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Christmas Present From Polyphony
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Track Listing
- No. 3. Sing Lullaby
- All this time
- O Morgenstern
- No. 2. A Spotless Rose
Product Details
- Amazon Sales Rank: #127690 in Music
- Released on: 2004-10-12
- Number of discs: 1
- Format: Import
Customer Reviews
Choral perfectionists.
This is an essential Christmas choral CD. The program itself is fabulous and unique, lacking the tacky "favorites" found on most recordings of this type. Entirely a cappella except for two Rutter arrangements with orchestra. Not a single track is lacking in depth and sincerity.
Polyphony is one phenomenal choir. For its small size, it has truly unmatched sustaining power and control (demonstrated most astonishingly in Lauridsen's O Magnum Mysterium and the end of Howells' A Spotless Rose). The only disappointment on the entire disc is Grieg's gorgeous "Ave Maris Stella" in which, for whatever reason, the men sing with a rather unblended and even wobbly sound while the women are almost entirely straight-tone. "Sing Lullaby" by Howells is a priceless gem worth several times the cost of this CD....a powerfully haunting piece performed here to utter perfection and taste. You will also find what is most assuredly the most perfect and definitive recording of "O Magnum Mysterium" to be found anywhere. The balance and length of line this incredibly gifted ensemble achieves in this too-often-performed piece will leave you breathless.
Sublimely beautiful!
Heavenly music, beautifully captured in a location with fantastic acoustics. This is music that needs to be heard on headphones or outstanding surround sound to be really appreciated. Here I am in February still listening to this CD of Xmas music... it's very calming to the soul. I can't recommend this highly enough.
Pleasurable listening long after other music bores
If the Yuletide season seems to be a combination of tidal wave (shopping and rush) and excruciating boredom from musical tracks that should have, long-ago, worn out and died, this CD is probably the best candidate there is for relaxing from the rush and enlivening the season with renewed listening pleasure.
