| RECORDINGS |
|
| LABEL: |
SPARROW |
| CATALOG
NUMBER: |
SPD
1560 |
| UPC
NUMBER: |
724385156021 |
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
2 |
| RUNNING TIME: |
141
MIN. |
| YEAR
RECORDED: |
1979 |
| CD
RELEASE DATE: |
MARCH
12, 2002 |
| CONDUCTOR: |
JOHN
ALLDIS |
| ORCHESTRA: |
LONDON
PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA |
| CHOIR: |
LONDON
PHILHARMONIC CHOIR |
| SOPRANO: |
FELICITY
LOTT |
| CONTRALTO: |
ALFREDA
HODGESON |
| TENOR: |
PHILIP
LANGRIDGE |
| BASS: |
ULRIK
COLD |
|
|
DISC ONE
1. Overture
2. Recitative. Comfort Ye My People
3. Aria. Every Valley Shall Be Exalted
4. Chorus. And The Glory Of The Lord
5. Recitative. Thus Saith The Lord
6. Aria. But Who May Abide The Day Of His
Coming?
7. Chorus. And He Shall Purify
8. Recitative. Behold, A Virgin Shall
Conceive
9. Aria & Chorus. O Thou That Tellest
Good Tidings To Zion
10. Recitative. For, Behold, A Darkness
Shall Cover the Earth
11. Aria. The People That Walked In
Darkness
12. Chorus. For Unto Us A Child Is Born
13. Pastoral Symphony
14. Recitative. There Were Shepherds
Abiding In The Field
15. Recitative. And The Angel Said Unto
Them
16. Recitative. And Suddenly There Was
With The Angel
17. Chorus. Glory to God
18. Aria. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of
Zion
19. Recitative. Then Shall The Eyes Of The
Blind Be Opened
20. Aria. He Shall Feed His Flock Like A
Shepherd
21. Chorus. His Yoke Is Easy, And His
Burthen Is Light
22. Chorus. Behold The Lamb Of God
23. Aria. He Was Despised
|
DISC TWO
1. Chorus. Surely He Hath Borne Our
Griefs
2. Chorus. And With His Stripes We Are
Healed
3. Chorus. All We Like Sheep Have Gone
Astray
4. Recitative. All They That See Him,
Laugh Him To Scorn
5. Chorus. He Trusted In God That He Would
Deliver Him
6. Recitative. Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His
Heart
7. Arioso. Behold, And See If There Be Any
Sorrow
8. Recitative. He Was Cut Off Out Of The
Land Of The Living
9. Aria. But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul
In Hell
10. Chorus. Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates
11. Aria. How Beautiful Are The Feet Of
Them
12. Chorus. Their Sound Is Gone Out Into
All Lands
13. Aria. Why Do The Nations So Furiously
Rage
14. Chorus. Let Us Break Their Bonds
Asunder
15. Recitative. He That Dwelleth In Heaven
16. Chorus. Hallelujah!
17. Aria. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
18. Chorus. Since By Man Came Death
19. Recitative. Behold, I Tell You A
Mystery
20. Aria. The Trumpet Shall Sound
21. Recitative. Then Shall Be Brought To
Pass
22. Duet. O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?
23. Chorus. But Thanks Be To God
24. Aria. If God Be For Us, Who Can Be
Against Us?
25. Chorus. Worthy Is The Lamb
|
|
SITE RATING: 4/10
SITE
REVIEW: This
performance, from 1979, has long been a
best-seller, although for the life of me I
can't figure out why. Released by
Christian label Sparrow, the condescending
liner notes claim that this recording was made
with the intention to be "more friendly to the
"man in the pew", (since by inference they're
as dumb as rocks and need pandering to) and
there was no intention to be "authentic or
purist." Fine and good, but couldn't
they at least attempt to create a competent
recording? The 'artists' are all over
the map, from tenor Philip Langridge who is
strident and brassy in his arias, to bass
Ulrik Cold who sounds like HE'S the one being
shaken on his forced and unpleasant melismas,
to soprano Felicity Lott, who doesn't quite hit
the high notes. The Philharmonic Choir
chew through their pieces with nasal,
widespread pronunciations, and the tempos
throughout are leaden. What truly
surprises me is that notable conductor John
Alldis is at the head of this performance - it
sounds as if some amateur is in charge.
If this is the best that Sparrow could
manage, its a wonder that it's managed to sell
all these years. Then again, perhaps the
pastors have been plugging it among their
congregations, it certainly doesn't deserve
success based on its own meager merits. ~ BDW
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