| RECORDINGS |
|
| LABEL: |
BUNGALOW
FOUR
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| CATALOG
NUMBER: |
N/A
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| UPC
NUMBER: |
N/A
|
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
2
|
| RUNNING TIME: |
2:03:10
|
| YEAR
RECORDED: |
2016
|
| CD
RELEASE DATE: |
JUNE
1, 2016
|
| CONDUCTOR: |
LEON
STARKER
|
| ORCHESTRA: |
CTYC
FESTIVAL ORCHESTRA
|
| CHOIR: |
THE
CAPE TOWN YOUTH CHOIR
|
| SOPRANO: |
ELSABE
RICHTER
|
| ALTO: |
MINETTE
DU TOIT-PEARCE
|
| TENOR: |
THOMAS
ERLANK
|
| BARITONE: |
BAREND
VAN DER WESTHUIZEN
|
|
|
| AUDIO SAMPLES |
HIGHLIGHTS |
OTHER
RELEASES |
|
NONE
|
NONE
|
|
DISC ONE
1. Overture
4:05
2. Comfort Ye (feat. Thomas Erlank)
2:46
3. Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted (feat.
Thomas Erland) 3:42
4. And the Glory of the Lord
2:39
5. Thus Saith the Lord (feat. Barend Van
Der Westhuizen) 1:33
6. But Who May Abide the Day of His
Coming 4:47
7. And He Shall Purify
2:38
8. Behold a Virgin Shall Conceive (feat.
Minette Du Toit -Pearce)
0:27
9. O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to
Zion (feat. Minette Du Toit
-Pearce) 5:46
10. For Behold Darkness Shall Cover the
Earth (feat. Barend Van
Der Westhuizen)
1:47
11. The People That Walked in Darkness
(feat. Barend Van Der
Westhuizen) 3:10
12. For Unto Us a Child Is Born
4:20
13. Pifa (feat. Ctyc Festival Orchestra)
3:11
14. There Were Shepherds Abiding in the
Field (feat. Lorena Marais)
0:13
15. And Lo, the Angel of the Lordd Came
Upon Them (feat. Elsabé Richter)
0:21
16. And the Angel Said Unto Them (feat.
Elsabé Richter) 0:34
17. And Suddenly There Was an Angel
(feat. Lorena Marais)
0:29
18. Glory to God 1:53
19. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion
(feat. Elsabé Richter)
4:18
20. Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind
(feat. Minette Du Toit-Pearce)
0:27
21. He Shall Feed His Flock (feat.
Elsabé Richter) 5:54
22. His Yoke Is Easy and His Burden Is
Light 2:31
23. Behold the Lamb of God
3:07
24. He Was Despised (feat. Minette Du
Toit-Pearce) 4:25
|
DISC TWO
25. Surely He Hath Born Our
Grief 1:46
26. And With His Stripes W Are Healed
1:52
27. All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
4:11
28. All They That See Him Laugh Him to
Scorn (feat. Thomas Erlank)
0:44
29. He Trusted in God
2:26
30. Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart
(feat. Elsabé Richter)
1:24
31. Behold, and See If There Be Any
Sorrow (feat. Elsabé Richter)
1:10
32. He Was Cut off out of the Land of
the Living (feat. Thomas Erlank)
0:23
33. But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in
Hell (feat. Thomas Erlank)
2:18
34. Lift up Your Head, O Ye Gates
3:04
35. Thou Art Gone up High (feat. Minette
Du Toit Pearce) 3:31
36. The Lord Gave the Word
1:11
37. How Beautiful Are the Feet (feat.
Elsabé Richter)
2:20
38. Their Sound Is Gone out (feat.
Thomas Erlank) 1:01
39. Why Do the Nations so Furiously Rage
Together (feat. Barend Van Der
Westhuizen) 3:17
40. Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
1:50
41. He That Dwelleth in Heaven (feat.
Thomas Erlank) 0:17
42. Thou Shalt Break Them (feat. Thomas
Erlank) 1:59
43. Hallelujah 3:39
44. I Know That My Redeemer Lives (feat.
Minette Du Toit-Pearce)
5:47
45. Since by Man Came Death
1:59
46. Behold I Tell You a Mystery (feat.
Barend Van Der Westhuizen)
0:33
47. The Trumpet Shall Sound (feat.
Barend Van Der Westhuizen)
4:02
48. Worthy Is the Lamb That Was Slain
7:23
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|
SITE RATING: 6/10
SITE
REVIEW: Ostensibly the
soundtrack to a film documentary by D. David
Morin concerning the mounting of a full
production of Handel's Messiah and the
challenges and discoveries made by the
participants, this is actually a nearly-full
reading of the score, presented live by the
Cape Town Youth Choir and Festival Orchestra,
under the direction of Leon Starker. As
of this writing, you can watch the entire
documentary here,
and watch the complete oratorio being
performed here.
The Cape Town Youth Choir is primarily an
acapella group, with their core repertoire
being folk and chamber choir pieces - so, for
their director to choose something like Messiah
for them to tackle was a huge challenge, the
process of which is documented in the
film. The performance captured here can
certainly be regarded as a triumph, with
strong, passionate performances by all
involved, and, although hampered by the
inconsitencies of a live performance capture,
it's overall a pleasing, emotionally-driven
experience which lifts the entire
oratorio. Among the soloists,
Thomas Erland is very fine, giving a
rich, heroic reading to the tenor arias;
baritone Barund Van Der Westhuizen is less
proficient, sounding somewhat uncomfortable in
the baroque milieu; alto Minette du
Toit-Pearce is rich but unfocused and a bit
slurred in her melismas; and soprano Elsabé
Richter sounds very young, and although she
has a pleasant, pure voice, is clearly not
completely up to the rigors of the work.
As for the Cape Town Festival Orchestra, they
are impressive, although occasionally
tentative, and the same can be said for the
choir, who give an impassioned, often moving
performance, hampered only by their
inexperience with the type of music they are
tackling. Starker's tempos are generally
moderate, never pushing too fast, but allowing
his forces full power in the choruses.
Although technically, I would not rate this
recording as world-class, it contains a
visceral earnestness that I found quite
compelling.
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