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RECORDINGS |
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| LABEL: |
DOWNERS GROVER CHORAL SOCIETY |
| CATALOG NUMBER: |
DGCS0910-1 |
| UPC NUMBER: |
N/A |
| NUMBER
OF DISCS: |
2 |
| RUNNING
TIME: |
58:48, 72:40 |
| DATE RECORDED: |
NOVEMBER 22, 2009 |
| RELEASE DATE: |
2010 |
| CONDUCTOR: |
ROBERT HOLST |
| ORCHESTRA: |
DOWNERS GROVE ORCHESTRA? |
| CHOIR: |
DOWNERS GROVE CHORAL SOCIETY |
| SOPRANO: |
MARTHA GUTH |
| ALTO: |
JOANNA WERNETTE |
| TENOR: |
JAY MORRISSEY |
| BASS: |
TOM HALL |
|
THIS
ALBUM
MAY BE
PURCHASED
THROUGH
THE DOWNERS
GROVE
CHORAL
SOCIETY |
| AUDIO SAMPLES |
HIGHLIGHTS |
OTHER RELEASES |
NONE |
NONE |
NONE |
|
DISC ONE
PART I
1. (4:13) SinfonIa ("Overture")
2. (3:01) Recitative - Mr. Morrissey, tenor
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people
3. (3:37) Air - Mr. Momssey, tenor Every valley shall be exalted
4. Chorus And the glory of the Lord
5. Recitative - Mr. Hall, bass Thus saith the Lord of Hosts
6. Air - Ms. Wernette, alto But who may abide the day of His coming?
7. (2:44) Chorus And He shaft purify the sons of Levi
8. (5:24) Recitative, Air & Chorus - Ms. Wernette, alto
Behold a virgin shall conceive and bear a son
0 Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
9. (2:02) Recitative - Mr. Hall, bass
For behold, darkness shall cover the earth
10. (3:53) Air - Mr. Hall, bass
The people that walked in darkness
11. (4:32) Chorus For unto us a child is bom
12. (1:27) Pifa ("Pastoral Symphony")
13. (1:27) Recitatives - Ms. Guth, soprano
There were shepherds abiding in the field
And the angel said unto them: fear not
14. (2:42) Recitative - Ms. Guth, soprano
And suddenly there was with the angel
Chorus Glory to God in the highest
15. (4:43) Air - Ms. Guth, soprano
Rejoice greatly, 0 daughter of Zion
16. (0:35) Recitative - Ms. Wernette, afto
Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened
17. (6:27) Air Ms. Wernette, alto: Ms. Guth. soprano
He shall feed his flock tike a shepherd
Come unto Him, all ye that labor
18. (2:23) Chorus His yoke is easy
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DISC
TWO
PART II
1. (3:19) Chorus Behold the Lamb of God
2. (5:04) Air - Ms. Wernette, alto
He was despised and rejected of men
3. (2:12) Chorus Surely he hath borne our griefs
4. (6:24) Chorus And with His stripes we are healed
Chorus All we like sheep have gone astray Recitative
- Mr. Morrissey, tenor
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart Air - Mr. Momssey,
tenor
Behold and see if there be any sorrow Recitative
& Air - Mr. Morrissey, tenor
He
was cut off out of the land of the living But Thou did not leave His
soul in Hell
8. (3:36) Chorus Lift up your heads, 0
ye gates
9. (3:34) Air - Ms. Wernette, alto Thou are gone up on high
10. (1:24) Chorus The Lord gave the word
11. (3:17) Air Ms. Guth, soprano
How beautiful are the feet of them that preach
12. (3:37) Air Mr. Hall, oass
Why do the nations so furiously rage together
13. (2:05) Chorus Let us break their bonds asunder
14. (2:30) Recitative & Air - Mr. Morrissey, tenor
He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn
Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron
15. (3:57) Chorus with soloists and audience Hallelujah!
PART III
16. (6:53) Air - Ms. Guth, soprano
I know that my redeemer liveth
17. (2:09) Chorus Since by man came death
18. (4:50) Recitative & Air - Mr. Hall, bass
Behold, I tell you a mystery The trumpet shall sound
19. (4:00) Air - Ms. Guth, soprano
If God be for us. who can be against us?
20. (7:46) Chorus Worthy is the Lamb that was slain.
Amen!
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SITE RATING: 4/10
SITE REVIEW:
Released
as a commemorative memorial edition of The Downers Grove Choral
Society's fiftieth anniversary of their first performance (a 1959 Messiah), this live recording is
being sold directly through the society (write them via their website
for availability and pricing). Based in Illinois, this
performance shows off the best talents of this amateur chorus, which,
although not in league with world-class professional recordings of Messiah,
has many fine points - and can stand up proudly as attesting to the
professionalism and devotion of its members. The chamber
orchestra, collectively anonymous although its members are listed by
name in the liner notes, plays with lightness and deftness, only
suffering moments of errant tone. Among the soloists, tenor Jay
Morrissey has a pleasingly heroic tone, but, like the orchestra,
suffers tone problems during rare moments, and muscles his way into his
upper register. The Chorus itself sounds enthusiastic, lacking
the pure "white" blended tone favored by professional choruses today,
and mic'ed very closely, bringing out individual voices, especially
among the tenors and basses. Bass soloist Tom Hall is thunderous and
Wagnerian in his arias, while alto Joanna Wernette has a pleasingly
authoritative manner and sings with command and great conviction.
Soprano soloist Martha Guth is similarly fine, a radiant high
point possessing a clear, vibrant tessitura and cheerful manner.
Conductor Robert Holst's direction is varied, with movements
alternating between the quick, light "baroque" tradition and movements
which veer towards the grander "Romantic" tradition, and the varying
tempos don't always serve the material with equal success. This
is a live recording as well, meaning that there is audience noise
present throughout, even occasional conversations seems to be captured.
This release was undoubtedly meant as a memento for patrons and
members of The Downers Grove Choral Society, and its interest is best
served by those for whom it was intended.
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