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RECORDINGS |
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| LABEL: |
SPARROW |
| CATALOG NUMBER: |
SPD 1560 |
| UPC NUMBER: |
724385156021 |
| NUMBER OF DISCS: |
2 |
| RUNNING TIME: |
141 MIN. |
| YEAR RECORDED: |
1979 |
| CD RELEASE DATE: |
MARCH 12, 2002 |
| CONDUCTOR: |
JOHN ALLDIS |
| ORCHESTRA: |
LONDON PHILHARMONIC
ORCHESTRA |
| CHOIR: |
LONDON PHILHARMONIC
CHOIR |
| SOPRANO: |
FELICITY LOTT |
| CONTRALTO: |
ALFREDA HODGESON |
| TENOR: |
PHILIP LANGRIDGE |
| BASS: |
ULRIK COLD |
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DISC ONE
1. Overture
2. Recitative. Comfort Ye My People
3. Aria. Every Valley Shall Be Exalted
4. Chorus. And The Glory Of The Lord
5. Recitative. Thus Saith The Lord
6. Aria. But Who May Abide The Day Of His Coming?
7. Chorus. And He Shall Purify
8. Recitative. Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive
9. Aria & Chorus. O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion
10. Recitative. For, Behold, A Darkness Shall Cover the Earth
11. Aria. The People That Walked In Darkness
12. Chorus. For Unto Us A Child Is Born
13. Pastoral Symphony
14. Recitative. There Were Shepherds Abiding In The Field
15. Recitative. And The Angel Said Unto Them
16. Recitative. And Suddenly There Was With The Angel
17. Chorus. Glory to God
18. Aria. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion
19. Recitative. Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind Be Opened
20. Aria. He Shall Feed His Flock Like A Shepherd
21. Chorus. His Yoke Is Easy, And His Burthen Is Light
22. Chorus. Behold The Lamb Of God
23. Aria. He Was Despised
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DISC TWO
1. Chorus. Surely He Hath Borne Our
Griefs
2. Chorus. And With His Stripes We Are Healed
3. Chorus. All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray
4. Recitative. All They That See Him, Laugh Him To Scorn
5. Chorus. He Trusted In God That He Would Deliver Him
6. Recitative. Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart
7. Arioso. Behold, And See If There Be Any Sorrow
8. Recitative. He Was Cut Off Out Of The Land Of The Living
9. Aria. But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul In Hell
10. Chorus. Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates
11. Aria. How Beautiful Are The Feet Of Them
12. Chorus. Their Sound Is Gone Out Into All Lands
13. Aria. Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage
14. Chorus. Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
15. Recitative. He That Dwelleth In Heaven
16. Chorus. Hallelujah!
17. Aria. I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
18. Chorus. Since By Man Came Death
19. Recitative. Behold, I Tell You A Mystery
20. Aria. The Trumpet Shall Sound
21. Recitative. Then Shall Be Brought To Pass
22. Duet. O Death, Where Is Thy Sting?
23. Chorus. But Thanks Be To God
24. Aria. If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us?
25. Chorus. Worthy Is The Lamb
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SITE RATING: 4/10
SITE REVIEW: This
performance, from 1979, has long been a best-seller, although for the
life of me I can't figure out why. Released by Christian
label Sparrow, the condescending liner notes claim that this recording
was made with
the intention to be "more friendly to the "man in the pew", (since by
inference they're as dumb as rocks and need pandering to) and there
was no intention to be "authentic or purist." Fine and good,
but couldn't they at least attempt to create a competent recording?
The 'artists' are all over the map, from tenor Philip
Langridge who is strident and brassy in his arias, to bass Ulrik Cold
who sounds like HE'S the one being shaken on his forced and unpleasant
melismas, to soprano Felicity Lott, who doesn't quite
hit the high
notes. The Philharmonic Choir chew through their pieces with
nasal, widespread pronunciations, and the tempos throughout are leaden.
What truly surprises me is that notable conductor John Alldis
is
at the head of this performance - it sounds as if some amateur is in
charge. If this is the best that Sparrow could manage, its a
wonder
that it's managed to sell all these years. Then again,
perhaps the pastors have been plugging it among their congregations, it
certainly doesn't deserve success based on its own meager merits.
~ BDW
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