any Cambridge Singers release, so it isnt surprising that I thoroughly enjoyed this offering as well. This CD is a compilation of songs from previous cds with one or two new tracks, so check your library to make sure you arent duplicating your collection in the order to complete your collection. I purchased this disk to obtain a copy of the Fantasia On Christmas Carols by Ralph Vaughn Williams which was originally released on Christmas Day In The Morning. As usual, every song is performed in a precise yet heartfelt manner. If you dont own any cds by the Cambridge singers I would personally recommend Christmas Night as the first disk to own, but if you know and love the Cambridge Singers as I do, then you will enjoy having this wonderful addition to your library.

Superb voices!.......2003-12-22

This CD was beautifully sung by the Cambridge Singers, a boys/mens choir, mostly a' capela. It's the first Christmas CD I've bought that really tempts me to crank up the volume so I can revel in every note.

Average customer rating:

Beautiful wind ensemble music

Celebrations

Manufacturer: Citadel
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Sacred & Religious | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Classic Big Band | Swing Jazz | Jazz | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
ASIN: B000003JVY
Release Date: 1995-11-20

Tracks:

March Carillon
Chorale And Alleluia
A Movement For Rosa
Chorale Prelude: Be Thou My Vision
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: Stranger
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: I Celebrate Myself
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: You Who Celebrate Bygones
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: There Is That In Me
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: Sing Me The Universal
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: Flaunt Out, O Sea
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: I Sing The Body Electric
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: Clear Midnight
Celebrations - For Chorus And Wind Ensemble: Voyage
Variants On An Advent Hymn: Theme And Variation I
Variants On An Advent Hymn: Variation II
Variants On An Advent Hymn: Variation III
Variants On An Advent Hymn: Variation IV
Themes From 'Greenbushes'
Escape From Plato's Cave: The Cave, The Struggle And The Man From The Light!
Escape From Plato's Cave: Message Of The Man (The Fragile Heart)
Escape From Plato's Cave: Escape...Into The Light!

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful wind ensemble music.......2003-06-29

This treasure of a CD features some beautiful wind ensemble music, which really should receive more attention in the mainstream. Not your typical Sousa CD, this features the wind ensemble at its best, with both sections of the full, gorgeous ensemble sound and solo sections featuring the individual tone colors that contribute to the unique ensemble sound. The emotional capacity of this type of ensemble is huge, and this CD demonstrates that well. I would certainly recommend this CD to any lovers of band music and classical music, particularly those who enjoy the Romantic and 20th century composers who tend to use the winds to a fuller extent.

Average customer rating:

Carols From Clare
This music makes me wish Christmas season would never end!!!
Delicious carol arrangements by Rutter--a holiday MUST HAVE
Beautiful, Glorious, Inspiring!!
Great Christmas Cheer

Carols From Clare College

Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College
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ASIN: B000002SHT
Release Date: 1990-10-25

Tracks:

Shepherd's Pipe Carol
Infant Holy, Infant Lowly
Angel Tidings
Quelle est cette odeur agreable
Once In Royal David's City
Il est ne le divin enfant
I Saw Three Ships
In dulci jubilo
Nativity Carol
Quem pastores laudavere
Rocking
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Here We Come A-Wassailing
The Coming Of Our King
O Come, O Come, Immanuel
The Infant King
Shepherds' Noel
Noel Nouvelet
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Gabriel's Message
Sans Day Carol
Stille Nacht
Flemish Carol
Past Three A Clock

Customer Reviews:

Carols From Clare.......2006-12-12

Here again is a Christmas collection from Clare College that will easily find its way to the top of your list. The mixed male and female choir is accompanied by an orchestra whose excellence is manifest in it perfect coordination with the voices throughout. All the arrangements capture your soul and bring you into a dimension of Christmas not found elsewhere. If giving this as a gift, make sure to buy one also for yourself!

This music makes me wish Christmas season would never end!!!.......2001-12-22

This CD is absolutely beautiful. I can't bear to put it away after the holiday season is over! The voices of the Clare College Singers, accompanied by the orchestra blend together to make a heavenly sound. The songs are so gentle and almost mystical. I discovered John Rutter and the Clare College Singers by listening to the local classical music station, and fell in love with their unique sound. "Shepherds Pipe Carol" is one of my favorites, but all of the songs are wonderful on this CD. I also purchased "The Holly and the Ivy" (also with the Clare choir and John Rutter), and it is beautiful too. 5 stars is not enough. If you enjoy gentle, spiritually uplifting Christmas music, buy this CD. You won't regret it.

Delicious carol arrangements by Rutter--a holiday MUST HAVE.......2001-11-29

Delicious Rutter carol arrangements with beautiful pure singing by Clare College Singers of Cambridge, England.

I was delighted to find "Carols from Clare" which includes 11 of the 12 recordings of my Capitol International Series LP recording , "Christmas in Cambridge, " featuring the Clare College Singers and Orchestra, Rutter as arranger.NEVER THOUGHT I'D FIND !!! It has been my FAVORITE Christmas holiday recording for 19 years. Only piece missing is "Of the Father's Love Begotten" which I will be searching for, of course, on another Rutter CD.

Beautiful, Glorious, Inspiring!!.......2001-11-28

I fell in love with John Rutter's music when I heard his "Magnificat" performed locally. I by chance heard the first selection on this cd- one of two he wrote himself- and bought it just based on that one tune. I am of the mind that you can't own enough Christmas music because you'll want variety. This cd, and others from the Clare or Cambridge collection, is not about "Mama kissing Santa" or a red-nosed reindeer. It's about the magic of Christmas and the reason we have celebrate a birth in a manger. Of course like any great sacred music, even athiests will love the beauty of it!

Great Christmas Cheer.......2001-01-27

Great old standards and some new stuff thrown in from jolly ole England. Wonderful selection and performance. Great addition to holiday collection.

Average customer rating:

Christmas Adagios
christmas adagios
Nice Background for the Holidays
One of my very top 5 favorite holiday albums!
Wonderful POCOCAT?

Christmas Adagios

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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#1 Christmas Album
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Movie Adagios

ASIN: B00005NY7D
Release Date: 2001-10-09

Tracks:

O Holy Night - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Luciano Pavarotti
In The Bleak Midwinter - Rosemary Joshua/Ian Bostridge
Coventry Carol - The Choir Of King's College, Cambridge/David Willcocks
Away In A Manger - Mark Tinkler
Gabriel's Message - The Choir And Orchestra Of Clare College, Cambridge
Pastoral Sinfonia - Academy Of St Martin In The Fields/Neville Marriner
Il S'en Va Loin De La Terre - Acadamy And Chorus Of St Martin In The Fields/Neville Marriner
Panis Angelicus - Kiri Te Kanawa
Schlafe, Mein Liebster - Marilyn Horne
Wiegenlied - Renata Tabaldi
O Jesu So Meek - Simon Preston
While Shepherds Watched - Stephen Cleobury
Susser Trost, Mein Jesus Kommt - Agnes Giebel
Lute Concerto, RV 93: Largo - Eduardo Fernandez
Alma Redemptoris Mater - Julian Podger
O Magnum Mysterium - John Angelo Messana
Zastupnitse Userdnaya - St Petersburgh Chamber Choir/Nikolai Korniev
Iubi-Te-voi (I Will Love Thee, O Lord) - Angela Gheorghiu/Romanian National CHamber Choir 'Madrigal'/Constantin Marin
Once In Royal David's City - Robin Barter/David Briggs
O Tannenbaum - Vienna Boys Choir/Uwe Christian Harrer
O Little Town Of Bethlehem - The Choir Of King's College, Cambridge/David Willcocks

Tracks:

Stille Nacht - The Bach Choir/David Willcockes
Gloria In Excelsis Deo - Katherine Fuge/Nicola Jenkin/Elinor Carter/Julian Podger
Winter, RV 297: Largo - Alan Loveday
The First Nowell - The Choir Of Kings College, Cambridge/David Willcocks
In Dulci Jubilo - The Bach Choir/David Willcocks
The Three Kings - Gerald Finley
Es Ist Ein Ros Entsprungen - Monteverdi Choir
Still, Still, Still - Ian Bostridge
The Crown Of Roses - The Choir Of Clare College, Cambridge/John Rutter
Christmas Concerto, Op.6 No.8: Largo Pastorale - Academy Of Saint Martin In The Fields/Neville Marriner
The Lamb - Monteverdi Choir/John Eliot Gardiner
Balulalow - Anthony Way/Lucy Wakeford/St Paul's Cathedral Choir/John Scott
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
Mille Cherubini In Coro - Luciano Pavarotti
Vesperae Solennes De Confessore, K.339: Laudate Dominum - Kiri Te Kanawa
The Infant King - The Choir Of King's College, Cambridge/David Willcocks
Lullaby My Jesus - The Choir Of Winchester Cathedral/David Hill
What Child Is This? - Anthony Way/Tom Finucane
The Tales Of Hoffmann: Barcarolle - L'Orchestra De La Suisse Romande/Richard Bonynge
See Amid The Winter's Snow - The Choir Of King's College, Cambridge/David Willcocks
The Blessed Son Of God - The Choir Of Winchester Cathedral/David Hill
It Came Upon The Midnight Clear - Leontyne Price
White Christmas - Kiri Te Kanawa/London Voices

Customer Reviews:

Christmas Adagios.......2007-03-03

This is the BEST Christmas collection that I have ever heard. I would like
to purchase 15 more to give as gifts this year; however, it appears that
Decca is out of stock or no longer releasing it. HELP!!

christmas adagios.......2007-01-14

this was one of the best assortment of classical holiday songs that i have ever heard. it contains a marvelous array of the best composers and performers that the world has to offer. if you are a fan of classical music, i think this cd will be a positive addition to your music collection

Nice Background for the Holidays.......2007-01-11

Beautiful Adagios and a rich selection for the price. Audio travels to Vienna, London, Cambridge etc

One of my very top 5 favorite holiday albums!.......2005-11-19

What a delightful surprise this 2 disc album was and I'm not a big fan of Christmas music. I loved all the selections and felt they were well performed. This is a true "must have" for any Christmas collection. Superior to many other compliations on the market. This one is a keeper! It is the one album I'll pick first to listen to after Thanksgiving.

Wonderful POCOCAT?.......2005-07-16

Great CD. The reviewer who calls him/herself POCOCAT says he/she is an opera singer. Wonder how much work an uninformed singer gets?
A "fast spinning" vibrato,as you describe Ms. Price, is not the same as a wide vibrato. The former is a speed issue, the latter a width issue. Therefore, 4 variables exist: fast, slow, wide, slim. Thus, 4 types of voice exist: fast/wide, fast/slim, slow/wide, and slow/slim. Most often a singer leans toward fast/slim or slow/wide, in varying degrees. A matter of taste, yes, but learn more about the voice before you expound.

Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge

Average customer rating:

Essential Carols: The Very Best of King's College Choir, Cambridge

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

The Baroque Christmas Album
On Christmas Day: New Carols from King's Choir of King's College, Cambridge
A Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols
O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge
Christmas from King's College Choir

ASIN: B000B66PE8
Release Date: 2005-01-01

Tracks:

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
The First Nowell
While Shepherds Watched
I Saw Three Ships
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
King Jesus Has A Garden
In Dulci Jubilo
Unto Us Is Born A Son
O Come , All Ye Faithful
Away In A Manger
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
The Holly And The Ivy
God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen
See Amid The Winter's Snow
Past Three O' Clock
Invitatory
Adam Lay Ybounden
Gabriel's Message

Tracks:

Once In Royal David's City
Sussex Carol
Rocking
Rejoice And Be Merry
The Cherry Tree Carol
The Three Kings
As With Gladness Men Of Old
A Great And Mighty Wonder
The Infant King
Balulalow
The Crown Of Roses
Christ Was Born On Christmas Day
Blessed Be That Maid Mary
Lute-Book Lullaby
Myn Lyking
Personent Hodie
In The Bleak Mid-Winter
Coventry Carol
Shepherds In The Field Abiding
Torches
Fantasia On Christmas Carols

The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College

Average customer rating:

Simply gorgeous
Angelic Music
Top list Christmas CD
Wonderful Christmas CD
traditional, and comfortingly so...

The Holly and the Ivy: Carols from Clare College

Manufacturer: Decca
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Similar Items:

Carols From Clare College
The John Rutter Christmas Album
Christmas Star
Christmas Night: Carols of the Nativity
Cambridge Singers Christmas Album

ASIN: B0000041VV
Release Date: 1990-05-30

Tracks:

King Jesus Hath A Garden
Up! Good Christian Folk, And Listen
Gabriel's Message
Donkey Carol
Wexford Carol
Cradle Song
Child In A Manger
Mary's Lullaby
Ding! Dong! Merrily On High
Quelle est cette odeur agreable?
I Saw A Maiden
In dulci jubilo
In The Bleak Mid-Winter
I Saw Three Ships
The Noble Stem Of Jesse
The Crown Of Roses
Jesus Christ The Apple Tree
Omnis mundus jocundetur
Wassail Song
The Holly And The Ivy

Amazon.com

Initially released in 1979, this album built on the success of the legendary Carols for Choirs volumes in establishing John Rutter's name with the wider public, and it gave a strong hint that he was more than just a talented composer-arranger. As the many subsequent releases on the Collegium label have also shown, Rutter is a deeply sensitive and musical conductor, alive to the color of words, always allowing phrases to breathe naturally. The accomplished Clare College Choir features male and female voices, the latter providing a more rounded alternative to those world-famous neighbors in Cambridge. Included are many of Rutter's own easy-listening carol arrangements ("King Jesus Hath a Garden" and "Wexford Carol," for example), plus others by the likes of Vaughan Williams and David Willcocks, while "Donkey Carol" and "Mary's Lullaby" are quintessential Rutter originals. Only a few numbers can be classed (statistically) as all-time Christmas faves--the likes of "The Holly and the Ivy" and "Ding Dong Merrily on High"--but this needn't deter anyone from snapping up what is the perfect album to accompany Christmas pud mixing (preferably by candlelight, imagining the twilight scene in Ely Cathedral's Lady Chapel, whose glorious acoustic graces the sound). --Andrew Green

Customer Reviews:

Simply gorgeous.......2007-04-10

I bought this album through Columbia mail order, and it instantly became one of my favorite CDs in my collection of over 2000. When it was scratched beyond playability, I immediately re-purchased it. I have almost everything else John Rutter has put out, as well as the Dale Warland singers from the US.
The music is simply ethereal, and the songs are not the overplayed tunes we hear over and over and over.
My two complaints with the album are that some of the tracks are hard to hear because the singing is so quiet and the sound level is uneven between tracks, and some of the tracks have Rutter's cutesy, saccharine arrangements drowning out the singing (Donkey Carol is the protoypical, and one I frequently skip).
However, the album is so beautiful otherwise, with the Wexford Carol, and the nearly inaudible Jesus Christ The Apple Tree, and several other tracks, that I still have to give it a 5 star rating.

Angelic Music.......2007-01-16

Lovely. So classic and ethereal. Perfect with Christmas dinner, or quiet card games by the fire.

Top list Christmas CD.......2006-12-12

The Holly and the Ivy is one of two absolutely must-have Christmas CDs from Clare College. This is a traditional English choir with adult male and female voices, trained in the utmost clarity and sweetness of voice that is rarely found elsewhere in the singing world. Clare College Choir is coupled with a most delightful orchestral score that seamlessly melds voices and orchestra into something surprisingly merry, uplifting, and completely satisfying. There are both familiar and lesser known carols here, and every single one is a joy.

Wonderful Christmas CD.......2006-11-15

Too many people are overwhelmed with the more modern Christmas songs out there today and are unaware of the wonderful music available on CDs like this. John Rutter proves his brilliance in arranging and conducting. The music overwhelms the senses and the joy of Christmas overcomes you as you listen. This is one of the most peaceful Christmas CDs I have ever heard. "Wassail Song" is incredible, and if you are ever in a small vocal ensemble, this song is a must to perform. You will not be disappointed when you purchase this CD.

traditional, and comfortingly so..........2005-08-23

In a world where new is better and change occurs at an ever-increasing rate, it seems logical that seasonal music would be included in the rush toward mass marketing and commercial airplay. It is amazing, but not surprising, that "carols" which extol the virtues of an electrically-illuminated ungulant, or which humourously recall the tragic events surrounding the collision of an elderly woman and another ruminating creature of the forest should be featured so prominently in the playlists of the popular culture.

Tired as I am of such artistic efforts, Rutter's efforts in leading the Clare College Choir and Orchestra on this collection come at the right time and to the right place. This is true and beautiful music of the season: it is performed well and interpreted with Rutter's master's touch. For those of us whose tastes run to the traditional, this is welcome stuff indeed.

Average customer rating:

Important Historical Recordings: the First Great Trombonist!
a great find
a fantastic example
Arthur Pryor Forever
One of the greats

Trombone Soloist of the Sousa Band

Manufacturer: Crystal Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Romantic (c.1820-1910) | Historical Periods | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Oratorios | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Marches | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Herbert L. Clarke: Original Recordings 1907-21
Trombonastics
Cornet Favorites

ASIN: B000009M2N
Release Date: 1997-09-30

Tracks:

Blue Bells Of Scotland
Intermezzo-Forever
We Won't Go Home Until Morning
Stay In Your Own Back Yard
Parisian Melodies
Prince Of Pilsen: Message Of The Violet
Little Nell
Stabat Mater: Cujus Animam
My Old Kentucky Home
The Patriot-Polka
Stabat Mater: Inflammatus
Love's Enchantment
The Holy City
One Sweetly Solemn Thought
Nancy Brown: Congo Love Song
Non E Ver
Love Thoughts Waltz
The Low Back'd Car
Navajo
Sergeant Brue: Dearie
Aida: Celeste Aida
Come Down From The Big Fig Tree
Oh, Dry Those Tears
Pagliacci Selection
Love Me And The World Is Mine
Polka Fantastic

Customer Reviews:

Important Historical Recordings: the First Great Trombonist!.......2004-09-17

This CD is a compilation of only a very few of the literally thousands of recordings Arthur Pryor made as a trombonist during a span of about 20 years. Since they date to the earliest days of recording technology--all of the works here are from 1901-1911--the sound quality is terrible compared to our modern recordings. Although all sorts of manipulations were used to improve the sound, including the combining of two different copies of the same recording, there is still a significant amount of hiss, crackle, and pop--it's more like a bowl of Rice Crispies than a newly recorded CD. If you can think of it like listening to an old Victorola it has a certain amount of charm, but surely some listeners will be immediately put off by the distortion, which admittedly lessens in the later works. Add to this the logistical problems of recording at the turn of the last century--only a limited amount of players could gather around the equipment--and it becomes clear that we aren't really hearing what an audience member at the time would have heard during a live performance of Sousa's Band. In fact, the band comes off quite poorly here--in The Blue Bells of Scotland they can barely keep up with Arthur Pryor, and their ensemble playing is poor in many places to an extent that's hardly credible for what was widely believed to be the best band in the world.

But of course one doesn't buy a CD like this to hear the accompaniment, or to listen to the sound quality. The only reason is to hear Arthur Pryor, surely the first great trombone soloist, in what is a wonderful piece of turn-of-the-century Americana. Pryor was the son of a bandmaster and learned to play all sorts of instruments (violin, cornet, alto horn, string bass, and valve trombone!) at an early age and was given his first slide trombone some time after his 11th birthday. He became a trombone virtuoso in the face of overwhelming difficulties--not only did a kick from a mule result in partial paralysis of his face, but also the trombone he'd been given was damaged and could only use the first two positions. In overcoming these seeming adversities through an astonishing work ethic he developed many of the features which made his performance so special: his characteristic constant shimmery vibrato created by "waving" his jaw; and an amazing embouchure (lip muscle strength) which allowed him to play every chromatic pitch using only those two positions (normal trombone technique employs 7!). Pryor revolutionized trombone technique and set a new standard, not only at home in America, but also abroad during his many European tours with the Sousa band and his own ensemble. One of his trombones, covered in engraving and with the characteristic unusually small bore he favored, can still be seen on display at the Interlochen School of the Arts outside of Traverse City, Michigan.

Featured on the CD are 26 Pryor performances, a few with piano, 10 with the Sousa Band, and 12 with Pryor's own ensembles. The music ranges from Italian opera arias (Verdi's Celeste Aida) to American popular songs of the day (Foster's My Old Kentucky Home) and contains a good portion of Pryor's own compositions and arrangements. Among my favorites are Pryor's The Patriot-Polka and Polka Fantastic, both clever pieces with amazing trombone performances. A real oddity is We Won't Go Home Until Morning (known to me as The Bear Went Over the Mountain) "played in four octaves"--it's exactly what it says it is. After a short piano introduction, Pryor plays the melody unaccompanied and unadorned in a high octave, then an octave lower, another octave lower, and finally in pedal tones. The whole thing has a real carny atmosphere, as if P. T. Barnum were hiding just around the corner. Van Alstyne's Navajo also captures this air of a time long gone, when Americans were wide-eyed and innocent and the world was never far from a Saturday afternoon near the bandstand.

Of special note are the unusually thorough notes in the programme booklet. Daniel E. Frizane supplies terrific biographical notes, from which I gleaned much of the information above; articles about the recordings and the Arthur Pryor performances are supplied, as well as an engineer's note describing the equipment and techniques used to restore the recordings. It's clearly a labor of love from all concerned.

a great find.......2002-11-10

If you're a trombonist, you've heard of that crazy song, Blue Bells of Scotland, and you may have noticed the name of the composer, Arthur Pryor. You may not know that he was a trombonist himself(!) and played in the John Philip Sousa band for many years, and then had his own band afterwards. Pryor was a famous name in the trombone world, and he wrote many pieces featuring a solo trombone; most of them are featured here.

If you want to buy this album to hear fantastic trombone playing so fast it'll blow your socks off or so pretty in a ballad you fall right to sleep, this is not the album for you. It is a recording produced from an OLD master (you may recall the Sousa band was at the turn of the 20th century), and with trombone playing that is not the style thought of as 'pretty' by today's ear. If this describes you, look for some of these same songs (blue bells, thoughts of love, fantasic polka), recorded by some of today's trombone virtuosos - Christian Lindberg, Mark Lawrence, Joe Alessi, etc. to find a more modern sound.

If, however, you want authentic period music, this is about as authentic as you can get. The trombone style is choppy when fast, and not as connected for slow tunes also, and the band accompaniment is the same way; that was the popular style of the time. It is nice to hear these pieces and realize how the composer intended them to be played (because he's the one playing them).

So, good for novelty purposes, bad for high quality recording of highest quality trombone playing

a fantastic example.......2002-07-17

Arthur pryor's trombone playing in this exellent assortment of pieces recorded in the late 1800's gives both beginner and expert players fastastic insight on how to improve their playing. Arthur pryor will undoubtedly go down as one of the world's greatest trombonists of all time....and to actually hear him play is an awesome experience.

Arthur Pryor Forever.......1999-12-17

I play trombone, and I have listened to this album, and I think it's wonderful. The sound is not very good, as it is a VERY VERY VERY old original recording, but it is an absolute must have for any trombonist. What can I say, I love it.

One of the greats.......1999-12-17

This is a must buy for any trombonist. I play trombone, and Arthur Pryor is, in my opinion, the all-time best trombone performer, and song writer that I have yet encountered. I have played the Blue Bells of Scotland, and it is wonderful.

Average customer rating:

Vienna Idol
How sad
Not their style
Perhaps The Greatest Gag Gift Ever!
wow - THAT was something!

Vienna Boys Choir Goes Pop
Vienna Boys Choir
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Rock | Styles | Music

Pop Rock | Pop | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

The Best of the Vienna Boys' Choir (Box Set)
Angelic Voices: The Best of the Vienna Boys' Choir
Christmas With the Vienna Boys Choir
Christmas Angels
Declan

ASIN: B00006I0BI
Release Date: 2002-09-17

Tracks:

My Heart Will Go On
All You Need Is Love
Get Down
Fantasy
The Power Of Goodbye
Nothing Else Matters
Nothing Compares To You
Message In A Bottle
Supreme
Eternal Flame
Burning Down The House
Only Time

Customer Reviews:

Vienna Idol.......2007-02-07

Two Questions: Was this the audition tape for "Vienna Idol?" and What would Simon Cowell's say?

How sad.......2006-04-16

A terrible try to match Libera. Someone said it right: how dare those people use such marvellous voices to create such ugly
thing? Let Libera deal with amazing new age music, let Vienna Boys Choir continue being masters of their domains: classical music.

Not their style.......2006-03-31

I was expecting something a lot better. One can't fault the choir for the recording. The fault lies with the director, arranger, and producer. The instrumental accompaniment over shadowed the boys singing. The arrangements of each song was too similar, and the boys sounded too restrained for this style. Pop is not the musical style of the Vienna Boys Choir. They need to stick what they do best - classical and sacred music.

Perhaps The Greatest Gag Gift Ever!.......2005-12-07

The greatest thing about this CD is that it wasn't meant to be funny! Upon listening to "Burning Down The House", I was seized with a fit of hysterical laughter that nearly broke a rib. And the laughs keep coming. Need a smooth tune for that special gal, try "Fantasy", she will be yours! Need a good jogging tune, "Get Down" should serve your purpose. A CD that will offer hours of entertainment. Guaranteed.

wow - THAT was something!.......2005-10-31

I got this as a gift because my friend saw a holiday cd with Vienna Boys Choir at my house. My advice:listen to the music previews before you buy the cd. It's too freaky for me. Good Luck.

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