Read to Me

Editorial Reviews
Genesee Valley Parent Newsmagazine, 1994
... [F]eatures fresh and diverse tunes, an educational and entertaining mix of music styles.

FREETIME: Western New York's Arts & Entertainment Guide, 1994
Here's a riddle ... what's fun, lyrical, educating and entertains? The answer is Read to Me.

Album Description
Vincent's original music for children serves as a launch point for curriculum units, creative thinking and community building. All five of his CDs ("Vincent and the Big Bad Kitchen Band", "Read to Me", "Brand New Day", "Just One Step", and his latest "Working Together") are award winners. Vincent uses a variety of musical styles to help children learn basic skills, such as the alphabet, colors, opposites and counting, as well as shared values, such as living in harmony with our environment and cultural diversity. Vincent's song writing has been compared favorably to both Raffi and Stephen Sondheim, but mostly his music is fun, catchy and entertaining.

Read to Me

Customer Reviews:

The Better of the two.......2006-06-03

I have both disc in the series. I liked the music on this disc much more than the first. The selections seem more focused and the sounds are much clearer. Also, the particular pieces fit better together. I love the sound of this group and hope they make more in the future.

Not as good as version 1 in this series.......2004-09-03

This is by the same group who did the wonderful & engaging Early American Choral Music 1. Somehow this CD did not live up to its predecessor in some ways. The performance is still top notch, but somehow the CD as a whole isn't quite as engaging to listen to as the first. Perhaps version 2's strength is also its weakness. Its diversity of composers allows you to pear past the shadow of William Billings and sample other notable early American hymn writers. That exposure is valuable & appreciated. I just couldn't get into it as much.

A final note: many of the texts are beautiful (and available from the publisher's web site). However, I would criticize "Who is this that cometh from Edom?" as dwelling just a bit too much on the Jews' rejection of Jesus. Among other reasons & issues, Christianity says that we are all sinners & there is no cause to single a particular group out negatively.

Same as 'Goostly Psalmes: Anglo-American Psalmody 1550-1800'.......2004-02-21

Please note this CD is a duplicate of His Majestie's Clerkes's "Goostly Psalmes: Anglo-American Psalmody 1550-1800" -- identical contents but a different name and cover. I ordered both and was irritated to discover this. This CD is cheaper, so I recommend this one. It is a lovely choral work from a little-known period of sacred music.

Palace of the Winds: The Piano at the Movies

Average customer rating:

Palace of the Winds: The Piano at the Movies

Manufacturer: Telarc
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

Preludes | Forms & Genres | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Jazz | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Musical Theater | Vocal Non-Opera | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Movie Scores | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

Movie Soundtracks | Soundtracks | Styles | Music

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Cinematic Piano: Solo Piano Music from the Movies
Love at the Movies
Christmas at the Movies
Music for the Movies of Clint Eastwood
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ASIN: B000003D2Y
Release Date: 1997-07-29

Tracks:

Main Title 'Feather Theme'
'Heaven's Light'
'Ashokan Farewell'
'With God's Help, Shine'
Prelude
Cadenza From Allegro Ma Non Tanto
Raindrop
'Round Midnight'
Main Theme
Main Theme
'A Retreat' / 'Read Me To Sleep' / 'Palace of the Winds'
Fur Elise
'Moonlight;' Adagio Sostenuto
Main Theme 'Dog Eyes'
Don't Cry For Me Argentina
X-Files: Theme
Summer Of '42 - Main Theme
Claudia's Theme

Average customer rating:

Fantastic!!!!!!

Sweet Seraphic Fire

Manufacturer: New World Records
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Classical | Styles | Music

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Classical | Indie Music | Stores | Music
Similar Items:

Early American Choral Music, Vol. 1
Early American Choral Music, Vol. 2
The Norumbega Harmony: Historic and Contemporary Hymn Tunes and Anthems from the New England Singing School Tradition (American Made Music Series)

ASIN: B000AA4L8W
Release Date: 2005-08-02

Tracks:

New Canaan (Oliver Holden, 1793)
Maryland (William Billings, 1778)
Bethlehem (William Billings, 1778)
Lynn (Oliver Holden, 1793)
Funeral Hymn (Oliver Holden, 1792)
An Anthem for Easter (William Billings, 1787/1795)
Walpole (Abraham Wood, 1786)
Beauty (Jacob French, 1789)
Happiness (Jacob French, 1793)
Woburn (Jacob Kimball, 1793)
Montague (Timothy Swan, 1801)
Newport (Daniel Read, 1785)
Hatfield (Thomas Baird, 1800)
Attention (Asahel Benham [?], 1790)
Crucifixion (M. Kyes, 1798)
Mechias (James Lyon, 1774)
St. Paul's (Supply Belcher, 1794)
Transition (Supply Belcher, 1794)
Jubilant (Supply Belcher, 1794)
The Lilly (Supply Belcher, 1794)
Buckfield (Abraham Maxim, 1802)
Pennsylvania (Nehemiah Shumway, 1793)
Sounding Joy (J. P. Storm, 1795 )
Redemption (Jeremiah Ingalls, 1805)
Consolation (Lucius Chapin, c. 1812)
Liberty-Hall (Lucius Chapin, 1813)
Babe of Bethlehem (Southern Harmony, 1835)
Convoy (M. L. Swan, 1867)
Hallelujah New (Roland Hutchinson, 1996)
Nativity (Bruce Randall, 1990)
Cortona (M. R. Truelsen, 1996)
Great Divide (Stephen Marini, 1998)
Arinello (Dennis O'Brien, 1997)
Ev'ry String Awake (Glen Wright, 1996)
Ten Thousand Charms (Hal Kunkel, 1996)

Product Description

Sweet Seraphic Fire brings together two unique bodies of American sacred song: choral compositions from the New England singing-school tradition and the most popular Evangelical Protestant hymn texts in historic American use. In the late eighteenth century the New England singing-school movement produced America's first great sacred-music style, employing several genres of unaccompanied four-part choral compositions with the melody in the lead (tenor) part. The enormous popularity of singing-school music also promoted a canon of hymn texts shared across America's competing Evangelical Protestant denominations. This recording contains neglected masterworks from the New England singing school that also helped to create the American hymn canon. Marking a more recent turn in this process, we have also included some new settings of traditional Evangelical lyrics written by leaders in the revival of singing-school music that has blossomed in the Northeast since 1976. ! Selection of pieces for this recording was determined by correlating "The Norumbega Harmony"--our collection of one hundred six historic New England singing-school compositions and thirty contemporary works in traditional style--with a list of the three hundred most frequently printed hymn texts in America from 1737 to 1960. --Stephen Marini

Customer Reviews:

Fantastic!!!!!!.......2006-03-15

This is a REALLY cool album of shape-note singings, I particurlarly like EVERY STRING AWAKE and ANTHEM FOR EASTER.
Some of the songs are kind of dreary, (Hatfield) but all in all this is COOL!!!

Average customer rating:

Great arrangements!
YES YES YES
I LOVE THIS CD!
Perfect For The Hard-To-Get-To-Sleep Infant or Child

Disney's Christmas Lullaby Album
Fred Mollin , and Greg Diakun
Manufacturer: Disney
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

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

General | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Disney | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Lullabies | Children's Music | Styles | Music

Sing-A-Longs | Children's Music | Styles | Music

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General | Vocal Pop | Pop | Styles | Music

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Disney Records | Amazon.com Label Stores | Stores | Music

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Disney's Lullaby Album
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Disney Baby Lullaby: Favorite Sleepytime Songs for Baby and You
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Disney's Family Christmas Collection

ASIN: B0000DBJ9M
Release Date: 2003-10-14

Tracks:

Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas
Angels Medley: Hark The Herald Angels Sing/O Come All Ye Faithful
O Holy Night
White Christmas
Story Medley: Away In The Manger/Good King Wenceslas/Angels We Have Heard On High
I'll Be Home For Christmas
Christmas Lullaby
Kings Medley: We Three Kings/God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen/Joy To The World
Winter Wonderland
December Medley: O Christmas Tree/The First Noel/What Child Is This
Midnight Medley: Silent Night/It Came Upon A Midnight Clear/Jingle Bells
Angels In The Snow

Customer Reviews:

Great arrangements!.......2007-03-03

I bought this for son's bedtime 4 years ago and had no idea how much I would enjoy it! I am a musician and generally just tolerate most music marketed for kids. These Fred Molin CDs were quite the pleasant surprise. The arrangements are relaxing and very high quality. Not cheesy or too new-agey. Many real acoustic instrument performances, not all synthesized BS.

I look forward to getting this out around Thanksgiving as a break from the Disney Lullaby I and II CDs we put in year-round (these are also great). For what it's worth, there's nothing really "Disney" about the CD, must just be the label or producer.

YES YES YES .......2006-01-12

This is a wonderful CD. I wasn't sure what to expect. I like Disney but wasn't sure what they were promoting here. Was Mickey going to talk?
None of that. All classical music in a very easy and soothing style. We have had a stressful past summer and fall due to 3 moves and adding a baby to the family.
All in 6 months. My now 2.5 year old one held up well but at night was just basically losing it. I finally digged this CD out and now when it is bedtime she lays there and listens calmly or talks softly and just is much more relaxed.
She now asks for the music after her bath and knowing that she is getting something educational as well as something that interests her makes me happy.I could listen to it all day long and frankly we are still listening to it after Christmas and most likley for a while longer.
It is perfect and draws you in right away.
I am not a musician but enjoy good music. This will not bore you but keep you in a happy spot, soothed and relaxed feeling.
Well worth the afford and money.
I may buy another one for my baby .
Enjoy this CD, all year round.

I LOVE THIS CD!.......2005-12-20

It's so soothing! I could listen to it all day. And I have 50 other Christmas cd's -- mostly instrumental! I listen to it in the kitchen when I'm working in there, and I listen to it on the computer when I'm working here! I borrowed if from our library, and now it's on my Christmas wish list! I will be buying it for myself if I don't get it as a gift! I would give it 8 stars if I could!

Perfect For The Hard-To-Get-To-Sleep Infant or Child.......2003-12-18

I already have the Disney Lullaby Album(NOT to be confused with the Disney BABY Lullaby Album!) which I always thought of as THE perfect one, but this one is just as great!! Take it from someone who has been in the child care field for almost 23 years. I have tried them all, and found that this CD, plus the regular Disney Lullaby Album, are THE BEST on the market today! I know for a fact that any tired baby or child will immediatly calm down and fall asleep when this album is played, much much faster than with any other music. I even find if the day is a little on the stress-filled side, putting this on while feeding or playing with them becomes a nice and smooth experience! Trust me on this one, Disney's Christmas Lullaby Album is well worth the cost; for the nice music, and the peace it instills in the children, and you!

Average customer rating:

English is an asset and a drawback
You Will Love Opera After Hearing Carmen In English
A wholly credible "Carmen" -- finally!
I love Carmen!

Carmen (Sung in English)
Bizet , Bardon , Gavin , Plazas , Magee , and Parry
Manufacturer: Chandos
ProductGroup: Music
Binding: Audio CD

General | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

Operettas | Opera & Vocal | Styles | Music

General | Classical | Styles | Music
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ASIN: B00007JGRN
Release Date: 2003-03-11

Tracks:

Prelude
In The Plaza
Just Look At That Delicious Morsel
Here Come Our New Soldier Boys
Jose! There Was A Girl Here Looking For You Just Now
Off With You Old Soldier Boys
Corporal! Sir!
We Have Heard The Bell Summon Us To Meet Here
Ah, Just Look!
But Why Hasn't She Come, Our Carmencita?
Love's A Bird Wild As Any Rebel
Carmen! We Will Follow You High And Low!
The Cheek Of It!
Give Me News Of My Mother!
Your Dear Mother And I Were Leaving Church This Morning
I See My Mother's Face!
Wait A Moment - I'm Going To Read The Letter
Come And Help
So, Corporal: Tell Me What Happened
Well, Carmencita: What Do You Have To Say For Yourself?
Where Are You Taking Me?
There's An Old Bar In The City
Careful - It's Lieutenant!
Entr'acte
From Far Away Mysterious Sounds
Bravo, Bravo! More! Keep Dancing!
Hurrah! Hurrah! The Torero!
Who's That? It's Escamillo, The Bullfighter From Granada
Hurrah! Hurrah! The Torero!
You're Most Kind
We'll Come With You, Senor Torero
Toreador, Be Ready!
At Last! We Got Rid Of Them As Quickly As We Could
There's A Little Job That We're Starting!
Being In Love Is Not A Reason

Tracks:

To Bid You Welcome To Our Bar
La La La La La La La La...
Back To Camp!... Go At Once!
That Flow'r You Threw To Me I Treasured
No, It's Not Love At All!
Hello! Carmen!
Lieutenant Fair, It's True
The Sky Above The Open Road
Entr'acte
Keep Going, Dear Old Friend, Kep Going!
Right! Let's Stop For A While
Shuffle! Cut Them!
In Vain You Would Avoid The Bitter Things They're Saying
You're Back!
As For That Man, It Should Be Easy!
Is This The Place?
I Say That There's Nothing To Fear
It's Him! I'm Sure It's Him Over There!
Escamillo Is My Name, And I Come From Granada
She Had A Lover Here
Hola! Hola! Jose!
You Should Take Care, Carmen
Alas! Jose, Your Mother Is Ill
Entr'acte
A Few Cuartos! A Few Cuartos!
Here They Come! Here They Come!
If You Love Me, Carmen
It's You! It's Me!
Viva! Viva! What A Corrida!

Customer Reviews:

English is an asset and a drawback.......2004-07-20

The best thing about this recording of Carmen is the libretto. Conductor David Parry penned this facile and dramatic English translation. He avoids the pitfalls of literal translation to achieve an idiomatic flow that matches the rhythm of the original lyrics. I use this as a reference libretto for any of the French Carmens.

Unfortunately, the performance suffers from being sung in English. The singers declaim their parts with such proper British diction that Carmen comes across as a school marm. The spoken dialog is delivered beat for deliberate beat and is dripping with reverb. It makes the plaza, tavern and mountain pass all sound like a sewer pipe.

This is a good first Carmen for someone trying to understand the work. The libretto itself is a good investment for further listening. For an enjoyable performance with an emphasis on character and action, I recommend Regina Resnik on the London Double Decker set.

You Will Love Opera After Hearing Carmen In English.......2004-02-09

What a perfect introduction to opera. This newly released recording will surely get you hooked into opera. Carmen, a French opera by Georges Bizet, is the most recognizable and most popular in the opera world. It's famous melodies- the overture, the Habanera, The Toreador Song have all been featured in everything from cellular phone ring tones to Superbowl Commercial (last year's Superbowl with The "Opera In English" label has been making Italian operas into English for a number of years now. Also on the market are Verdi's La Traviata in English (with soprano Valerie Masterson as Violetta) Handel's Julius Caesar with Janet Baker and even Wagner's epic Ring Of The Nibeling sung in English. This is a terrific recording and I highly recommend it if you want to get into opera. Listen to this version first and then try the real, original French version Bizet had written. Patricia Bardon is sensational, sexy and dramatic as Carmen.

The real strength of this version is the dynamic drama. With the advantage of being sung in English, we get better insight on characters' emotions and motives, and we understand the drama a lot better. Carmen is all about great drama. Bizet drew the plot from the French writer Prosper Merimee's dark short story. Carmen is the ultimate femme fatale- a devil-may-care, sexy Gypsy living in Spain, seduces the conservatively raised soldier Don Jose, stealing him away from his fiancee, the passive Micaela, living a life of underground smuggling and rowdy taverns. "Habanera" and "The Gypsy Song and Dance" are very expressive of Carmen's extraordinarily liberal lifestyle. Don Jose, however, has fallen deeply in love- as he shows us in his song/aria "The Flower Song". But Carmen soon becomes tired of his constancy. Don Jose wants a committed, monogamous relationship with Carmen. But Carmen will not submit to love, since she is first and foremost a carnal creature. Eventually, she falls for the handsome Toreador Escamillo. Don Jose, consumed by jealousy, stabs Carmen at a bullfight after Carmen declares her love for Escamillo and rejects Don Jose's love. Don Jose's crazed, obscessive personality shines through in the English version as well. This tragedy has been done in English before so don't think this is the first time. Back in the 50's, there was a film, starring black actors "Carmen Jones" which was treated the same way as this opera- more like an English Broadway musical and with the dubbed singing voice of Marilyn Horne as Carmen. All in all, this recording is excellent.

A wholly credible "Carmen" -- finally!.......2003-09-17

This recording really sells "Carmen" as a drama. Although I have two other recordings of this opera and have seen it performed several times, it never quite worked for me dramatically. But thanks to the fine performances, conducting, and translation here, I've become a "Carmen" convert. Producing a good English-language performance of a foreign opera, especially a warhorse like "Carmen," is much more difficult than it might appear. You need performers who not only can sing the parts (of course) but also can sing *English* and make it halfway intelligible and make it sound like English and make it dramatically convincing to English-speakers. The singers on this recording do an excellent job all around. Don't be put off if you don't recognize their names -- they are up to the task musically and (especially) in their acting. Admittedly, as with *all* English-language recordings, some passages are very hard to understand without reading along, but most of the time the words are clear and effective. I would recommend this recording to any opera beginner or opera lover, even those who normally turn up their noses at performances in translation.

I love Carmen!.......2003-08-15

I do. I can think of no other opera with more melodic inventiveness, and few others with so sure a dramatic pulse. Carmen is popular and it thrills me to say that it is also a very good opera - not always true of popular things.

And what of this recording? Carmen sits well in English, so it is good to hear in translation, although some of the detais in the text jar. Escamillo refers to Jose as "my dear", which sounds rather peculiar, and the guide's line to Micaela: "it's not exactly inviting, is it?" sounds distinctly Middle England rather than Rural Spain. Some of the performers, not least Carmen herself, make the words work, although there are long tracts, especially with the chorus, where the language is distinctly indistinct.

The soloists are, by and large, strong. Patricia Bardon's deep, Handel-friendly voice adapts well to Carmen and she colours the music with phenomenal detail, sounding sexy and provocative from the start with an edge of pride and anger that emerges as the show goes on. She is out of her depth above the stave, though, and some extra top notes in the second act don't show her off to her best advantage. I have previously said that Julian Gavin is poorly served by recordings, though here he sounds much more even and gives a thrilling and musical performance (but his wooden spoken lines let him down). Mary Plazas is a lovely Micaela, rich-voiced and sincere (and word-perfect), but Garry Magee sounds miscast as Escamillo, lacking the ballast at the bottom of the voice to do justice to this tricky role.

The supporting cast is good (Mary Hegarty seems to do nothing but Frasquita these days!) but the really treasurable thing is the conducting. Stepping out of Italian Ottocento, David Parry turns his hand to this French Comedie with an appropriate lightness of touch. His pacing and handling of the set pieces is exemplary and the enrtractes go with a real swing.