How Sweet It Is

Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com
The Sugar Beats prove on How Sweet It Is that they were retro before retro was cool, mining mostly the '70s and some of the '80s with cuts like the old Go-Go's hit "We Got the Beat" and the Archies' "Sugar Sugar." Flush with equal amounts of pure bubble-gum pop and some enduring and endearing soul classics such as the Rascals' "It's a Beautiful Morning," the proud classic "Nobody but Me," and the timeless "Land of a Thousand Dances," the set seems to miscue only a couple of times with "Our House" and the novelty tune "(Lime in the) Coconut" (done better by the Muppets, truth be told). Still with esteem-building rockers such as "Walking on Sunshine" and the old Sly Stone civil rights anthem "Stand," who wouldn't want these rethreaded retro tunes blasting in their house? --Martin Keller

From Parents' Choice®
Kids and adults can have some enjoyable sing along time together with these pleasant, smoothly executed renderings of songs from the not-so-distant past. Adult and child singers perform such sunny selections as "How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)," "Last Train to Clarksville," an adorably sung "Walk Like an Egyptian" and the dreamy Crosby, Stills and Nash hit, "Our House." A 1998 Parents' Choice® Gold Award.

Reviewed by Lynne Heffley, Parents' Choice® 1998

How Sweet It Is

Tracks:

I'll Be Around
Think
How Sweet It Is
Smiling Faces Sometimes
Love's In Need Of Love Today
These Arms Of Mine
Only You Know And I Know
War
Why Can't We Live Together
Axis: Bold As Love
The Weight
Everybody Is A Star

Amazon.com

With the proliferation of earthy rock chicks such as Vanessa Carlton and Michelle Branch, it might seem like an opportune time for Joan Osborne, who gathered Grammy nominations for her triple-platinum 1995 debut Relish and its breakthrough single "One of Us," to revive her flowing blues-and-folk roots. Rather than take the anticipated path, however, he New York singer offers a twist. Taking a page from Ally McBeal's resident torch singer Vonda Shepard, Osborne turns in an album of stylish covers of contemporary R&B classics. She wraps her husky voice around a supper-club version of Otis Redding's "These Arms of Mine," underscores the message behind Edwin Starr's "War" at a funeral pace, and gives James Taylor a shudder with her lush, Eastern-tinged take on Marvin Gaye's "How Sweet It Is." Most unexpected. --Aidin Vaziri

Customer Reviews:

dreck.......2007-06-07

Now I love Joan, she can sing like a ringing a bell, but this album stinks. It's one thing to perform your take on a classic song, but these tracks are producer updated with fake drums and other instrumentation that doesn't fit the legacy of these songs. NG for no good.

not a bad cover in the bunch.......2007-01-05

Some people like cover tunes, other don't. For me, a cover tune is great when the new artist puts a unique spin on the orginal "classic". Given that, I say that this disk is a top-ten favorite in a very large CD collection. Joan molds each of these songs into her own, yet the quality of the orginal "hit" is still to be found. I wish more artists would focus on re-doing some of the excellent songs that are already out there, rather than feeling like they should penning original tunes (most of which are average or below). BUY THIS CD!

Can't Get Enough of Joan.......2005-11-15

It's difficult to write a review of Joan's work because I'm rather biased about this woman. You see, the sound of her voice weakens my knees and causes me to smile uncontrollably. I could listen to Joan sing the phone book and still be be reduced to weak-kneed smiling fool. What a voice! What an artist!

favorite album to get me moving!.......2005-07-02

I find it impossible to believe that this album is getting any poor reviews. I play this in the car, and can't keep from dancing in my seat! I play it when I'm down and need a lift. Great arrangements, and her version of "War-What Is It Good For," should be playing on every radio station in the country.

Like a good hotel lounge singer.......2005-04-16

I recently bought this CD after hearing (and liking) "I'll Be Around" on the radio. I was impressed by Osborne's earthy vocal style on her "Relish" CD a few years back, so I figured an album of classic soul covers by her might be pretty good. Sad to say, I found this CD somewhat disappointing overall.

To my ears, Osborne's delivery on this CD sounds like that of a good hotel lounge singer--technically competent but emotionally superficial. Too often, she sounds like she is coming from outside the songs (i.e., performing them), rather than from inside (i.e., living them). The worst examples are "Think" (delivered in a passionless rapid-fire monotone) and "The Weight" (delivered awkwardly, as if she doesn't even understand, much less feel, the lyrics).

To Osborne's credit, she gives several of the tunes new readings that give fresh life to the material. She slows down "How Sweet It Is" and gives it a touching plaintive quality. Her pop song reading of Jimi Hendrix's trippy "Axis: Bold As Love" is totally unexpected and amusing. Her Bill-Murray-lounge-lizard reading of the Vietnam-era anti-war song "War" is so surreally campy that it forces you to pay attention to the words.

There are several solid covers here, including "I'll Be Around," "Smiling Faces," and "Why Can't We Live Together." However, "These Arms of Mine" probably best captures both the strengths and weaknesses of this CD. The opening verses are gorgeous, with Osborne's soft, aching vocal commanding your attention over a spare musical background. But when the song gets to the bridge, which demands that the vocalist build to a big emotional climax, Osborne fails to deliver. She never lets herself go, and the song just peters out.

I notice a number of prior reviewers rave about Osborne's "soulful" vocals here, and I have no doubt that these people are sincere. I think it boils down to a matter of taste and cultural background. If you like music with the rough edges sanded off, Osborne's interpretations may help you appreciate some classic soul songs you would otherwise ignore. If, however, you are a serious fan of R&B, you will likely find this a pale imitation of the real thing.

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

Average customer rating:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover
Top Shelf
TERRIFIC CD'S
Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs
Great Compilation!

Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)

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Binding: Audio CD

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The Best of Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
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ASIN: B00064ADMK
Release Date: 2004-10-19

Tracks:

Give My Regards To Broadway- Joel Grey
Swanee- Al Jolson
When The Moon Shines On The Moonshine- Bert Williams
A Pretty Girl Is Like A Melody- John Steel
My Man- Fanny Brice
Fascinating Rhythm- Fred Astaire, Adele Astaire
If You Knew Susie (Like I Know Susie)- 78rpm Version Eddie Cantor
Someone To Watch Over Me- Gertrude Lawrence
Bill- 78 rpm Version Helen Morgan
Ol' Man River- Paul Robeson
Ain't Misbehavin'- Louis Armstrong & His Orchestra
Ten Cents A Dance- Ruth Etting
Body And Soul- Libby Holman
Brother, Can You Spare A Dime- Bing Crosby
Night And Day- Fred Astaire
Heat Wave- Ethel Waters
Smoke Gets in Your Eyes- Tamara
You're The Top- Ethel Merman
Summertime- Anne Brown
September Song- Walter Huston
My Heart Belongs To Daddy- Mary Martin
It Never Entered My Mind- Shirley Ross
Bewitched, Bothered, Bewildered- Vivienne Segal
Oh, How I Hate To Get Up In The Morning- Irving Berlin
Oh, What a Beautiful Mornin'- Alfred Drake

Tracks:

New York, New York- Cris Alexander,Adolph Green,John Reardon
If I Loved You- John Raitt,Jan Clayton
Come Rain Or Come Shine- Ruby Hill,Harold Nicholas
There's No Business Like Show Business- Ensemble
How Are Things In Glocca Morra? From "Finian's Rainbow"- Ella Logan
Once In Love With Amy- Ray Bolger
Wunderbar- Alfred Drake,Patricia Morison
Some Enchanted Evening- Ezio Pinza
Lost In The Stars- Todd Duncan
Diamonds Are A Girl's Best Friend- Carol Channing
Luck Be A Lady- Robert Alda,Guys
Getting To Know You- Gertrude Lawrence
Who Cares?- Jack Carson,Betty Oakes
Stranger In Paradise- from " Kismet" Doretta Morrow,Richard Kiley
Ballad Of Mack The Knife- Gerald Price
Hey There- from "The Pajama Game" John Raitt
Whatever Lola Wants- Gwen Verdon
I Could Have Danced All Night- Julie Andrews
Standing On The Corner- from "The Most Happy Fella, 1956" Shorty Long,John Henson,Alan Gilbert
The Party's Over- Judy Holliday
Glitter And Be Gay- Barbara Cook
Tonight- Larry Kert, Carol Lawrence

Tracks:

Seventy-Six Trombones- Robert Preston
I Enjoy Being A Girl- from "Flower Drum Song, 1958" Pat Suzuki
Everything's Coming Up Roses- Ethel Merman
My Favorite Things- from "The Sound Of Music" Mary Martin
Put On A Happy Face- from "Bye Bye Birdie" Dick Van Dyke
Try To Remember- Jerry Orbach
Camelot- from "Camelot" Richard Burton
Love Makes The World Go 'Round- Anna Maria Alberghetti
I Believe In You- Robert Morse And Co.
The Sweetest Sounds- Diahann Carroll,Richard Kiley
Comedy Tonight- Zero Mostel
What Kind Of Fool Am I?- Anthony Newley
As Long As He Needs Me- Georgia Brown
Hello, Dolly!- Carol Channing,Cast
People- Barbra Streisand
Anyone Can Whistle- from "Anyone Can Whistle" Lee Remick
If I Were A Rich Man- Zero Mostel
Night Song- Sammy Davis, Jr.
The Impossible Dream- Richard Kiley
If My Friends Could See Me Now- Gwen Verdon
Open a New Window- from Mame Voice

Tracks:

Willkommen- from "Cabaret" Joel Grey
Let The Sunshine In- James Rado,Lynn Kellogg,Melba Moore,Cast
I'll Never Fall In Love Again- Jill O'Hara,Jerry Orbach
The Ladies Who Lunch- from "Company" Elaine Stritch
Tea For Two- Roger Rathburn,Susan Watson
I'm Still Here- Yvonne De Carlo
I Don't Know How To Love Him- Yvonne Elliman
We Go Together- Adrienne Barbeau,Barry Bostwick,Walter Bobbie,Cast
Corner Of The Sky- John Rubinstein
Send In The Clowns- Glynis Johns
Ease On Down The Road- Stephanie Mills,Tiger Haynes,Ted Ross,Hinton
One- from "A Chorus Line" Cast
All That Jazz- Chita Rivera,Ensemble
Tomorrow- Andrea Mcardle
Don't Cry For Me Argentina- Patti Lupone
Come Follow The Band
Lullaby Of Broadway- Jerry Orbach
And I'm Telling You I'm Not Going- Jennifer Holliday
The Bells Of St. Sebastian- Raul Julia

Tracks:

Memory- Betty Buckley
I Am What I Am- George Hearn
Move On- Bernadette Peters,Mandy Patinkin
Do You Hear The People Sing?- Michael Maguire,Cast
The Music Of The Night- Michael Crawford
You're Nothing Without Me- James Naughton,Gregg Edelman
The American Dream- Jonathan Pryce,Cast
Doctor Jazz- Gregory Hines,Company
With One Look- Glenn Close
On Broadway- Adrian Bailey,Frederick B. Owens,Ken Ard,Victor Trent Cook
Le Jazz Hot- Julie Andrews,Ensemble
Seasons Of Love-
Hakuna Matata- Max Casella,Tom Alan Robbins,Scott Irby-Ranniar,Jason Raize
I Wanna Be A Producer- Matthew Broderick,Ensemble
Dancing Queen- Louise Plowright,Jenny Galloway
Good Morning Baltimore- Marissa Jaret Winokur
Movin' Out- Michael Cavanaugh,Band
I Go To Rio- Hugh Jackman,Company
Defying Gravity- Kristin Chenoweth,Idina Menzel

Customer Reviews:

Fabulous for any Broadway-lover.......2007-01-30

Packs into 5 CD's a sampling of Broadway tunes from the 20's thru (almost) today, mostly from original cast recordings. Includes not just well-known hits, but also some lesser-known gems. Sound quality is first rate, booklet is informative too. Have given this as a gift to several friends with rave reviews.

Top Shelf.......2007-01-04

This is THE definitive collection of Broadway hits. I have other collections, and none of them measure up. A great deal of care was obviously taken in compiling and presenting this box set. It covers a lot of ground, starting with some long-forgotten but still very enjoyable hits from the days of yore, and finishing with present-day favorites. To the best of my knowledge, the recordings are by those who made them famous. You won't be disappointed.

TERRIFIC CD'S.......2006-03-23

THESE BROADWAY MUSICALS CD'S ARE A BROADWAY LOVERS DREAM. WITH EACH SONG, MEMORIES COME FLOODING BACK. BOTH THE FAMILIAR AND THE FORGOTTEN SONGS ARE A TRUE LISTENING PLEASURE. IF YOU LIKE BROADWAY, YOU'LL LOVE THIS SET.

Great Collection of Broadways greatest Songs .......2005-06-14

This Collection was perfectly made it has almost all the most famous Broadway songs on this 5 cd set. The Music is great and has Broadways greatest treasures like "Memory""People""With One Look""Give my regards Too Broadway" just to name a few of this numerous cd set with over 100 songs. This is a great buy if you like musicals or The music of Broadway

Great Compilation!.......2005-01-17

If you are a fan of the Broadway Musicals, this is a collection that you should purchase. Since I got the 5 disc set I've enjoyed listening to it. The majority of the songs are done by the original singers. The collection is priceless considering that you will have over 100 songs from popular musicals since the beginning of Broadway

How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals & Traditional Gospel Music

Average customer rating:

Chanticleer, with Bp. Flunder: INDEED - How Very Sweet The Sound
Crystalline
Best Chanticleer CD Yet
How Angry the Sound?
This CD is the bomb!

How Sweet the Sound: Spirituals & Traditional Gospel Music
Chanticleer
Manufacturer: Teldec
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

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Where the Sun Will Never Go Down
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Sing We Christmas

ASIN: B00029CZPW
Release Date: 2004-09-14

Tracks:

Jesus Hits Like An Atom Bomb
Surely God Is Able
Amazing Grace
Medley: Soon One Mornin' - What You Goin' Do When The World's On Fire? - You Can't Hide - Run On For A Long Time
Didn't It Rain
Sit Down Servant - Plenty Good Room
Keep Your Hand On The Plow (Hold On)
My Soul Is A Witness
There Is A Balm In Gilead
Medley: Sometimes I Feel Like A Motherless Child - Poor Pilgrim Of Sorrow - Walk In Jerusalem
Be Still And Know That I'm God

Amazon.com

Chanticleer's repertoire ranges through many centuries. On this recording, the group again proves its infinite versatility in a program of gospel music and spirituals. The singing is so authentic that one feels like a participant in a gospel meeting, swaying to the rhythm with the crowd. Contributing greatly to the impact is Chanticleer's guest, Yvette A. Funder. Possessor of a voice remarkable for its range, power, and flexibility, she brings to the music the empathy and authority of one born and raised in the tradition, whether leading call-and-response, engaging in improvisations that soar high above the chorus, crooning softly in meditation, or shouting in ecstasy. (She is also an active Bishop ministering to the poor and afflicted, and the founder of various social service agencies in California.) Several songs include soloists drawn from the chorus as well, most notably a tenor, a countertenor and a bass who provides a rhythmic ostinato. The program, designed for maximum variety of tempo, mood, character and texture, includes many favorite songs and spirituals, such as "Amazing Grace," "There is a Balm in Gilead," "Sometimes I Feel like a Motherless Child." The arrangements by Joseph Jennings, Chanticleer's Music Director for 20 years, are admirably simple and very good; only a few are marred by awkward modulations or overly sophisticated, Hollywood-inspired effects. Most of them are for a cappella voices. Jennings also contributes a new original composition: "Be still and Know that I'm God." Repeating these words like an invocation, it builds a cumulative drama with increasingly wild, elaborate improvisations in call-and-response between soloist and chorus; supported by a prominent piano part that includes solos, chordal and running passages, it ends with a rousing climax. --Edith Eisler

Customer Reviews:

Chanticleer, with Bp. Flunder: INDEED - How Very Sweet The Sound.......2006-02-10

On this standard red book 16-bit CD we are offered that rare and special invitation: Come now, pilgrim - take yet another good step forward in gospel praise or supplication. How can we progress in our individual and collective spiritual journeys towards whatever transcendent glories ground us, revive us, and lead us on despite life's challenges, unless we sing?. Are you having set backs? This CD is good medicine, and it is both a worthy addition to the gospel music shelf and perhaps just the sort of musical medicine that turns out to be good for you, on more than one level of body, mind, and soul. Not a bitter root aftertaste, nor a nagging fishy oil payback in any of this welcome elixir. I guess that is why we call it, Good News.

The arrangements of new and old gospel standards have been set by counter-tenor Joseph Jennings - a leading Chanticleer member of long standing - intently drawing upon both the florid improvisations of the soloists and gospel groups climbing ever so dazzlingly into the fiery chariots that sacred texts say carried off the prophet; and yes, rooted as well in the impeccably crafted close harmonies and inwardly solid strength of gospel quartets and ensembles like Fisk University's Jubilee Singers and many other exemplars.

So, when you listen to this one you will be immediately surrounded by that amazing and great, gathering could of witnesses. The messages are familiar: Keep your hands on the plow. Surely God is able. There is a balm in Gilead.

Like the famous vocal work by Ralph Vaughan Williams, his Serenade to Music as written for a star-crossed group of well-known British soloists of the era; so this gospel outing brings the small male ensemble Chanticleer to the fore - both as a vocal group and as a fabulous collection of solo voices who are prodigiously gifted vocal stars in their own rights. Capping off Chanticleer as an embarrassment of riches is a guest turn by San Francisco's own Bishop Yvette Flunder. She is the real deal, too, as both an ordained minister whose leadership in black churches has blazed fireworks in celebration of melding religion with social justice, and a Jen-U-Wine good news singer who can preach and pray and moan with the best of them.

Only the superhumanly perfected intonation of their cappella group singing, as well as the superb blend and polish of the Chanticleer dozen, will remind a listener than this group is as famous for its Flemish medieval polyphony or its unerring Purcellian clarity, as any other ensemble of twelve voices now appearing before us.

So, forget all the categories and musicology boxes which would seal off gospel music from pre-Bach cathedral masters of polyphony. With this CD we can just revel in the mysteries of good music, regardless. Yeah, Josquin, I'm talking bout you - Sit down servant, there's plenty good room.

Five stars. Highly recommended.

Crystalline.......2005-04-08

I'm not a huge fan of gospel, because I find it to be led by emotion, and musically undisciplined. Rousing, yes - but a little goes a long, long way. I've also found most gospel recordings to be sonically challenged. Almost as if microphones were incapable of capturing the music with clarity. None of this holds true for "How Sweet the Sound." This is a beautifully recorded cd, and every tune is both musically precise, and emotionally resonant. It is, however, a little hard to listen to in one sitting because of the "sameness" of the arrangements. That's a small quibble - who says any cd has to be experienced all at once - and "There is a Balm in Gilead," alone is worth the price of admission.

Best Chanticleer CD Yet.......2005-02-01

This is the Best Chanticleer CD yet. I have listened to it dozens of times. Money well spent. I have even given copies to several of my friends.

How Angry the Sound?.......2005-01-02

My daughter gave me this CD, because, while I'm not religious, I'm a long time fan of gospel music. The first pass through the record, I found myself wandering off to other tasks. So, the second time I put it on the player I forced myself to sit completely through the record. I'm not familiar with Chanticleer, so I had no idea whey she thought I'd like it, but she's is right more often than not. This would be one of the "not" times.

I guess this as an attempt to make gospel music "hip." With songs like "Jesus Hits Like An Atomic Bomb" and "What You Gon' Do When the World's On Fire?" the lyrics are like walking a American urban street being threatened by strangers. Far from being uplifting, the songs are decidedly unfriendly. The feel of the music reminded more of the howling noises I suffered as a forced member of my parent's Kansas Methodist Church than the sweet, honest sounds of real gospel music. That intangible thing I get from listening to gospel music that is heartfelt and painfully honest, even if deluded, was nowhere to be heard in "How Sweet the Sound." Instead, the music is chant-like, monotonous, and cold.

I would not recommend this record to anyone outside of the Midwest. If you miss the sterile sounds of a Midwestern protestant church in full howl, this might be your cup of weak wine. If gospel music is what you're looking for, look elsewhere.

This CD is the bomb!.......2004-11-28

From "Jesus Hits Like an Atom Bomb" to "Amazing Grace", this CD is packed with glorius gospel spirituals and terrific talent. Highly recommend to music lovers of all faiths!

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Average customer rating:

The Price Club
A living legend
not your daddy's old timey spiritual
Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price
Great Gospel Stuff

The Essential Leontyne Price: Spirituals, Hymns & Sacred Songs

Manufacturer: RCA
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Spirituals

ASIN: B000003FWE
Release Date: 1997-01-14

Tracks:

Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
Let Us Break Bread Together On Our Knees - Various Artists
His Name So Sweet - Various Artists
'Roun' About The Mountain - Various Artists
Swing Low , Sweet Chariot - Various Artists
Sit Down, Servant - Various Artists
Were You There - Various Artists
He's Got The Whole World In His Hands - Various Artists
Deep River - Various Artists
Honor! Honor! - Various Artists
My Soul's Been Anchored In De Lord - Various Artists
On Ma Journey - Various Artists
A City Called Heaven - Various Artists
Ride On, King Jesus - Various Artists
I Wish I Knew How It Would Feel To Be Free - Various Artists
Sinner, Please Don't Let This Harvest Pass - Various Artists
Sweet Little Jesus Boy - Various Artists
There Is A Balm In Gilead - Various Artists
Let Us Cheer The Weary Traveler - Various Artists
Ev'ry Time I Feel The Spirit - Various Artists
My Way Is Cloudy - Various Artists
Nobody Knows The Touble I've Seen - Various Artists
I Couldn't Hear Nobody Pray - Various Artists

Tracks:

Holy, Holy, Holy - Leontyne Price
Lead, Kindly Light - Leontyne Price
Blessed Assurance - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
What A Friend We Have In Jesus - Leontyne Price
Amazing Grace - Leontyne Price
The Lord's Prayer - Leontyne Price
Pass Me Not, O Gentle Savior - Leontyne Price
The Church's One Foundation - Leontyne Price
Bless This House - Leontyne Price
I Need Thee Every Hour - Leontyne Price
Schlesische Volkslieder: Fairest Lord Jesus - Leontyne Price
I Wonder As I Wander - Leontyne Price
Ave Maria - Leontyne Price
Porgy And Bess: Summertime - Leontyne Price
America The Beautiful - Leontyne Price
Lift Ev'ry Voice And Sing - Leontyne Price
A Mighty Fortress Is Our God - Leontyne Price
Battle Hymn Of The Republic - Leontyne Price

Customer Reviews:

The Price Club.......2005-04-28

"I am here," said Leontyne Price when interviewed as she opened the new Metropolitan Opera with Samuel Barber's underrated ANTONY AND CLEOPATRA, "and you will know that I am the best and will hear me. The color of my skin or the kink of my hair or the spread of my mouth has nothing to do with what you are listening to." Back in the 1960s Price was one of the greatest divas in all of opera, and it wasn't just her voice but her magnificent stage presence, combined with her social activism. All of the above come into play in this collection of secular songs and ditties, some of them traditional plantation chanties and others, art songs and a scattering of pop music. And some of them, like Gershwin's "Summertime," cross the ever-permeable boundaries between Broadway and classical. These recordings were made at different times in Price's career, and her voice, while always angelic, has different shadings and reaches a different range of timbre in each separate recording date, but there is no question that, as time goes by, she is able to impart a richness of life experience noticeably absent from some of her earlier work.

"Ave Maria" sounds heavenly no matter which way you slice it, and as for "I Wonder As I Wander," it brings tears to your eyes. If you have a heart that's beating you will be moved by this rendition. "Ein feste Burg" is pretty strong, but Price seems more comfortable with the traditional spirituals, though perhaps it is the slightly off-kilter sounds of the Ambrosian Singers (what a name) who back her up on many of these tracks, that detract slightly from the experience. Compare "Lead Kindly Light" for a clear sense of what constitutes authority vs. what is a wee bit overproduced. If you had this compilation, and perhaps one of Leontyne Price's Christmas albums, you could attain nirvana any time you wanted to, just flip a switch and close your eyes, let her lift you up on wings of song.

A living legend.......2005-03-10

Leontyne Price (still alive) and already passing into immortality amongst vocal artists, both classical and popular. Leontyne Price stands at the pinnacle of her classical art, but those who only know her work in La Forza del destino or the Verdi Requiem are in for a heart rending treat with this album where Leontyne Price goes home to her roots in Mississippi and gives an unabashed account of the classic spirituals she sang as a young woman. Like John Mc Cormacks rendering of Irish songs there is a personal longing and devotion expressed here that reveals a side of the artist not known in the bulk of their "classical" repetoire. A sense of going home like Citizen Kane's rosebud, or as Dorothy Gale observes at the end of the Wizard of Oz "everything I could ever have wanted was right in my own backyard "

not your daddy's old timey spiritual.......2004-06-23

Agreed this is a good cd for a beautiful voice, but this is not, repeat not, for someone who wants to hear that old-timey religious fervor that you think of when you've been to a Black Baptist hand-clapping, standing, swaying, and singing service.

Immaculate Vocals of Leontyne Price.......2003-12-31

IMMACULATE, SUPERB vocal range and style! There's no other words that can complement Miss Leontyne Price's vocal arrangements. Miss Price's voice is strong, and shrills very nicely to the instruments played on many songs listed on this double CD which is a joy to treasure; every song listed are songs I was raised to hearing and singing. Miss Price is the reason why many of these songs remain in popularity and presently used. Miss Leontyne Price has been incredible in many of her past performances. This is my fourth CD of Miss Price and I am glad to own this particular CD forever and ever. Many thanks to the executors who found this remarkable album and upgraded it to a CD format! **Angi**

Great Gospel Stuff.......2001-04-12

This is a great CD. The only problem I have with it is that on some of the selections there is a boy's choir screaming in the background, and this takes away (a bit) from her performance. That said, her best selections are those that are either unaccompanied or those where her voice is not buried. Songs that strike me are - His Name So Sweet, He's Got The Whole World, Were You There, I Wonder as I Wander, Lift Every Voice and Sing, and my all time favourite Summertime. Enough said.

Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll

Average customer rating:

Nice Collection
PERFECT!
Great singing and excellent value for money
More than two hours of beautiful 17th century 'ayres'

Purcell: Songs & Airs / Argenta, North, Boothby, Nicholson, Toll
Henry Purcell , Nancy Argenta , and Nigel North
Manufacturer: EMI Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Odes | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Essential Purcell
Purcell: The Fairy Queen
Purcell: Odes for St. Cecilia's Day - Music for Queen Mary / Taverner Consort
English and Italian Renaissance Madrigals
Gabrieli · Monteverdi · Vivaldi - Venetian Church Music / Taverner Consort, Choir & Players · Andrew Parrott

ASIN: B000059LOH
Release Date: 2001-06-05

Tracks:

O Solitude - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Ah! How Sweet It Is To Love - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Not All My Torments - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Paul Nicholson
Stripp'd Of Their Green - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Tell Me, Some Pitying Angel - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
If Music Be The Food Of Love - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Hark! Hark! The Echoing Air - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
The Fatal Hour Comes On Apace - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Incassum, Lesbia - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Paul Nicholson
Sweeter Than Roses - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
Cupid, The Slyest Rogue Alive - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
From Silent Shades - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Dear Pretty Youth - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
From Rosy Bow'rs - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Now That The Sun Hath Veil'd His Light - Nancy Argenta/Paul Nicholson
Beneath A Poplar's Shadow - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby
I Attempt From Love's Sickness To Fly - Nancy Argenta/Paul Nicholson
Let Us Dance - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/Richard Boothby/Paul Nicholson
Fairest Isle - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
O Solitude - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby

Tracks:

Nymphs And Shepherds - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Amidst The Shades And Cool Refreshing Streams - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
Love In Their Little Veins Inspires - Nancy Argenta/Rachel Becket/Marion Scott/Richard Boothby/Nigel North
Fly Swift, Ye Hours - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
They Tell Us That Your Mighty Powers - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
The Plaint: O Let Me Weep - Nancy Argenta/Pauline Nobes/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
In The Black, Dismal Dungeon Of Despair - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/John Toll
See, Even Night Herself Is Here - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones
Why Should Men Quarrel? - Nancy Argenta/Rachel Becket/Marion Scott/Richard Boothby/John Toll
Seek Not To Know - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Sophia McKenna/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Retir'd From Mortals' Sight - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
To Arms, Heoric Prince - Nancy Argenta/Mark Bennett/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
O Lead Me To Some Peaceful Gloom - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Halcyon Days - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Pauline Nobes/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Bid The Virtues - Nancy Argenta/Paul Goodwin/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Lord, What Is Man? (A Divine Hymn) - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Music For A While - Nancy Argenta/John Toll
If Music Be The Food Of Love (1st Setting) - Nancy Argenta/Richard Boothby/John Toll
Sawney Is A Bonny Lad (A Scotch Song) - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North
When I Have Often Heard Young Maids Complaining - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Richard Boothby/Nigel North/John Toll
Ah! Cruel, Bloody Fate - Nancy Argenta/Nigel North/John Toll
Thy Hand, Belinda... When I Am Laid In Earth - Nancy Argenta/Nicholas Robinson/Fiona Huggett/Trevor Jones/Richard Boothby/Nigel North

Customer Reviews:

Nice Collection.......2007-03-05

I have many collections of Purcell's Music. This collection stands up to them at half the price. Solid buy.

PERFECT!.......2006-10-26

There is only a word with which I can describe this set of discs: perfect!
The only flaw there is, is not related to the singing or playing: no text enclosed.

Great singing and excellent value for money.......2004-09-19

This is probably one of the best anthologies of Purcell songs around, and not just because it's two-for-one pricing means it contains twice as much music (CD1:74'24" & CD2: 77'41")! Nancy Argenta has an irrepressible sense of style and crystal clear diction. But unlike Emma Kirby, whose vocal purity can become tiresome, these renditions radiate warmth. She is also, I have found, more consistently involving than any one of the singers in Hyperion's three disc survey of Complete Secular Songs (recently reissued as a single set). One marvels at how she judiciously balances restraint and emotional forthrightness. The accompaniments (archlute, viola da gamba, harpsichord, and organ) are well judged and blend with the voice, all helped by an excellently defined recording acoustic. This is an absolute winner at any price!

More than two hours of beautiful 17th century 'ayres'.......2001-08-02

Two CDs, totaling more than 150 minutes of sparsely-arranged (never more than 3-5 instruments at a time), sweetly-sung, 350 year old 'ayres' (a typically English form of secular music). Nancy Argenta's soprano voice is lovely, silvery indeed as her name implies. The instruments are a discreet but friendly accompaniment to her solo voice. Perhaps the instruments are a little too discreet -- there are times when I wish they were a touch more prominent. But that is a very, very minor complaint. A beautiful collection, and quite well worth the money.

How Sweet It Is! The Jackie Gleason Velvet Brass Collection

Average customer rating:

Most enjoyable......
Gleason's Best Music Recording
This music is a class act!
One of Gleason's BEST Albums!
95% GREAT-5% WRECKING CREW

How Sweet It Is! The Jackie Gleason Velvet Brass Collection
Jackie Gleason
Manufacturer: Razor & Tie
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music

Orchestral Pop | Easy Listening | Pop | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Music for Lovers Only/Music to Make You Misty
Tawny/Music, Martinis and Memories
The Romantic Moods Of Jackie Gleason
The Best of Jackie Gleason
Night Winds

ASIN: B000002ZAI
Release Date: 1996-06-18

Tracks:

You're Driving Me Crazy
Skyliner
But Not For Me
The Man I Love
Cherokee
Me And My Shadow
Take The 'A' Train
By The Beautiful Sea
Am I Blue?
What's New?
Girl Of My Dreams
My Buddy
I Can't Believe That You're In Love With Me
September Song
Out Of Nowhere
Chinatown, My Chinatown
Melancholy Serenade
One Of These Days
I Had But 50 Cents
To A Sleeping Beauty

Customer Reviews:

Most enjoyable.............2007-01-11

All of Jackie Gleason's music is THE BEST! This particular CD is a great 'time-out' relaxer.........especially during a very busy day.

Gleason's Best Music Recording.......2006-04-18

I bought this CD almost 10 years ago and still enjoy it. Jackie selected some of his favorite big band hits and assembled a then modernized big band. Note the electric guitar in the mix. It adds a really warm sound. Plus, the drums are up front instead of pushed in the back as with older big band arrangements. The musicians are all hand picked by the Great One. Listen to this recording keeping in mind that this was all recorded live in a studio with no overdubbing.

The online clips don't do justice to how good this CD sounds. This CD reissue was created using the original 3 track stereo (left-center-right) master tape and it brings back the music in all it's glory.

This CD contains my favorite version of "Cherokee". It has a nice 1950's jazz feel with the big band sound. Superb!

I do, however, agree that the bonus tracks have no place on this CD. They don't have any musical connection what-so-ever with the original music tracks. At least they are easy enough to skip.

This music is a class act!.......2001-01-13

WOW is all I can say! The only other Gleason album I have is the 12" LP of "Music For Lovers Only". My family played it all the time when I was growing up (I was born in 1963) and we NEVER grew tired of the album. I took a chance on buying this CD and was not disappointed. The brass sound really takes your breath away! The music will grow on you the more you play it. "Moonlight Serenade" has so many memories for me since I remember the old "Jackie Gleason Show" on CBS. I'm glad to see Mr. Gleason's work being revived on CD, and I hope this is part of a greater trend of a revival of this type of music. If you're starving for some grace and class these days, light the fire in the fireplace, pour yourself a drink, put your feet up and enjoy this music!

One of Gleason's BEST Albums!.......2000-07-02

This album holds ALL of Gleason's trademarks: unusual arrangements that leave you spellbound, incredible musicians, and wonderful selections. The brass floats along, and the ENTIRE album is at long last released.This was only the THIRD album recorded in STEREO by Capitol. It was put out in a modified form in mono for it's first general release. For the FIRST time, we have ALL the stereo tracks that were recorded -- SEVENTEEN!The remastering is tops, giving us a peek into that vacuum tube era of '50s recording that many of us love. Unfortunately with modern remastering that quality is lost on most transfers, but not this one. You can hear the album as it was meant to be heard. Truly fantastic! YES, the CD does come with five BONUS tracks, like "Meloncoly Seranade" which was the theme for the HONEYMOONERS, and a few comic tracks by Gleason. That fact is great, and does NOT deter from the fact that the entire stereo album, with great remastering is here for us all to enjoy! GRAB THIS!

95% GREAT-5% WRECKING CREW.......1999-07-08

I have the original GREAT recording on LP and thought how wonderful to have the CD. Unfortunately, and not disclosed is 15 minutes of the loud mouthed television Gleason which runins a magnificent album. How can I play the CD without hearing his shouting? I would return it but have played it. On the back cover there is small wording of "BONUS TRACKS" which a person takes to mean ..more music. No reflection on AMAZON . COM but in my business we file for misrepresentation on the recording studio!..See my positive comments on Jazz Concert Carnegie Hall 1938..WOW! CWF

Average customer rating:

Broadway: America's Music 1935-2005

Manufacturer: Decca Broadway
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

Compilations | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Similar Items:

Grey Gardens - A New Musical (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
Broadway - The American Musical (PBS Series)
The Warmth of the Sun
The Drowsy Chaperone (2006 Original Broadway Cast)
White Nights

ASIN: B000B8I93Q
Release Date: 2005-10-18

Tracks:

Oh What a Beautiful Mornin'
Summertime
I Could Write a Book
It Never Entered My Mind
I Can Cook Too
Make It Another Old Fashioned, Please
If I Loved You
My Heart Belongs to Daddy
Thou Swell
I Left My Heart at the Stage Door Canteen
There's No Business Like Show Business
South American Way

Tracks:

Shall We Dance
Ohio
Luck Be a Lady
Mack the Knife
There's a Small Hotel
Once in Love with Amy
Yodel Blues
Lazy Afternoon
There Must Be Somethin' Better Than Love
You're Just in Love
Now Is the Time

Tracks:

Impossible Dream
Love Makes the World Go 'Round
Try to Remember
Put on a Happy Face
I Say Hello
Happiness
She Loves Me
What Kind of Fool Am I?
Shy
Consider Yourself
Poor Little Person

Tracks:

Magic to Do
They're Playing My Song
I Don't Know How to Love Him
I Won't Send Roses
Good Morning Starshine
Don't Cry for Me, Argentina
Hard Candy Christmas
Diamonds Are a Girl's Best Friend
Won't You Charleston with Me?
Applause

Tracks:

Phantom of the Opera
Memory
On My Own
Muddy Water
How Could I Ever Know
American Dream
I Know Him So Well
Dr. Jazz
Me and My Girl
Suddenly Seymour

Tracks:

Mamma Mia!
Popular
Seasons of Love
Oh, the Thinks You Can Think
Whatever Lola Wants
Crazy
How Deep Is Your Love
Stars
People Like Us
I Go to Rio

Shakespeare's Musick (Songs & Dances from Shakespeare's Plays) / Pickett, Musicians of the Globe

Average customer rating:

Excellent argument for watching Shakespeare's plays
Elizabethan Surprise!

Shakespeare's Musick (Songs & Dances from Shakespeare's Plays) / Pickett, Musicians of the Globe
John Dowland , William Byrd , John Wilson , Giles Farnaby , Robert Jones , Anonymous , Robert Johnson , Thomas Morley , Philip Pickett , Rachel Elliott , Meredith Hall , Musician of the Globe , Libby Crabtree , Jacob Heringman , Rosalind Waters , Gary Cooper , Roderick Williams , Joanne Lunn , and William Shakespeare
Manufacturer: Philips
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Folk | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Solo Instrumental | New Age | Styles | Music
Similar Items:

Shakespeare's Songbook, Vols. 1 & 2
The Enchanted Island (Music for a restoration "Tempest") / Pickett, Musicians of the Globe
Shakespeare's Songbook

ASIN: B0000041KP
Release Date: 1997-07-15

Tracks:

Pieces For Broken Consort: Hollis Berrie
Pieces For Broken Consort: Daphne
Pieces For Broken Consort: My Robin Is To The Greenwood Gone
Pieces For Broken Consort: Tickle My Toe
As You Like It: It Was A Lover And His Lass
Kemp's Jig
Strophe 1: Measure For Measure: Take, O Take Those Lips Away
Bonny Sweet Robin
Twelfth Night: Farewell, Dear Love
Tarletones Riserrectione
Henry IV Part 2: Hold, Lingel, Hold
Hamlet IV:5 (Ophelia): How Should I Your True Love Know
Walsingham
The Winter's Tale: Get You Hence
La Coranto
La Coranto
Cymbeline II: 3: Hark, Hark! The Lark
The First book Of Consort Lessons: La Volta
The First book Of Consort Lessons: La Volta
Othello IV: 3: The Poor Soul Sat Sighing (The Willow Song)
Robin
Twelfh Night: O Mistress Mine
O Mistris Mine
The Tempest: Full Fathom Five
The Tempest: Where the Bee Sucks, There I Suck I
The First book Of Consort Lessons: Can She Excuse (John Dowland?)
The First book Of Consort Lessons: Go From My Window ( Richard Alison)
Shakespeare's Musick - The Musicians Of The Globe

Customer Reviews:

Excellent argument for watching Shakespeare's plays.......2005-11-29

'Shakespeare's Musick' by Musicians of the Globe, lead by Philip Pickett is, like a similar recording, 'Songs and Dances from Shakespeare' by The Broadside Band' is a very nice recreation of what you would have heard at the Globe Theatre in London during or after the performances of Will Shakespeare's plays. I will also say that I believe it is just a bit better than the alternative recording if only for it's fewer 'Hey Nonnie Nonnies'. But, both recordings are not the best you can find of Renaissance music. Compared to excellent recordings of Renaissance dances and liturgical music, these seem to suffer from being out of context.

These are well worth the listen, but they will probably not set your toes to tapping as you might to performances by, for example, the Renaissance specialist band Piffaro.

Elizabethan Surprise!.......2000-02-12

If someone had asked me before I listened to the music provided on this CD if I liked English music of the sixteenth and seventeenth centuries, I would have wrinkled my nose and said a resounding "Yuck!" I came across "Shakespeare's Musick" quite by accident at the local library. I was working on a project dealing with William Shakespeare and decided to take this CD home to see if it would fit into my theme. From the very first song to the very last, Philip Pickett and the Musicians of the Globe had me captivated. The sound is pure and lively and takes the listener on a ride that transcends time. It certainly made this listener a convert! I am now purchasing "Shakespeare's Musick" to add to my own collection and would highly recommend its addition to anyone elses. It will open your ears to a whole other world of sound -- sound that not only tickles the fancy, but enchants the soul.

Average customer rating:

Handel: The Masterworks (Box Set)

Manufacturer: Brilliant Classics
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Trios | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Chamber Music | Classical | Styles | Music

Suites | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

Baroque (c.1600-1750) | Symphonies | Classical | Styles | Music

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General | Classical | Styles | Music

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Hymns | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Oratorios | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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Blowout Box Sets | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

More Titles at Least 20% Off | Classical Music Blowout | Stores | Music

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Haydn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Vivaldi: The Masterworks (Box Set)
Mendelssohn: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Schubert: The Masterworks [Box Set]
Dvorák: The Masterworks [Box Set]

ASIN: B00062FLI8
Release Date: 2004-11-30

Angels Hide Their Faces: Dawn Upshaw Sings Bach and Purcell

Average customer rating:

Beautiful, fervent Bach, but the Purcell songs are a bit prettified
Now that the Sun hath veil'd his light.....
Picky reviewers
hark ! how well the lady sings

Angels Hide Their Faces: Dawn Upshaw Sings Bach and Purcell

Manufacturer: Nonesuch
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Cantatas | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Voices of Light
Forgotten Songs: Dawn Upshaw Sings Debussy
I Wish It So
Dawn Upshaw Sings Rodgers & Hart
Girl with Orange Lips

ASIN: B000059LXH
Release Date: 2001-03-27

Tracks:

Music For A While - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas
I Attempt From Love's Sickness To Fly - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas
Ah! How Sweet It Is To Love - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas
Lord, What Is Man - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas
Hark! How All Things - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Recitativo - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Aria - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Recitativo - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Aria - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Recitativo - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Chorale - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Recitativo - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
Cantata BWV 199: Mein Herze Schwimmt Im Blut: Aria - Dawn Upshaw/Krista Bennion Feeney/Linda Quan/Lois Martin/Myron Lutzke/John Feeney/Peggy Pearson...
If Music Be The Food Of Love - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas
The Blessed Virgin's Expostulation - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas
An Evening Hymn - Dawn Upshaw/Myron Lutzke/Arthur Haas

Amazon.com

Soprano Dawn Upshaw's programs are always interesting, and this one's a beauty: one of Bach's most heartfelt cantatas flanked by songs and arias of Purcell. For the most part, she's in excellent voice, but with the tics that make some demur from enthusiasm: occasional swooping, thinning of the voice in the upper regions, lapses into a "Broadway" type of vocalism, and diction problems. The latter, oddly enough, are as present in Purcell's English as in Bach's German, as in the way Upshaw lands heavily on the r with a broad American accent rather than the lightly rolled r we're used to in performances of period English music. There's also some broad word-painting in the Bach, whose text, charting the soul's journey from sin to redemption, really needs no extra emoting. That said, Upshaw's fans will love this disc, and even those who prefer a different approach will enjoy it. Accompaniments are excellent: a continuo team in the Purcell, a small chamber group in the Bach. Outstanding sonics, too. --Dan Davis

Customer Reviews:

Beautiful, fervent Bach, but the Purcell songs are a bit prettified.......2006-08-24

Amazon's reviewer seems to have zoned out on how Dawn Upshaw pronounces words, missing most of the musical value here. Her singing of the Bach cantata, 'Mein Herze schwimmt in Blut,' is very moving. She is deeply involved, and her voice extracts the deep reverence and religious passion that makes this music so great. I'm not as convinced by the Purcell songs, however. Upshaw has chosen some of the most famous, and set against great singers like Battle, Baker, and Ferrier, her rendiitons seem a little shallow and prettified. She's considerably more tuned in to Bach, which is good enough to make this a memorable CD, if not her very best. Things would be much improved if the conducting by the (totally uncredited) conductor weren't so limp.

Now that the Sun hath veil'd his light............2001-08-04

Some say angels are God's messangers. When angels communicate, surely they sound like Dawn Upshaw. Upshaw's beautiful soprano voice rises to the stars and floats back again as she sings the beautiful collection of arias and cantatas by Purcell and Bach contained in ANGELS HIDE THEIR FACES.

Shaw's interpretation of Purcell's 'How sweet it is to love' reminds me of the elation I first felt on realizing love exists. 'Lord what is a man' brings one back to earth with a lamentation about human frailty and the finiteness of human existence. "Rejoice, rejoice" sings the angel in 'Hark! How all things' with lyrics from 'The Fairy Queen' -- a text by E. Settle after Shakespeare's 'A Midsummer Night's Dream.'

Bach's cantatas fill the air as Upshaw sings arias in German (interpretations are provided in the text accompanying the CD). J.S. Bach's songs are clearly and beautifully articulated by Upshaw while in the backgound various wind and string instruments accompany her vocalizations. Many of Upshaw's vocalizations by Bach in German as well as the instrumentation (including viol consort) remind me of the arias from 'The Messiah' -- majestic albeit on a very human scale. For example, Aria #9 by Bach is comparable to "He shall lead his flock.." (although the latter was written for an alto voice).

The music in English by Purcell is a bit lighter. My favorite piece is 'An evening hymn' by Purcell which I would expect to hear near dusk in an English chapel. However, ANGELS HIDE THEIR FACES contains music you can play year round at any time of day.

Picky reviewers.......2001-05-31

I've got a degree in musicology ( and am fluent in German as well), and for a while after total immersion in graduate school, found my listening enjoyment frustrated by the same pickiness that hampers your reviewer. Fortunately, that passed, and I'm now able to simply appreciate Dawn Upshaw's performance of the music we hear all too seldom. I hope that others will be able to participate in Upshaw's interpretation of the poetry behind the music, to think about the theological role of angels (not just pretty faces and feathery wings), to love this wonderful recording. We are indeed blessed that technology allows us to experience such music, such an artist.

hark ! how well the lady sings.......2001-05-31

This is one of those little gems that becomes more appealing with each hearing. The Purcell pieces are sweet and lovely, but the Bach ! This Cantata is the glory of this CD. It's verses are of the deepest sorrow and repentance, woeful utterances for God's forgiveness, until the final aria, "How joyful is my heart since God is appeased". Dawn Upshaw's interpretation is beautiful. She captures the emotion, the longing, the spirituality and heart of the piece.

The musicians in the simple accompaniment are superb, and the entire package excellent...it was the cover art that first drew my attention to this CD...an unusual and moving painting by Hugo Simberg titled "Wounded Angel" from 1903. It also has the lovely added touch of being slip-cased, making it a perfect gift item for anyone who likes this type of music.

Music:

Music

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