Here to Heaven

Track Listings

1. Cry Baby

2. Bada Bing

3. Pressure

4. He Wouldn't Listen to My Dreams

5. Olé Olé

6. Little Mr. Heartbreak

7. You Are My Heart (Tu Eres)

8. Giving Up on You

9. Come With Me

10. Sin Ti (Without You)

11. Olé Olé [Spanish Version]

12. Sin Ti (Without You) [Spanish Version]

13. You Are My Heart (Tu Eres) [Spanish Version]

Here to Heaven,Jamie-Lynn Sigler,Edel America,Pop,Popular Music,R&B

Here to Heaven

Tracks:

Come Away With Me (originally by Norah Jones)
Yellow (originally by Coldplay)
Here With Me (originally by Dido)
Millennium (originally by Robbie Williams)
Hero (originally by Enrique Iglesius)
What Can I Do (originally by The Corrs)
Flying Without Wings (originally by Westlife)
Everybody Hurts (originally by REM)
Every Breath You Take (originally by The Police)
Let It Be (originally by The Beatles)
A Whiter Shade Of Pale (originally by Procol Harum)
Nights In White Satin (originally by The Moody Blues)
Candle In The Wind (originally by Elton John)
Imagine (originally by John Lennon)

Tracks:

Beautiful Day (originally by U2)
Champagne Supernova (originally by Oasis)
Handbags & Gladrags (originally by Stereophonics)
Why Does It Always Rain On Me (originally by Travis)
Livin' On A Prayer (originally by Bon Jovi)
Layla (originally by Derek & The Dominos)
Stairway To Heaven (originally by Led Zeppelin)
Bat Out Of Hell (originally by Meat Loaf)
Run To You (originally by Bryan Adams)
China In Your Hand (originally by T'Pau)
Torn (originally by Natalie Imbruglia)
Bittersweet Symphony (originally by The Verve)
Good Vibrations (originally by The Beach Boys)
Bohemian Rhapsody (originally by Queen)

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Pure & Beautiful.......2005-10-31

If you buy no other classical music, buy this collection. CD 1 (Relax) is perfect for dinner, quiet entertaining or just soft music while you're working. From "Come Away With Me", to "Whiter Shade of Pale" to "Knights in White Satin"... each piece is it's own movement - and moved you will be... Perfect for a romantic evening. CD2 is more robust, but equally entertaining. "Layla", "Livin On A Prayer", Stairway to Heaven", "Run to You" and "Bohemian Rhapsody" - you owe it to yourself to hear these licks performed by the RPO.

Symphonic Rock.......2005-07-25

It really isn't rock, but it is a very pleasant presentation of popular music, rendered in creative ways by a full symphony orchestra. It sounds like the orchestra had a great time making these CD's.

pleasant easy listening.......2005-07-19

It's not extremely interesting music, but nice background, relaxing and pleasant with full orchestra. Not a bad buy at all!

Excellent CD.......2005-03-20

I received this as a present and at first I wasn't sure if I would like it because I don't like some of the original songs, but there's something about hearing the orchestra play that makes me like all of them. Just try it out.

luke.......2004-12-12

well, if you like elevator music then you should get this cd. if not then dont waste your time, its lame. big time lame. just listen to the audio samples im so glad i didn't waste my money on this piece of crap.

Average customer rating:

Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B00062FLI8
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Amazing Grace (American Hymns & Spirituals)

Average customer rating:

Absolutely Amazing!!! ('specially for white folk)
Not Up to Shaw's Usual Standard
A Must CD for Choral Music Lovers
Soul-stirring
Soul-stirring

Amazing Grace (American Hymns & Spirituals)

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Irish Folk Songs
Sea Shanties
Battle Cry of Freedom
The Power & The Majesty: Essential Choral Classics
Gloria: Music of Praise & Inspiration

ASIN: B000003CZ1
Release Date: 1993-09-28

Tracks:

To God Our Strength
Come Away To The Skies
Wondrous Love
God Is Seen
Hark, I Hear The Harps Eternal
Bright Caanan
Amazing Grace
His Voice As The Sound
I Will Arise
Saints Bound For Heaven
Ride On, King Jesus
Poor Mourner
Swing Low, Sweet Chariot
Dere's No Hidin' Place
My God Is a Rock
Sometimes I Feel Like a Moanin' Dove
I Got Shoes
Soon One Mornin'
Same Train
Lord, If I Got My Ticket

Customer Reviews:

Absolutely Amazing!!! ('specially for white folk).......2004-03-27

This is an absolute must!!! I have never heard such passionate singing of spirituals from non-black choirs. Perhaps that is attributed to Shaw's minister roots. As usual, the sonority of Shaw's singers is second to none. This is a fun CD that all can enjoy...not just the choral buffs who know just how good Shaw and his choirs are!!!

Not Up to Shaw's Usual Standard.......2002-03-23

Maybe just personal taste. I don't find the arrangements and vocalizing as interesting and satisfying as "Sea Chanties" and "23 Glee Club Favorites", the latter setting a standard never equaled.

A Must CD for Choral Music Lovers.......2001-01-03

Amazing Grace is a very appropriate title for this recording. For those of you who love Sacred Harp , Southern Harmony and Spirituals, you will revel in the folk traditions of this album. Parker and Shaw arrangements, and sometimes just one or the other are so well done. The singers, of course, do an excellent job of making music under Shaw's direction. "Hark I Hear.." arr. by Parker is becoming a standard for choruses and this album will help you hear why. "If I've got my ticket" by Shaw is a wonderful exchange between solo and chorus. You will be playing this CD over and over once you hear it.

Soul-stirring.......2000-08-10

I have thoroughly enjoyed this CD. The thoughtful and meditative, "What wondrous love is this, O my soul, O my soul" sends the listener awe-struck to the foot of the cross. The triumphant "Ride on King Jesus!" reminds the listener of final victory. I highly recommend this CD to anyone who appreciates musical and cultural heritage or for anyone who appreciates religious music.

Soul-stirring.......2000-08-10

Average customer rating:

The best choir out there
Gorgeous
An Excellent CD
A moving survey of American hymns
a listener from North Kansas CIty

Alleluia: An American Hymnal

Manufacturer: Nimbus Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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O Come Let Us Sing

ASIN: B00000DG26
Release Date: 1998-10-20

Tracks:

Southern Harmony: Hark, I Hear The Harps Eternal (Invitation) - Rebecca Lloyd
Southern Harmony: Come Away To The Skies (Exultation)
Southern Harmony: Precious Lord, Take My Hand (Maitland) - Sandra Brennan
Shaker Songs: I Want To Shake With Indignation - Pamela Williamson
Shaker Songs: I've Set My Face For Zion's Kingdom - Rebecca Lloyd
Shaker Songs: The Precious Way Of God
Shaker Songs: Encouragement
The Sacred Harp: Wondrous Love (Wondrous Love)
The Sacred Harp: Saints Bound For Heaven (Saints Bound For Heaven)
Sunday Morning: Come, Thou Fount Of Every Blessing (Nettleton)
Sunday Morning: Alleluia
Sunday Morning: E'en So, Lord Jesus, Quickly Come
Sunday Morning: All Hail The Power Of Jesus' Name
Sunday Morning: Sing Me To Heaven
Spirituals: I Wanna Be Ready - Paulette Votava Resch
Spirituals: We Will March Thro' The Valley - Jo Anne Taylor
Spirituals: I Want Two Wings
Spirituals: Is There Anybody Here - Barbara Meyer
Spirituals: My God Is A Rock - Todd Berry
Spirituals: Give Me Jesus

Amazon.com

Few recording producers and performers take the time and care to so intelligently exhibit a sampling of the rich and colorful American hymn repertoire. This thoughtful and varied program of hymns, Shaker songs, anthems, and spirituals shows what good things can happen when a top-rank choir and director and an accommodating record company join in such a project. The 20 selections come from a variety of sources, including The Southern Harmony (published in 1834) and The Sacred Harp (published in 1844). The Shaker tunes are from the vast collections at New Lebanon and Pleasant Hill, New York, and Sabbathday Lake, Maine. Four of the six spirituals and several of the hymns are arrangements by Alice Parker; others are arranged by James Mulholland. Among the hymns and spirituals are two American choral classics: Randall Thompson's famous and oft-performed "Alleluia" and Daniel Gawthrop's "Sing Me to Heaven." --David Vernier

Customer Reviews:

The best choir out there.......2004-03-02

The Kansas City Chorale is a SUPERIOR vocal group. I am impressed by its large and wholesome sound that is produced by such a small group. The Alleluia CD is beautiful and also very diverse. "Sing me to Heaven" is gorgeous. The harmonies are beautiful on the page, but are even more beautiful when sung by this ensemble. "Alleluia" is also wonderful, and I was impressed by their interpretation of the many shaker songs and spirituals. This cd is a MUST HAVE for any choral singer or enthusiast.

Gorgeous.......2003-03-24

My choir sang "Alleluia", and used this recording to learn the dynamics. A brilliant performance of that piece. The others are, too, excellent. Good balance, dynamic, and overall sound. But the "Alleluia" really stood out for me.

An Excellent CD.......2002-01-23

My pastor bought me this CD and I wasn't sure I'd really like it. Chorale music? You must be joking. But I popped it into my CD player at home and was immediately astonished at what I heard. The Kansas City Chorale have done an outstanding job of singing hymns of various types, most without musical accompaniment. Track 7 ("Encouragement") is my absolute favorite song on this CD. It is so beautiful to hear, especially when I crank it on my big stereo or over my headphones.

Bottom line: if you like chorale music, religious music, or even classical music, you will really enjoy this CD. The quality of the recording is very good.

A moving survey of American hymns.......2002-01-02

This is an excellent, deeply musical performance of a wide variety of hymns, Shaker tunes, and spirituals. The choices provide variety and a thumbnail sketch of a time in America when hymn-singing was a part of every week's activities. I agree with another reviewer that "Precious Lord" is a highlight. Also noteworthy is "Give Me Jesus" at the end. Both the singing and acoustics of the recording are top notch. I have already played this CD many times since receiving it two days ago. I'm ordering copies for friends! Among my many choral CDs, this one stands out as a favorite.

a listener from North Kansas CIty.......2001-06-27

What a excellent CD! I got this for Christmas after going to a couple of their concerts and it sounds just as good as it did live. If you like chorale music then this is the cd for you. I personally know a man that sings in this group and is very talented singer along with the rest!

Average customer rating:

a voice teacher and early music fan
Dan Schutte's Here I Am, Lord
Dan Schutte's Here I Am, Lord
God is an Englishman

English Hymn 1

Manufacturer: Hyperion UK
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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A Vaughan Williams Hymnal

ASIN: B000038I68
Release Date: 1999-12-14

Tracks:

Christ Triumpant, Ever Reigning (Guiting Power)
How Shall I Sing That Majesty [Coe Fen]
Like a Mighty River Flowing (Old Yeavering)
Father, Hear the Prayer We Offer (Cypress Court)
I Vow to Thee, My Country (Thaxted)
We Sing the Praise of Him Who Died (Bow Brickhill)
I, Lord of Sea and Sky (Here I Am, Lord)
All My Hope on God If Founded (Michael)
Give Me the Wings of Faith (San Rocco)
Lord Jesus Christ (Living Lord)
For All the Saints (Sine Nomine)
My Song Is Love Unknown (Love Unknown)
Praise the Lord of Heaven (Vicars' Close)
Glorious Things of Thee Are Spoken (Abbot's Leigh)
Come Down, O Love Divine (Down Ampney)
Hark What a Sound, and Too Divine for Hearing (Highwood)
King of Glory, King of Peace (Redland)
Holy Spirti, Ever Dwelling [Salisbury]
For the Fruit of His Creation [East Acklam]
Lead, Kindly Light (Alberta)
Lord, for the Years Your Love Has Kept and Guided (Lord of the Years)
Thy Hand, O God, Has Guided (Thorbury)

Customer Reviews:

a voice teacher and early music fan.......2007-02-05

This is a really good representation of 20th century hymn tunes sung by a typical British Choir made up of boy sopranos, male altos and the usual number of tenors and basses. The choir sings very well using good diction and appropriate interpretation. The arrangements are varied, different groups of voices singing parts of a hymn usually alternating and eventually the full choir joins in; nothing unusual in the arrangements themselves. There is a nice variety of hymns, some more interesting than others. I will comment on a few of them as follows:
The opening hymn:'Christ, triumphant, ever reigning' is a good opener in that it is quick and begins with the boy sopranos and immediately gets your attention. John Barnard's majestic 'Guiting Power' tune sweeps the words up in a wide-ranging,flowing melody that creates from them a fine hymn.
'I, the Lord of sea and sky(Here I am, Lord) is a truly striking hymn! The words of this song begin with a proclamation in the verses; this is answered in the refrain by the singer's commitment to service. This is reflected in the tune. The melody for the verses has a vigorous movement to proclaim the work of God in creation, His continuing love for that creation,and His call for service. Both the words and music are by the American Jesuit musician Daniel L. Schutte, who has served both on college campuses and in parish ministry.
'All My Hope On God Is Founded' the tune of which is written by Herbert Howells and is called 'Michael'in memory of his son who died in childhood. It is a lovely melody and the words suit it very well.
The composer Ralph Vaughan Williams was the music editor of the 'English Hymnal'. The most widely used of his own tunes was the 'Monk's Gate' which he created from a folk tune. It is subtly contrived, as the rhythm of the alleluias shows. 'Sine nomine' simply means without a name.The resulting hymn is 'For All the Saints'.

The Wells Cathedral Choir under the direction of Malcolm Archer accompanied by Rupert Gough on the organ have produced an excellent disc.

Dan Schutte's Here I Am, Lord.......2001-01-08

I bought this collection because I saw the song, Here I Am, Lord written by Daniel Schutte. I grew up singing this song and many other pieces from the St. Louis Jesuits and this continues to be one that has deep meaning for me. In addition, the other pieces in this collection are very enjoyable to listen to, not only for worship but for time of reflection.

Dan Schutte's Here I Am, Lord.......2001-01-08

God is an Englishman.......2000-06-05

After the Anglican Communion, particularly the American branch, has completed its transformation from a church to a political-social club, at least it will be remembered for two things: the beautiful and influential language of its Book of Common Prayer (1662) and its wonderful music. The English Hymn, volume 1, is a promising start to another English music series by Hyperion. This series complements Hyperion's English Anthems series, its Psalms at St. Paul's (many volumes of Anglican chant), and its two-CD collection of "Mags and Nuncs" (My Soul Doth Magnify the Lord and My Spirit Hath Rejoiced). Volume 1, "Christ Triumphant," features hymns written in the 20th century. The styles of the hymns range from confident, pre-Great War, "God is an Englishman" roof-raisers to insipid, happy-clappy jingles, which inadvertently, I assume, parallel the decline of the church. The Wells Cathedral Choir sings with gusto and, typical of Hyperion, the sound quality is excellent. My only disappointment came when the CD ended - is this all there is to the 20th century? I hope Hyperion plans to include more than one volume on the 20th century in this series. If you enjoy this type of music, you will be satisfied with this CD. If you have CDs from the other series listed above, the English Hymn, vol. 1, and a programmable, carousel-CD player, now you can click your heels and transport yourself to Evensong at King's College, Cambridge, or St. Paul's, London!

Average customer rating:

better than expected
Perfect for people who like the pixies and string quartets

The String Quartet Tribute to Pixies

Manufacturer: Vitamin Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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ASIN: B0002Y4TRY
Release Date: 2004-10-05

Tracks:

Monkey Gone To Heaven
Where Is My Mind?
Gigantic
Cactus
Debaser
Here Comes Your Man
Wave Of Mutilation
Bird Dream Of The Olympus Mons
Caribou
Velouria
Gouge Away
Burned For Good

Product Description

1. Monkey Gone To Heaven
2. Where Is My Mind
3. Gigantic
4. Cactus
5. Debaser
6. Here Comes Your Man
7. Wave Of Mutilation
8. Bird Dream Of The Olympus Mons
9. Caribou
10. Velouria

Format: CD

Customer Reviews:

better than expected .......2005-02-20

Before this album, I had never bought a String Quartet tribute album and tended to overlook them as I normally do with tribute albums. I had been familiar with them through their full album tribute of Radiohead's OK Computer which I've heard and was very impressed by. However I still never bought anything by them as from observation they seemed to pay tribute to both some of the best artists in this generation (The Smiths, The Cure, Radiohead, Sonic Youth, and Elliott Smith for example), yet also some of the worst (Simple Plan, Godsmack, P.O.D., Linkin Park, etc. etc. etc.) and that made me feel less able to judge them as a whole.

However when I saw this album in a store how the Pixies being my favorite band, I bought it without giving it a second's thought and I listened to it immeditely when I got home. After my initial listen I found the album to be very interesting and enjoyable. The songs they selected (mostly from Surfer Rosa and Doolittle) are for the majority all are the best known Pixies songs that you'd find on either on of the best of compilations or hear at one of the reunion shows. The only expection to that is the presence of "Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons" from Trompe le Monde which will stick out jarringly in the track listing to any non casual listener of the Pixies. However, it transforms very well into a classical piece and I would include it along with "Debaser", "Where is My Mind?", and "Velouria" as the best covers on the album.

On the opposite, this album does have it's share of negatives, and it's unfortunate that most of them are from sloppy errors not within the music, but on the packaging. First off the track listing displayed on the back cover and 2 times in the booklet is wrong. I assume this has to do with a last minute change to the track listing after the packaging has been printed. Whatever the case may be (being too cheap to reprint it?), this error is very unprofessional. Also on the back cover the album description states "as virtuous string players cut to the edgy essence of 'Bone Machine'" when Bone Machine isn't even on the album. Besides those frusturating unforgivable errors, my only complaint musically is that the original track by the quartet on this album "Burned for Good" while good in it's own right simply doesn't fit in here and lessens the feeling of the album as a whole. These "original compositions" appear to be on every quartet release, so I guess it's just something that the band enjoys to do regardless of the result. Another semi-complaint is that there isn't more songs from albums besides Surfer Rosa and Doolittle or songs that are lesser known but favorites of devoted fans. "Levitate Me" would have been great in my opinion in this classical form. As well as "Is She Weird?", "No. 13 Baby", and "Into the White". So in summary I say that no matter if you're a new or casual Pixies fan whom the Wave of Mutilation compilation was your first Pixies release, or a hardcore Pixies fan and you don't completely hate classical music, I think you will enjoy this album.

Here's the correct track listing...
1. Here Comes Your Man [Doolittle]
2. Gigantic [Surfer Rosa]
3. Caribou [Come on Pilgrim]
4. Debaser [Doolittle]
5. Cactus [Surfer Rosa]
6. Velouria [Bossanova]
7. Gouge Away [Doolittle]
8. Bird Dream of the Olympus Mons [Trompe le Monde]
9. Wave of Mutilation [Doolittle]
10. Monkey Gone to Heaven [Doolittle]
11. Where is my Mind? [Surfer Rosa]
12. Burned for Good (original composition)

Perfect for people who like the pixies and string quartets.......2005-01-25

I heard this on KCRW the other day - it was the arrangement for 'Here comes you man' and it was great fun. This album has lots of swell possibilities.

Average customer rating:

I waited for this for five years
Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE!
ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS
SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!
A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans

Andrew Lloyd Webber: Now & Forever
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Sunset Boulevard (1993 Original London Cast)

ASIN: B00005R5UJ
Release Date: 2001-11-20

Tracks:

Jesus Christ Superstar: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Jesus Christ Superstar: Everything's Alright - Yvonne Elliman/Murray Head/Ian Gilllan
Jesus Christ Superstar: I Don't Know How To Love Him - Yvonne Elliman
Jesus Christ Superstar: Gethsemane (I Only Want To Say) - Steve Balsamo
Jesus Christ Superstar: Superstar - Murray Head
Evita: Oh What A Circus/Sing You Fools - Antonio Banderas
Evita: I'd Be Surprisingly Good For You - Elaine Paige/Joss Ackland
Evita: Another Suitcase In Another Hall - Barbara Dickson
Evita: Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
Evita: High Flying, Adored - Mandy Patinkin/Patti LuPone
Cats: The Jellicle Ball - Andrew Lloyd Weber
Cats: Memory - Elaine Paige
Cats: Gus: The Theatre Cat - Susan Jane Tanner/John Mills
Cats: Mr Mistoffelees - Paul Nicholas
Song And Dance: Take That Look Off Your Face - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Tell Me On A Sunday - Marti Webb
Song And Dance: Unexpected Song - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Nothing Like You've Ever Known - Sarah Brightman
Song And Dance: Introduction - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Song And Dance: Variations 1 -4 - Andrew Lloyd Webber

Tracks:

Starlight Express: Starlight Express - El Debarge
Starlight Express: Crazy - Greg Ellis/Reva Rice/Caron Cardelle/Samantha Lane/Voyd
Starlight Express: Next Time You Fall In Love - Reva Rice/Greg Ellis
Starlight Express: I Am The Starlight - Lon Satton/Ray Shell
Starlight Express: Light At The End Of The Tunnel - The Company
Requiem: Hosanna - Placido Domingo
Requiem: Pie jesu - Sarah Brightman/Paul Miles-Kingston
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Phantom Of The Opera - Michael Crawford/Sarah Brightman
The Phantom Of The Opera: The Music Of The Night - Michael Crawford
The Phantom Of The Opera: All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Steve Barton
The Phantom Of The Opera: Entr'acte - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Phantom Of The Opera: Masquerade - The Company
The Phantom Of The Opera: Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Aspects Of Aspects - Orchester Der Vereinigten Buehnen Wien
Aspects Of Love: Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Aspects Of Love: Seeing Is Believing - Michael Ball/Ann Crumb
Aspects Of Love: The First Man You Remember - Kevin Colson/Diana Morrison
Aspects Of Love: Anything But Lonely - Sarah Brightman
Aspects Of Love: Chanson D'Enfance - Sarah Brightman

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Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Any Dream Will Do - Jason Donovan
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Joseph's Coat - Maria Friedman/Richard Attenborough/Donny Osmond
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: Close Every Door - Donny Osmond
By Jeeves: Travel Hopefully - John Scherer/Martin Jarvis/Don Stephenson
By Jeeves: When Love Arrives - Steven Pacey/Diana Morrison
By Jeeves: Half A Moment - Sarah Brightman
Sunset Boulevard: With One Look - Glenn Close
Sunset Boulevard: New Ways To Dream - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: The Perfect Year - Glenn Close/Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: Sunser Boulevard - Alan Campbell
Sunset Boulevard: As If We Never Said Goodbye - Glenn Close
Whistle Down The Wind: Whistle Down The Wind - James Graeme/Lottie Mayor
Whistle Down The Wind: Cold - Everly Brothers
Whistle Down The Wind: No Matter What - Children/Adult Chorus
Whistle Down The Wind: The Nature Of The Beast - Marcus Lovett/Lottie Mayor
The Beautiful Game: Overture - Andrew Lloyd Webber
The Beautiful Game: The Beautiful Game - The Company
The Beautiful Game: Our Kind Of Love - Hannah Waddingham
The Beautiful Game: Dont Like You - Josie Walker/David Shannon
The Beautiful Game: Let Us Love In Peace - Josie Walker/Omagh Youth Community Choir

Tracks:

Oh What A Circus - David Essex
Memory - Betty Buckley
The Phantom Of The Opera - Sarah Brightman/Steve Harley
All I Ask Of You - Sarah Brightman/Cliff Richard
Love Changes Everything - Michael Ball
Any Dream Will Do - Donny Osmond
Amigos Para Siempre (Friends For Life) - Sarah Brightman/Jose Carreras
As If We Never Said Goodbye - Barbra Streisand
The Perfect Year - Dina Carroll
With One Look - Petula Clark
You Must Love Me - Madonna
The Heart Is Slow To Learn - Kiri Te Kanawa
A Kiss Is A Terrible Thing To Waste - The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra
Whistle Down The Wind - Tina Arena
No Matter What - Boyzone
The Vaults Of Heaven - Tom Jones
Try Not To Be Afraid - Boy George
Pie Jesu - Charlotte Church

Tracks:

Make Believe Love - Wes Sands
Down Thru' Summer - Ross Hannaman
I'll Give All My Love To Southend - Ross Hannaman
Believe Me I Will - Sacha Distel
Joseph And The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat (1969 Radio Luxembourg Commercial) - Joseph Consortium/Pete Murray
Try It And See - Rita Pavone
Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You - Time Rice And The Webber Group
Goodbye Seattle - Paul Raven
John 19:41 - The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra
What A Line To Go Out On - Yvonne Elliman
Disillusion Me - Gary Band
The Ballad Of Robert And Peter - Tim Rice
Christmas Dream - Maynard Williams
It's Only Your Lover Returning/All Through My Crazy And Wild Days/Don't Cry For Me Argentina - Julie Covington
It's Easy For You (1977 Jungle Room Session Version) - Elvis Presley
Magdalena - Tony Christie
Buenos Aires - The Roja Rockers
Pollicle Dogs And Jellicle Cats - Andrew Lloyd Webber
Mungojerrie And Rumpleteazer (Live At The Sydmonton Festival 1980) - Gemma Craven
I Could Have Given You More - Petula Clark
I've Been In Love Too Long - Marti Webb
Benedicite - The Stephen Hill Singers

Album Description

Disc 1: Selections from Jesus Christ Superstar, Evita, Cats, and Song and Dance

Disc 2: Selections from Starlight Express, Requiem, Phantom of the Opera, and Aspects of Love

Disc 3: Selections from Joseph nad the Amaziong Technicolor Dreamcoat, By Jeeves, Sunset Boulevard, Whistle Down the Wind, and The Beautiful Game

CD 4: 1. "Oh What a Circus" --David Essex 2. "Memory" - Betty Buckleey 3. "The Phantom of the Opera" -Sarah Brightman, Steve Harley 4. "All I Ask of You" --Sarah Brightman, Cliff Richard 5. "Love Changes Everything"--Michael Ball 6. "Any Dream Will Do"--Donny Osmond 7. "Amigos Para Siempre (Friends for Life)"--Sarah Brightman, Jose Caerras 8. "As if We Never Said Goodbye"--Barbra Streisand 9. "The Perfect Year"--Dina Carroll 10. "With One Look" --Petula Clark 11. "You Must Love Me" 12. "The Heart Is Slow To Learn" --Kiri Te Kanawa 13. "Whistle Down the Wind"--Tina Arena 14. "A Kiss Is a Terrible Thing To Waste"--The Metal Philharmonic 15. "No Matter What"--Boyzone 16. "The Vaults of Heaven"--Tom Jones and Sounds of Blackness 17. "Try Not To Be Afraid"--Boy George 18. "Pie Jesu"--Charlotte Church

Disc 5: (All tracks available for the first time) 1. "Make Believe Love"--Wes Sands 2. "Down Thru' Summer"--Ross Hannaman 3. "I'll Give All My Love to Southend"--Ross Hannaman 4. "Believe Me I Will"--Sacha Distel 5. "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat: 1969 Luxembourg Radio Commercial--The Jospeh Consortium, Pete Murray 6. "Try It and See"--Rita Pavone 7. "Come Back Richard Your Country Needs You"--Tim Rice and the Webber Group 8. "Goodbye Seattle"-- Paul Raven 9. "John 19:41"--The Andrew Lloyd Webber Orchestra 10. "What a Line To Go Out On"--Yvonne Elliman 11. "Disillusion Me" --Gary Bond 12. "The Ballad of Robert and Peter"--Tim Rice 13. "Christmas Dream" --Maynard Williams 14. "It's Only Your Lover Returning/All through My Wild and Crazy Days/Don't Cry for Me Argentina--Julie Covington 15. "It's Easy for You" (1977 Jungle Room Session version)--Elvis Presley 16. "Magdalena"--Tony Christie 17. "Buenos Aires"--The Rioja Rockers 18. "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats"--Andrew Lloyd Webber original demo 19. "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" (Live at Sydmonton Festival 1980)-Gemma Craven 20. "I Could Have Given You More"--Petula Clark 21. "I've Been in Love Too Long"--Marti Webb 22. "Benedicte"-- Stephen Hill Singers

Customer Reviews:

I waited for this for five years.......2006-06-30

Between Amazone, Ebay and Napster, I don't usually buy CDs anymore, and I usually wait till I can buy them cheaper "new and used". When this set came out, I was excited, mainly by Disc 5, but wasn't going to spend $70 on it. I waited till it was cheap enough, and got it for Father's day this year.
It was worth the wait.

The concept is great. The packaging is great. The recording is great. Disc five is really cool for an ALW aficionado. There are a few real gems on it; my favorites are Petula Clark's "I Could Have Given You More" and "Benedicite."
I've always thought "Gus the Theatre Cat" made a great medley on the piano with "Unexpected Song" and "I DOn't Know How to Love Him," but wished there was an alternate lyric to match the other two songs. Now that I know there *is*, and it's a good lyric, it's a dream come true.
The melody of "Benedicite" is one of my favorites from _Sunset_ (the book mis-identifies it as "SUrrender"; it's actually "The Lady's Paying" and "Eternal Youth is Worth a Little Suffering"). The lyrics are the canticle from Daniel 3, which comes up every odd Sunday in the Divine Office, so it's nice to have cool music to sing it with.

I haven't bought _By Jeeves_ or _THe Beautiful Game_ yet, to it was great to sample them.

There are other parts of the CD taht aren't found in my collection. I like CD 4 "The Hits."

But the selections on CDs 1-3 don't make sense.

First, any self-respecting ALW fan has the Original London Cast of _Phantom_, so six tracks are totally useless. Why not draw from the Canadian cast with Colm Wilkinson? Or pull out some obscure recordings never published.

Why two different tracks with Michael Ball singing "Love Changes Everything", yet they're hardly any different?

On Disc 5 is "It's Only Your Lover Returning," sung by Julie Covington. It's an early draft of the song (Lloyd Webber and Rice went through several suggested titles) and quite nice. The very thing one expects on a Boxed Set.
So why have the Julie Covington "Don't Cry for Me" on disc 1?? The only difference is a few words, but it's otherwise identical. Why not Elaine Paige or Patti Lupone or Madonna?

The _Evita_ section is otherwise the best, choosing a sample from each major recording, though I'd have chosen slightly differently (as above).

There is a great selection of "Mungojerrie and Rumpleteazer" from the Sydmonton festival, using the original music that was changed when _Cats_ went to Broadway_. It would have been nice if they'd included more recordings from Sydmonton, like the original lyric of "All I Ask of You" shown on the second DVD to the _Phantom_ movie.

With so many great actress-singers who've played Norma Desmond, why does the collection beat us over the head with Glenn Close?

Paul Miles Kingston must be set for life in royalties, for the number of albums the original recording of "Pie Jesu" has appeared on. "Amigos Para Siempre" is nice, but it reminds me of Shari Lewis's "The Song that Doesn't End," especially when it's been used on so many compilations.

In short, this is a great collection for the obscure material, if you can get it cheap. But for a boxed set, it's a poor sampling, drawn mostly from the most familiar recordings.

Excellent collection but BIG PUBLISHING MISTAKE! .......2006-01-10

Please beware they made a mistake on this. It's actually the shortened Ray Shell version of STARLIGHT EXPRESS from the original 1984 London cast - NOT the El Debarge single from 1987 like it says on the box. I don't know how they let that goof pass. Sorry to Ray Shell. Having said that, this is an outstanding compilation of Lloyd Webber's greatest hits.

ONE OF LLOYD WEBBER'S BEST COMPILATIONS, DESPITE A FEW FLAWS.......2005-03-21

Regardless of the fact that some of his latest efforts (most notably, The Woman in White) are disappointing, there can be little doubt that Andrew Lloyd Webber is one of the greatest composers ever to work in the musical theatre. Ever since his "Jesus Christ Superstar" hit the stage in the early 70-is, it was clear that the conception and perception of musicals are never going to be the same again. Many of his songs became standards not only in the theatre history, but also as tops on the charts. Even though he's British, his influence on the shape of the modern musical theatre expanded over the West End boundaries long ago and has thus made an enormous impact on Broadway. Two of his shows ("Cats" and "The phantom of the opera") hold the record as two the longest running shows in the history of Broadway. He has also been the only composer to have three of his shows running at Broadway concurrently. Some of his awards include three Grammies, a Golden Globe, an Oscar and a bunch of Tony awards. But perhaps most of all, Lloyd Webber is responsible for bringing the musicals and the theatre appealing to the wide audiences, who in different circumstances would not consider seeing a musical. The secret of his success is probably the mixture of beautiful and catchy melodies, interesting subject matter (though some, like Starlight Express, are too thin) and grandiose staging.

Over the years many compilations of his work have emerged. In the late 80-is and early 90-is it was the "Encore" series and lately the one-disc collection called "Gold". The one in question here can be considered one of the best currently on the market. First, it includes a 3-disc selections from all of his shows, minus the latest one, i.e., "The Woman in White", which, considering the triviality of the score, is no great lost. The fourth disc covers some of his most known songs sung by the famous artists. Then, there is the fifth disc with previously unreleased material, most of which are the songs ALW wrote with Tim Rice for various artists during the 70-is. The disks are all neatly packed in a hardcover book that features 67 pages of pictures and text with information about each of ALW's shows. One of the other assets here is the perfect sound quality, since all of the tracks have been digitally remastered.

Here are my basic impressions and comments regarding the material on the discs:

* Disc #1 has the selections from "Jesus Christ Superstar", "Evita", "Cats" and "Song & Dance". The Superstar material mostly comes from the Concept Recording. Although the songs sound beautiful as always, their orchestration is a bit dated now. Only Steve Balsamo's "Gethsemane" from the 1996 revival cast has a modern rock sound. "Evita" comes with the material from all of the major recordings: London, Broadway and the movie productions, as well as the Concept album. No objections here; since this is one of ALW's most satisfying works, every song is just perfect, although Patti LuPone, the Broadway and overall the best Evita, is left with only a couple of lines. With the selections from "Cats", however, I have some doubts. A plus to the choice of the "Jellicle ball" impressive orchestral sequence from the 1998 movie version and "Mister Mistoffelees" from the 1981 London cast. One of the best known ALW's songs, "Memory", also comes from that album. It's a pretty version and Elaine Paige's rendition cannot be matched, but why include this when the definite version, featuring an 80-piece orchestra and Elaine Paige with much better interpretation, can be found in the same movie version. Thusly, one has to buy Elaine Paige's latest 2-disc compilation "Centre Stage: The very best of Elaine Paige" to get that one. And "Gus the theatre cat" is more a recital than a song, so there was not much point in including that. Marti Webb brings her vocal charm to the "Song & Dance" sequence, Sarah Brightman sings "Unexpected song" with her famous soprano, but as much as I like her version, Bernadette Peters, who was in this show on Broadway is strangely left out here.

* Disc # 2 starts with "Starlight Express". This was never one of my favorite ALW's shows; the plot is even lighter than in "Cats" and the 1984 original cast recording is terribly dated. Yet, here we have one terrific duet, "I am starlight" from the original together with three songs from the later revivals and it seems that fresh orchestrations were just the thing Starlight needed. My favorite remains a touchy ballad, "Next time you fall in love". "Requiem" is the most solemn of all ALW's compositions, written in 1985 to commemorate the death of his father. Placido Domingo's tenor rides together with the chorus all the way through the strong "Hosanna", only to be joined by Sarah Brightman in the final moments of this song. She then gives an echoing deliverance of "Pie Jesu". What can be said of ALW's next show, "The Phantom of the Opera"? A phenomenon in its own right, it's easy to see from the six numbers included here why this is one of the best and most beloved musicals of all time. The cast, the music, the story - everything is perfect. Although "Aspects of love" was never a popular hit, it does have some of the most beautiful love melodies ALW has ever written. "Love changes everything" sung by Michael Ball is probably one of the best tunes ever about love. The rest of the selected material here has a dreamy love flavor and the melodies find their way into your brain in the best Lloyd Webber way.

* ALW's first musical, "Joseph and the amazing Technicolor dreamcoat" was more successful in its revival form than the original from the 70-is. The three songs included here are sung by the show stars, Jason Donovan and Donny Osmond. Maria Friedman was not a lucky choice to play the narrator, as the track from the 1998 movie version shows. "By Jeeves" was ALW's only big flop when it came to the stage in the 70-is. The 1995 revival sounds much better though, full of funny numbers in the best manner of the musical comedy. "Travel hopefully" remains one of the show's highlights on this compilation. "Sunset Boulevard" comes next. "Sunset" remains for me one of Webber's best scores; lush and beautiful. I listen to the original cast recording with Patti LuPone all the time. However, here most of the songs are performed by Glenn Close. A big mistake. If you've ever listened the American premiere recording with her, you'll know what I am talking about. She may have a strong stage presence, but her vocal abilities are too limited, and her aggressive approach to the role lacks any subtlety. Therefore, the two big numbers from this show, "With one look" and "As if we never said goodbye" are ruined by the fact she can't sing. The same goes for the American Joe Gillis, who was played by Alan Campbell. Luckily, Patti LuPone and Kevin Anderson, the original Norma and Joe from the London production, make their brief entrance here with the "Perfect year"; enough to show how better they are. The funny thing is, on the jacket and inside of it, Glenn Close and Alan Campbell are credited as performers in this song as well. If this was a mistake on ALW's part, it was a good one. The next ALW's show, "Whistle down the wind" was never a critic's dear and yet the audiences rushed in to see it in London. The score brings back ALW to his rock and roll roots of the seventies and the story is quite interesting. But the selections here are not the happiest, since the cast recording boasts with much better songs. And finally, "The Beautiful Game". Again, we have one of those ALW's shows that is worth in its individual parts rather than as a whole. "Our kind of love" and "Let us love in peace" are two catchy ballads. The latter is a nice amalgam version not available elsewhere. The two other tracks here I could live without.

* Disc # 4 has the songs from all the above shows performed by different artists. The assembled tracks have their pros and cons. For example, we have some previously unreleased stuff, like Dame Kiri Te Kanawa's operettic rendition of "The heart is slow to learn", or a stunning and epic "A kiss is a terrible thing to waste" from "Whistle down the wind", performed by The Metal Philharmonic Orchestra. Then again, what was the point in including almost identical tracks as the ones on the previous disks? So we have Michael Ball again singing "Love changes everything" with only a bit different orchestration; Sarah Brightman comes out again with the same Phantom duets, but only with the different male singers. It would be much more appropriate to include tracks from the Toronto Cast of the Phantom, with Colm Wilkinson. Other pop deliverances (Tina Arena's "Whistle down the wind", Barbra Streisand's "As if we never said goodbye", Boyzone's "No matter what" and many more) were wisely chosen. Patti LuPone is again nowhere to be found and Petula Clark's "With one look" sounds too worn-out.

* The last disc is probably the one that will be of most interest to Lloyd Webber aficionados. It consists of entirely previously unreleased material ALW for the most part wrote for various artists during his early years, with Tim Rice. Some of these tunes, not successful as a singles, were later used in his shows. Thus "Down thru' summer" became "Buenos Aires"in Evita, "Try it and see", an unsuccessful attempt for the Eurovision was used for "King Herod's song" in "Superstar" and so on. Some of these songs are nicely made pop songs: "Make believe love", ALW's first recorded composition, for which he provided the lyrics; "Goodbye Seattle", sung by Paul Raven, who later became Gary Glitter; "Come back Richard, your country needs you", from a never made musical, sung here by Tim Rice, or Latin flavored "Magdalena", with Tony Christie singing. My all time favorite here is a song called "It's easy for you", sung by none other than Elvis Presley himself. Lloyd Webber and Rice sent him a demo recording that he accepted and recorded this live version a couple of weeks before he died. It's amazing to hear how his voice remained in the perfect shape. Also, there is a track of Andrew Lloyd Webber singing "Policle dogs and Jellicle cats" while plying the piano. His voice doesn't sound bad at all.

Taken as a whole, this compilation makes a perfect birthday or Christmas present to any fan of Andrew Lloyd Webber shows, or just anybody interested in some of the best tunes from the modern era of the musical theatre; despite the flaws I mentioned above. To the former, it may just be the final addition for the Andrew Lloyd Webber collection.

SUCH MAGICAL MUSIC OF THE NIGHT!.......2003-01-19

"Evita." "Sunset Blvd." "Starlight Express." "Jesus Christ Superstar." "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat." "Requiem." "Aspects of Love." The man who is the most recognized composer in the history of the musical theatre, the man who has won more Tonys than any other composer, the man who boasts the best-selling show of all time ("The Phantom of the
Opera") and the longest-running show of all time ("Cats"), the man whose homes are filled with three Grammys, five Oliviers, a Golden Globe, and Oscar and too many other honors and hosannas to mention, the man knighted in 1992 certainly doesn't need an introduction. Now Decca Broadway pays tribute to Sir Andrew Lloyd Webber with "Now and Forever," a spectacular 5-CD set compiled and produced by Sir Andy himself. It's cheaper than a
ticket to "The Producers" ... and more much exciting. This treasure trove contains highlights from all of Webber's shows, and a bonus disc of tunes sung by Betty Buckley, Barbara
Streisand, Jose Carreras, Boy George, Charlotte Church, Madonna, Tom Jones, Petula Clark, even Elvis! A must for lovers of theatre---and good music.

A Must Have for Sir Andrew fans.......2002-05-21

This five-CD collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber's career is fantastic. It leaves virtually no stone unturned. I have no doubt that diehard Webber fans will love this, especially for the 5th disc entitled "From the Vaults." This disc alone is worth the price as it contains tunes never before heard by the typical fan. Who knew Elvis did a Lloyd Webber tune?!? I didn't! Also the tune "Benedictine" which the composer wrote for his most recent marriage is not only pretty, but it has the same medley as "The Lady's Paying" from "Sunset Blvd." which I found highly enjoyable. Another great track is the composer himself singing a cut song from "Cats" entitled "Pollicle Dogs and Jellicle Cats" which has the same tune as "Jellicle Songs for Jellicle Cats," but to hear Sir Andrew sing is a blast...he sounds a lot like Al "Year of the Cat" Stewart.
The cuts from the musicals are great but are likely owned by ALW fans as they are on the original cast albums. And I'm glad that there were tunes included from the composers most recent efforts which have yet to make it beyond London (Whistle Down the Wind, Beautiful Game).
My only complaint is the inclusion of way too many tracks by Sarah Brightman. She must've received a great divorce settlement that included having tunes on any ALW collection until the end of time!! Her interpretations of some of the tunes were limp and uninspired. I would've much rather heard casts from around the world rather than yet another song by this disdainful soprano! How about Colm Wilkinson's version of "Music of the Night" from the original Canadian cast of "Phantom"? Or Michael Crawford's version of "Unexpected Song"? What? No Betty Buckley from "Sunset Blvd."? And of course there are songs you KNOW are going to be on the collection before you even listen to it as they have been on EVERY ALW collection for the past decade or so.
A great collection but too much Sarah Brightman!

Average customer rating:

Perfect introduction to the carillon...

Hymns and Classics

Manufacturer: Gothic Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

Carillon Bells of Britain
Church Bells of England
Praise to the Lord - Hymns From St. Paul's Cathedral

ASIN: B000003J8N
Release Date: 1994-09-19

Customer Reviews:

Perfect introduction to the carillon..........1998-10-30

James Lawson plays the carillon at the Crystal Cathedral, a unique instrument because of its major-third overtones as opposed to the typical minor-third overtones of a carillon. The Cathedral Carillon has a particularly rich sound, which Lawson harnesses with a flair in his arrangements of hymns tunes and recognizable classics. The carillon has long been known as the most democratic of instruments, and Lawson plays it as it should be heard--with music people know and love.

Tracks:

Any Dream Will Do
Close Every Door
Heaven On Their Minds
Everything's Alright
Gethsemane
I Don't Know How To Love Him
Jesus Christ Superstar
Could We Start Again Please?
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
Another Suitcase In Another Hall
Buenos Aires
Rainbow High
High Flying Adored
Memory
Jellicle Cats
Mister Mistofeles
Unexpected Song
Last Man In My Life
Rolling Stock
U-N-C-O-U-P-L-E-D

Tracks:

Only You
Starlight Express
There's Me
Pie Jesu
Angel Of Music
Masquerade
Wishing Somehow You Were Here Again
All I Ask Of You
The Phantom Of The Opera
Music Of The Night
Love Changes Everything
The First Man You Remember
Seeing Is Believing
As If We Never Said Goodbye
Sunset Boulevard
With One Look
Too Much In Love To Care
Half A Moment
Whistle Down The Wind
Our Kind Of Love

Album Description

Full title, 'Essential Songs Of Andrew Lloyd Webber'. UK budget-price compilation. 40 superlative performances featuring songs from every one of Andrew Lloyd Webber's hit musicals. Guest artists include John Barrymore, Issy Van Randwyck, Dave Willetts, Maria Friedman, Kim Criswell, Graham Bickley and the National Symphony Orchestra. Housed in a slipcase. 2002.

Customer Reviews:

Okay, but kind of disappointing.......2006-04-17

This isn't a bad recording, but the tracks are not the actual performances off of any cast recording of any of Andrew Lloyd Webber's musicals. The reditions of the songs on the disc are of varying quality. Some are pretty good. Some are borderline awful.
It is a good collection for inexpensively getting a lot of Andrew Lloyd Webber's most popular songs in one place and having them there to be able to listen to get the idea of what a certain song sounds like and is about. It isn't the collection of definitive recordings for certain roles. In fact in a couple examples, I wonder if the performer fully understood the context of the song he or she was singing &/or what it was about. Overall, the album is good, for the most part, if not excellent.

However, the liner notes for "The Essential Songs of Andrew Lloyd Webber" is another matter. I don't mean to be unkind, but the author of the comments on the different tracks (one Rexton S. Bunnett) is blatantly WRONG in multiple instances. I don't mean just in nit-picky details, but in major plot details/context of songs, like the fact that Bunnett identifies "Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again" as being sung by "our heroine" (who he does not even identify by name as Christine Daae) as she thinks about her lover, not as being sung about Christine's dead father. He also says that the Phantom has found his perfect love and "Angel of Music" in Christine... because HE is the Angel of Music who Christine believes has been sent to her by her dead father, and because although the Phantom is obsessed with Christine, that relationship is far from "loving" (even if Christine shows him compassion. I feel like these (and a couple other mistakes) are major plot points to get wrong. A good amount of the commentary reads as if Bunnett might have written it at the last minute, fudging his way through entries on musicals of which he had little knowledge; like what an essay I might write on a book I never read for my college class but had quickly looked up on Cliff's Notes would sound like. In terms of sheer editing, there are spelling mistakes, run-on sentences and spacing errors ("Any DreamWill Do")in the liner notes. Where was the copy editor?
And the most frightening fact of all, under Bunnett's credentials, it says "Harper Collins has just published his revision and updating of the Collins Book of the Musical."
I am being very critical, but I think that for a widely-released CD it is reasonable to expect the liner notes to be at a professional level, as they were most likely supposed to be.

Not quite what I expected..........2005-04-23

I was looking for a CD of the original performances and this CD doesn't have them. I suppose it was my fault for not looking closer, but the songs just weren't the same. Personally, I was not impressed. If you don't care that they aren't the originals then it is nice to listen to.

Some great performances, some not so great..........2005-04-18

This CD is actually pretty good, considering you get 40 songs for less than $16. Let's evaluate the pros and cons.

Pros:

Two classic songs that are performed excellently are Phantom of the Opera and I Don't Know How to Love Him.

Of course you want to compare Phantom to the classic Michael Crawford/ Sarah Brightman version. Well, guess what? This version is BETTER. The woman has a deeper voice than Brightman, and her singing style is just awesome. The ending of this version (you know, the "Sing, my angel of music, sing for me!") is different, but in a good way... I think.)

And of course, the standard for I Don't Know How to Love Him is Yvonne's version. This version is different, but it grew on me quickly. This version has a country feel to it, almost. Somehow it works and sounds great.

There are a lot of great performances in this collection. My favorites include: Heaven on Their Minds, Everything's Alright, Could We Start Again Please, Another Suitcase in Another Hall, Buenos Aires, Rainbow High, Only You, Starlight Express, Angel of Music, Masquerade, All I Ask of You, Half a Moment, and Whistle Down the Wind. I think they're all great versions of their more famous counterparts.

Cons:

First of all, there are some technical problems that are kind of disappointing. A few of the songs have a very echoey sound. Any Dream Will Do, Another Suitcase in Another Hall, Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again, and There's Me are the songs that come to mind that are the worst in this regard. It isn't really bad, just enough to be slightly annoying, more so when the volume is turned way up on your CD player.

A few songs are worthy of skipping over when listening to this collection. In my opinion, Superstar, Sunset Boulevard, and Gethesmane are the biggest disappointments.

Superstar just doesn't cut it for me. The singer really overdoes it, making it overstylized... really makes you yearn for Murray Head. I can't stand listening to it. Just my opinion.

Sunset Boulevard is one of my very favorite musicals, so I was really hoping that the singer would do justice to its title song. Unfortunately I don't think he did. You can't help but compare it to Alan Campbell's fantastic version. This guy has a very choppy way of singing, when I'm used to it being sung so smoothly. Maybe it would grow on me, but I don't think I'll give it a chance to. However, that last note is much stronger than Alan Campbell's. It doesn't make up for the rest of the song, though.

Finally, Gethsemane. The inevitable fact is that NO ONE can sing this song like Michael Ball. This guy tries, he really does. But he doesn't have the right voice or the right style. So please listen to Michael Ball's performance of Gethsemane if you want to know how breathtaking of a song it can be. It's on the Royal Albert Hall DVD, and I'm sure he's got it on one of his CDs.

Anyway, overall, this is a good CD if you like quantity over quality. Don't buy it for the classics, you'll probably end up disappointed with many of them. Buy it for the lesser known songs. You probably won't like every song, especially if you're a big ALW fan, but for the price, it's worth it.

If you want classic versions of classic ALW songs, you might prefer something like "The Very Best of Andrew Lloyd Webber: The Broadway Collection".

Disappointed.......2005-03-11

The singer(s)does not do justice for the lyrics. It was grating to the ears. Save your money for the originals.

Musical Talent at Its Best.......2003-01-03

What a pleasure to hear a collection of Andrew Lloyd Webber's beautiful music from such wonderful voices accompanied by an outstanding symphony. This sensational CD is a treasure to own.

Average customer rating:

Not that amazing.
Are you kidding?
Very nice!
The Holidays Never Sounded So Good!
Very pleased

50 Most Loved Christmas Carols
Various Artists
Manufacturer: Capitol
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

Opera & Vocal | Holiday | Miscellaneous | Styles | Music

General Christmas | Holiday Music | Special Features | Music
Similar Items:

More Than 50 Most Loved Hymns
The Best Carols in the World...Ever!
O Come All Ye Faithful: Christmas Carols at King's College, Cambridge
Songs of Angels - Christmas Hymns and Carols
Carols from Trinity

ASIN: B000A2H4J8
Release Date: 2005-09-13

Tracks:

Joy To The World
O Come, All Ye Faithful
O Come, O Come Emmanuel
Deck The Halls
Away In A Manger (American Melody)
The Holly And The Ivy
Good Christian Men Rejoice
God That Madest Earth And Heaven
Joyful, Joyful We Adore Thee (Ode To Joy)
What Child Is This (Greensleeves)
God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen
O Holy Night
Sussex Carol
Here We Come A-Wassailing
Up On The Housetop
I Wonder As I Wander
Lo, How A Rose E'er Blooming
Infant Holy, Infany Lowly
Pat-A-Pan
Once In Royal David's City
O Christmas Tree
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
The Twelve Days Of Christmas
Good King Wenceslas
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Tracks:

Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Jingle Bells
The First Noel
Angels We Have Heard On High
Away In A Manger (European Melody)
Silent Night
Angels From The Realms Of Glory
O Sing A Song Of Bethlehem
'Hellelujah' Chorus From The Messiah
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
We Three Kings
Ave Maria
I Saw Three Ships
I Heard The Bells On Christmas Day
Gloucestershire Wassail
Bring A Torch, Jeanette, Isabella
While Shepherds Watched Their Flocks
Break Forth, O Beauteous Heavenly Lights
Sing We Now Of Christmas
In The Bleak Midwinter
Ukranian Bell Carol
It Came Upon A Midnight Clear
Coventry Carol
Ding Dong! Merrily On High!
Auld Lang Syne

Tracks:

Jingle Bells
The First Noel
Hark! The Herald Angels Sing
Up On The Housetop
Ding Dong! Merrily On High
O Little Town Of Bethlehem
Sussex Carol
Jolly Old Saint Nicholas
'Hallelujah' Chorus From The Messiah
O Come All Ye Faithful
What Child Is This
O Holy Night
Away In A Manger
Joy To The World
We Wish You A Merry Christmas

Customer Reviews:

Not that amazing........2007-01-19

I bought this somewhat based on the glowing reviews others had given it. It's not bad, but not that fantastic either. I've heard much better versions of most of the music on it. Not quite worth the price.

Are you kidding?.......2007-01-05

While the musical arrangements are tolerably adequate and the orchestra is fair, this is some of the worst choral singing I've ever heard. They obviously have no concept of tuning and couldn't stay on pitch if their lives depended on it. I can't believe this is supposed to be a professional recording and the director didn't correct these glaring errors. I picked up this CD at an after-Christmas sale at 75% off, and I will forever mourn the loss of my $5.00. I guess it might suffice as a mediocre white elephant gift, but I pity whomever may be forced to listen to it. I suggest you not waste your money. If it's classical Christmas carols you want, search for more well-known and trustworthy music groups like the London Philharmonic and the Cambridge Singers.

Very nice!.......2007-01-02

I have to agree with the other reviewers that this is a very enjoyable CD of traditional carols. It contains a huge selection of songs. I was afraid that they might all sound the same, but to me, the orchestration and vocals are varied and well done. I bought this for Christmas, and it's one of my favorite new Christmas CDs in recent memory.

The Holidays Never Sounded So Good!.......2005-12-17

I loved the "50 Most Loved Piano Classics," so I decided to try another "50 Most Loved" collection, this time the Christmas Carols album. These are classics in their own right as the arrangements and orchestrations are enchantingly beautiful and the choir vocals provide perfect point-counterpoint. I hate to admit this, but I'll probably still be listening to this CD long after Christmas is over. There's a cinematic soundtrack quality that I find haunting. Have a great holiday with this one!

Very pleased.......2005-11-23

This is an excellent value. 3 CD's and 50 songs for under $20.00. If you're looking for traditional Christmas music, this is the collection to buy.

Soul Music: