RECORDINGS

LABEL: OLCS
CATALOG NUMBER: OLCS CD 1742
UPC NUMBER: 5099386192923
NUMBER OF DISCS: 2
RUNNING TIME: UNKNOWN
YEAR RECORDED: 2002
CD RELEASE DATE: 2003?
CONDUCTOR: PROINNSÍAS Ó DUINN
ORCHESTRA: RTE CONCERT ORCHESTRA
CHOIR: OUR LADY'S CHORAL SOCIETY
SOPRANO: LYNDA LEE
CONTRALTO: DIERDRE COOLING-NOLAN
TENOR: EMMANUEL LAWLER
BASS: IAN CADDY


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DISC ONE
 
Part One
1. Overture
2. Comfort ye
3. Ev'ry valley shall be exalted
4. And the Glory of the Lord
5. But who may abide the day of His coming
6. And He Shall Purify
7. Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive
8. O Thou that tellest good tidings to Zion
9. For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth
10. The people that walked in darkness
11. For unto us a Child is born
12. Pifa
13. There were shepherds abiding in the field
14. And lo, the angel of hte Lord came upon them
15. And the angel said unto them
16. And suddenly there was with the angel
17. Glory to God
18. Rejoice greatly, O Daughter of Zion
19. Then shall the eyes of the blind be opened
20. He shall feed His flock like a shepherd
21. His yoke is easy and His burthen is light
DISC TWO

Part Two
1. Behold the Lamb of God
2. He was despised
3. Surely He hath borne our griefs
   And with His stripes we are healed
   All we like sheep have gone astray
4. All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn
5. He trusted in God
6. Thy rebuke hath broken His heart
   Behold and see if there be any sorrow
7. He was cut off out of the land of the living
   But thou didst not leave His soul in hell
8. Lift up your heads, O ye gates
9. Thou art gone up on high
10. The Lord gave the word
11. How beautiful are the feet
12. Their sound is gone out
13. Why do the nations so furiously rage together
    Let us break their bonds asunder
14. He that dwelleth/Thou shalt break them
15. Hallelujah

Part Three
16. I know that my Redeemer liveth
17. Since by man came death
18. Behold I tell you a mystery
    The trumpet shall sound
19. Then shall be brought to pass
    O Death, where is thy sting?
    But thanks be to God
20. Worthy is the Lamb that was slain/Amen
SITE RATING:  7/10
SITE REVIEW:  Another album which I stumbled upon quite by chance, Our Lady's Choral Society, a Dublin-based choir under the baton of Proinnsías Ó Duinn delivers up a Messiah which is a spritely, spirited affair, with wonderful lightness and professionalism evident throughout the recording.  In fact, the recording is so well-done, and the playing and singing so polished, that I'm surprised this recording has not received wider recognition.  The RTE Concert Orchestra plays with amazing sensitivity and precision, and while the conductor's tempos are quick, everyone hangs together exactly, and the Oratorio is given a youthful, energetic push.  Tenor Emmanuel Lawler has a glorious, heroic tone - warm and burnished; alto Deirdre Cooling-Nolan is similarly warm, with a rich creamy voice that I found beguiling; bass Ian Caddy is a weaker performer, lacking the vocal power that his arias demand, and thin in his upper register.  Soprano Lynda Lee is wonderful, with a supple, bright timbre and joyful tone that illuminates her arias.  Our Lady's Choral Society is a fine choir, aided by the natural acoustic of the National Concert Hall, and betrayed only by their occasional lapses in regional accents which bend the vowels in unexpected ways, and by occasional tonal and blend issues, all of which can be attributed to the live setting.  Taken in all, this is a wonderful find, and a worthwhile addition to a Messiah collection.
The Compleat Messiah All Content Copyright © 2012 Bret D. Wheadon
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