SITE RATING: 8/10
SITE
REVIEW: Despite some
rather painful mis-steps (most notably in
the bass soloist, who is forced and
unattractive in an unnecessarily ornamented
"The Trumpet Shall Sound"), this Messiah
highlights disc is replete with a fine mix
of arias and choruses from Handel's most
famous work. The rest of the soloists are
admirable, especially tenor William Kendall
and treble Thomas Drew, who bring out
marvelously clear, supple vocals. The
Winchester Cathedral Choir has a wonderful
blend of young voices give the choruses a
bright freshness, and conductor Martin
Neary's tempos and interpretations are all
neat and unaffected. This is a small
ensemble, which means that you won't find
thunderous power during "Hallelujah" or
"Worthy Is The Lamb", but there is plenty of
crisp diction, wonderful intonation, and
youthful enthusiasm. I only wish that this
was a complete recording, as several fine
songs are missing. Worth adding to your
Messiah collection.
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