5 comments about Choral Moods.

1. Even as an avid fan of classical music with very picky tastes, there was just so much good music packed on these two (cheap!) discs for me to take in at once!
   The perfectly balanced and locked chords can really give you chills.

   I gave this CD as a present to a good friend of mine who was not so familiar with the genre, with tremendous results. I think this would make a great gift to anyone with the slightest inclination towards classical music.




2. I am a semi-professional singer with a BA in Music, and I bought this CD with some trepidation because it looked like one of those dreadful "pop classical" compilations that are everywhere lately. But it had lots of great repertoire all in on place, so I decided to risk it, and I was not disappointed! In fact, this is now one of my favorite choral CDs.

   As usual, the Choir of Trinity College delivers stunning performances, and the music itself is just gorgeous. Lots of "church" favorites from a wide range of musical periods. The mood of the CD is definitely on the mellow side, but it's perfect for those quiet moods. I love this CD -- highly recommended!




3. I keep finding new things to love on this CD, including the fact that it has the first recording I found of Gabriel Faure's beautiful Soprano (or Soprano/Alto) duet Ave Maria., Opus 93. The same recording appears on another CD where the singers are named. The above description of this selection unaccountably adds a baritone. Incidentally, Faure also composed a shorter SATB Ave Maria, which John Rutter has recorded.

   I only wish the recording included the complete text of Psalm 50/51 from Gregorio Allegri's Miserere Mei Deus. This might come from John Rutter's recently edited score, published by Oxford Press, if I'm not mistaken. I, for one, do not find this selection (or indeed the entire recording) too long and I believe that the embellishments at the end (mentioned in another review) are probably correct when considering performance conventions of the time of its composition.




4. This was the first choral CD I've ever purchased when I started becomming involved with choir during my senior year of high school five years ago. My director was telling the choir that he had finally found his copy at a music store and referred to it as the "Holy Grail" of choral recordings. So, I went out to find my own copy and I'm still blown away by it today. I've even given copies as gifts. The music is certainly relaxing and such, but what I most value from it is the spiritual magic. The Choir of Trinity College, Cambridge (then and now my favorite choir in the world) brings every composition to life in such a way that's pure, elegant, and deep. Listening to this music and enjoying this choir has allowed me to set my own standard of singing and compositional excellence.



5. This is the most uplifting music I have encountered. The angelic sounds of this choral group help me stay sane on California highways!

5 comments about Our Favorite Things - Christmas in Vienna / Tony Bennett, Vanessa Williams, Placido Domingo, Charlotte Church.

1. Placido Domingo has done several holiday concert special for PBS over the years. The ones I've seen usually pair him with Jose Carreras on the classical end and maybe one pop diva like Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross. That makes for a mixed bag, and maybe a few awkward moments when the vocal styles don't quite mesh. But with the visuals, the glitz and glamour of the stars usually make these spectacles enjoyable enough.
   
   I've never seen the DVD version of this concert, which also aired of PBS, as I understand it. But I'll wager it works better with the visuals. As a pure listening experience, OUR FAVORITE THINGS comes up short. Domingo is really the only singer who is in top form for the occasion, and his Spanish language carols (probably unfamiliar to most American listeners) are a real treat. Tony Bennett, who has been fine in other recent broadcasts and recordings, sounds a bit hoarse here. He improves as the concert progresses, but he relies more on phrasing than chops and is at a disadvantage when duetting with Domingo. (On the other hand, Domingo's noticeable discomfort with idiomatic American English weakens his performance on tracks like "My Favorite Things" and "I'll Be Home For Christmas").
   
   On the distaff side we have Charlotte Church and Vanessa Williams, whose work I am less familiar with. Church sounds a little nervous and out of her depth when duetting with Domingo. She has a pleasant enough voice, which I hope she does not subject to too much strain before reaching her potential. I am not an expert in these matters, but I have been told by classical singers that too much too soon can be disastrous for a developing voice.
   
   Williams is less distinctive a pop singer than, say, Dionne Warwick or Diana Ross, who could at least begin to hold their own against the classical singers in those previous holiday concerts. She has her moments, but even her duet with Tony Bennett on "White Christmas" seems a bit strained.
   
   Fans of the individual singers featured here may well want to purchase this CD, but (even without having seen it), I'm betting that the DVD would be a wiser purchase. With the visuals of Vienna, the concert hall, the gowns and the glitter, I'm guessing it holds up a bit better. Strictly on a musical level, though, this is none of the stars' shining hour.



2. ONE AT A TIME IF YOU PLEASE!!!!
   
   This disc includes four of the best voices of our day, BUT they simply do not belong together in one program!!!!Somehow hearing 'O Holy Night' by two classical sounding singers following 'The Christmas Song' sung by a jazz-pop singer doesn't 'light my fire'. Now if you offered me a complete album of anyone of these singers, I probably would take it and enjoy it. Obviously, this is a money-making venture of the extreme sort; after all(say the great commercial powers) if you don't like Tony Bennett, then you have Placido Domingo etc. etc. etc. As I recall the same type disc was recorded 2 years ago (1998) with four diverse singers, Domingo again included.
   
   Oh well, the individual contributions are, for the most part enjoyable, but you will notice I did say: for the most part.



3. Maybe you had to be at the performance to appreciate it. Perhaps the concert itself, with the presence of these four performers, had some sort of flow and dazzle.
   
   But this CD is merely a strange assortment of singers, songs, and stylings, in no particular order. For instance: Placido Domingo's Jesus de Nazareth (the reason I'm giving this three stars instead of two) - followed by Tony Bennett and Vanessa Williams warbling a swinging "Winter Wonderland." Which detracts from my enjoyment of both those pieces.
   
   And then there are the inexcusable versions of "Angels We Have Heard on High" and "Silent Night," in which Tony Bennett's voice is just not up to the music anymore. It should have been obvious during rehearsals, and Bennett removed from the ensemble or given easier solos, or other songs selected. (And I still love him as a singer, just hate to see his aging voice be bested by the wrong music. In public.)
   
   It is an odd little CD, as is suggested by the cover. I found it in a bargain bin and was puzzled by the selection of these four performers, and decided to buy it and find out how well it worked. I'm so glad I didn't pay full price.



4. My favorite holiday music performed by top professionals and the gifted Charlotte Church. The amazing abilities of the featured artists supported by the magnificent orchestra and chorus make this an album that I wait all year to hear.



5. An odd assortment of singers you never thought of putting together, come together to produce a truly delightful Christmas concert. The visuals are beautiful to look at as well.

3 comments about A Renaissance Christmas.

1. I first heard cuts off this CD on the syndicated early music program Harmonia and was enchanted by it. I ordered it the next day and wasn't disappointed after it arrived. The CD comprises various English, French, & Italian carols, dance tunes, noels, and melodies from the 16th century.

   I'm not a trained musician so please forgive my lack of detailed musical critique. The tracks consist mostly of the heavenly vocals of the six members of the New York's Ensemble For Early Music, with a mixture of period instruments thrown in for good measure. Listening to it all, you can easily picture an advent service in a 16th cent. French cathedral. If you're looking for a beatiful peaceful collection of music to add to your holiday collection, this is it.

   Favorite tracks include: Nowell: Tidings true, C'etait a l'heure, Es ist ein' Ros', Conventry Carol, Greensleves, Branle de l'Official.




2. Usually period music is so poorly produced and cliche, but this CD is flawless. The quality of sound is amazing; the beauty of the music transcends time and space. If you buy one Christmas CD, buy this one. It's the perfect elegant moodsetter for the season.



3. In purchasing this CD, I was anticipating music that reflects the excitement that was the Renaissance. Instead, I felt I was listening to middle age dirges. I confess, I've not listened to the CD again.

5 comments about Roomful of Christmas.

1. This is the CD I dust off every year and play as long as I possibly can! Sugar Ray Norcia and band are just fabulous! You'll be wishin' Christmas lasted longer too! Buy it, play it and you'll enjoy the holiday shopping and stress much more! And don't forget the champagne and egg nog! Cozy up by the fireplace with this hot CD and it'll be the best blues Christmas ever!



2. For not being nationally known these guys have sustained for a very long time. You won't hear me complain about their longevity. If you just want to stick this disk in your machine and listen intently, or turn it down and have it as background music, it's just good to hear. When it's Roomful of Blues, you can count on some great sounds.



3. Roomful of Christmas is Roomful of Blues at their best---full of soul, full of horns, full of sound--and the incomparable Sugar Ray Norcia is singing lead!!! How good can it get? Just start with "The Christmas Song", quiet and ever so soulful, the famous horns giving Sugar Ray and his silken vocals all the room they need. Fabulous!! Chuck Berry's "Run Rudolph Run" is given a fresh, new workout, while "Christmas Celebration" features the classic Roomful arrangements and sounds as if it's been taken straight from their classic 1994 release Turn It On! Turn It Up!! Outstanding! "Let It Snow..." finds Sugar Ray and Co. at their most romantic and funloving, while "White Christmas" is given a New Orleans style treatment and a falsetto intro. (The falsetto is unnecessary; I think the song works better without it.) Best of all is Roomful's cover of "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas," first sung by Judy Garland in the movie Meet Me in St. Louis and featuring Sugar Ray crooning with all his might (and considerable polish, to boot!). Wonderful, simply wonderful!!! So, get Roomful of Christmas quickly before the holidays end, and fill up your rooms with their soulful yuletide sound!!!



4. The previous reviews are certainly better than mine in giving you the various technical & artistic reasons as to why you should purchase or not purchase this CD. IMHO, I recommend purchasing this CD. While I don't give out 5 stars to anything, because I view it as a theorectical limit that can only be approached but never achieved, this CD is, without reservation, a 4.5 star CD.
   
   Hello Marketing People .... read this... downloaded both of the free "Roomful of Blues" Christmas MP3s *and* decided to buy the CD! I was just going to purchase the CD single. But I took the dive and purchased the "Roomful of Christmas" CD, absolutely no regrets. I have been playing it every morning since I received it 2 days ago. I have been playing the free MP3 tracks longer than that.
   
   Just good, solid, & pleasant...just wanted I wanted in a Christmas but not sugar-cuteness. Good music is timeless and worthy to be played and sung by different artists. For whatever reason, I love their spin on "White Christmas".
   
   They are excellent muscians. The vocals are greats and love the brass! Can't wait to share with my son the budding trombone player!
   
   I can't wait to buy another "Roomful of Blues" CD, but which one....
   
   Marketing People Read : Free MP3 downloads work.



5. Room Full of Blues, one the great roadhouse bands, serves up a sampling of Christmas tunes R&B style. While I have enjoyed this album and found it a nice addition to my collection I was a bit disappointed with how safe they played it. Most of the tunes are very close to the originals, which we have all heard too many times. Also, a few of the songs are over sung given it a bot of a lounge act feel. Horns are excellent on the album however. Check out Alligator's great Christimas album instead if you are looking for a blue Christmas with some unique style.

5 comments about Yule Struttin'.

1. This is a jazzy blues yuletide compilation with classic jazz artists such as Chet Baker, Count Basie and Dexter Gordon playing some traditional holiday favorites. In addition, two versions of an original Thelonious Monk composition called "A Merrier Christmas" are also included. Contemporary jazz artists such as John Scofield and Benny Green also perform some compositions and vocal tracks by Lou Rawls and Dianne Reeves further add to the overall diversity of this compilation.

   For those who can appreciate a more melancholic blend of yuletide jazz & blues, this is a great addition to the holiday collection.




2. I own about 6 or more Christmas jazz CDs/tapes but this remains my favorite - so much so that we now have to buy it again because we wore our the tape.

   For us it is perfect background music for mellow parties, opening presents, dinner, etc. I have wonderful memories of listening to this tape in the car during long drives to the family.

   But the CD is NOT elevator music - it's a quality collection, worth listening to with the volume up. Some of my Christmas jazz CDs tend to be un-imaginative saxophone versions of tired Christmas classics. Not this CD - the songs are original and creative.

   Lastly, it is "approachable" - the kind of jazz that non-experts (like me) tend to understand and enjoy.




3. I own many Christmas CDs. This one ranks in the Top 3. From the first track "Vauncing Chimes" on you are in for a smooth experience. Enjoy it!



4. Get this CD just to listen to Eliane Elias' "Sleigh Ride." The other tracks are also great, but I keep listening to this one over and over.



5. I picked this up for my husband because he enjoys jazz and the blues. (I also thought the cover was quite clever!). We've listened to this CD the most over the years at holiday season and have given it for a gift quite a few times. Many surprises and wonderful tunes...including a great one from Thelonious Monk. It's very "jazzy" but can also be background music at parties. People always say "what's this from" when we play it. Buy it, you won't be disappointed!

5 comments about Narada Presents: The Best of Celtic Christmas.

1. I've enjoyed the Windham Hill Celtic Christmas recordings for years, so I had high hopes for this one from Narada, particularly since Altan and Boys of the Lough are featured on it. The first thing I noticed is that the quality of the sound on this recording is just awful on just about every track. I have no idea whether I received a defective copy or if the overall production values on the CD are inferior, but the sound quality is unsatisfactory by any standard. Secondly, the songs themselves are just not up to the quality of others of this genre----rather a B list of Celtic holiday recordings. If you're buying your first Celtic holiday CD, start with the Windham Hill recordings, or the Chieftains' The Bells of Dublin.



2. This is beautiful, soft, relaxing, Christmas music one could listen to all year. I kept a copy in my car and when holiday traffic got so bad I wanted to scream I would pop in this CD and it would help me calm right down-didn't help the traffic one lick but what ya spect from a CD. I would recommend this to pretty much anyone, even those who do not care for traditional Celtic music. Classy and refreshing



3. This 2-disc set has lots of nice, soothing music, most of which you've probably never heard before. These aren't the standard American Christmas songs. I've been unable to find a recording of Polly in the Holly (from CD 2) anywhere but in this CD set.



4. I purchased this CD Christmas 06. One of the best decisions. I listen to the CD year round.This week I spent a week in the Appalachian Mountains, living in a wonderful 2 story log cabin-nestled in the heart of the Appalachians (out side of Boone, N.C.) and 2 days of rain, and cold weather, the atmosphere and the smoke rising off the mountains put my family in the Christmas mood.
   
   All selections are exceptional, and beautiful. This 2 CD collection will never any further than arms-length from any CD player that I own. The music is very relaxing, and uplifting.



5. This really is the best of Celtic Christmas music. There was very little on the CD I didn't like. I highly recommend it!

No comments about Sharon, Lois & Bram's Elephant Show: Who Stole the Cookies?.

5 comments about Christmas In The Country.

1. My husband bought this CD for me at Eddie Bauer (the case had their logo on it) during a promotion some five or six years ago. I absolutely adored it -- it is just too beautiful for words. Several of the pieces (especially the two versions - first cut and last - of "Huron Carol") are completely calming and conducive to restful contemplation. I wore my copy out, and thinking that it was an Eddie Bauer promotional item, and no longer available, I "mourned" the loss of my all-time favorite Christmas CD. When I found it on Amazon, I immediately bought several copies for friends, and of course, another for myself! The nature sounds are perfect - not overwhelming or obnoxious. For instance, on the last cut, if you listen carefully to the water sounds, you can hear what sounds like small pieces of ice in the brook, gently hitting each other and almost "chiming." I love this CD! It celebrates the season in which we commemorate God's greatest gift - his Son - with beautiful music and the lovely sounds of another of God's gifts - the natural world around us.



2. I thought this was a relaxing CD for the holidays. I have several of his other CD's and was happy to see he had another winter one out!! If you like nature and instrumental music this is the CD for you.



3. The music in this cd is absolutely wonderful. The sounds are so crystal clear, my kitties really think they are out in nature. I bought it first on cassette years ago, then I had to have it on cd. It's the most beautiful Christmas music I own.



4. This particular cd is a favorite of ours. We had only one and wanted to give some as gifts. It is relaxing and Christmasy. I highly recommend it!



5. Dan Gibson's Christmas in the Country is the best ever Christmas recording
   that I've ever heard. My son got me a copy for Christmas about 10 years ago and I think I've worn it out. It's nature sounds and instrumentals suit every selection that's on the CD. It connects so much more with the spiritual side of Christmas rather than the secular side. I just bought four copies of this CD for friends for this Christmas. Ten thumbs up if I had 'em!

3 comments about Mahalia Jackson Sings the Songs of Christmas.

1. I listen to Mahalia Jackson Christmas music every winter and I just cant get enough of her.She has an good voice and can really sing so this dvd should include some of her best Christmas songs icluding;O Come All Ye Faithful,Joy To The World,Hark The Herald Angels Sing,Away in an Manger,and Sweet Little Jesus Boy.If thats on here I dont know though than this would be an real classic and would definetly spice up the holiday seasons!



2. Here comes a chrismas song DVD of Mahalia Jackson's TV-concerts in the 1950/60ies b/w as areissue of her XENON-video in good quality for a good price.



3. Not to detract from Ms. Jackson's incredible talent, whoever created this DVD was asleep at the wheel.
   
   The audio quality is... well, horrible. Absolutely, horrible.
   
   On the back, it says "Audio remastered at 'SoundScape'". I will watch for that name and never buy anything remastered by 'SoundScape'.
   
   I hope this is helpful to someone, I don't want anyone buying this DVD thinking they are going to get excell..., not excellent, just average audio quality would have been OK with me!!!

3 comments about Angelic Voices: The Best of the Vienna Boys' Choir.

1. This CD covers a wide range of music.The Vienna Boys Choir have done another great job. I believe this CD is a great choice, one that You will be happy with.



2. The songs are nice and the music pleasant to listen to, but the titles are fairly short and there is something missing. I just didn't find it to be very moving, perhaps it's just the recording.



3. I get this item and I can say is great, if you really want to get an idea about the vienna boys choir's work, you have to get this, you can admire the soloist voice, Emanuel Cencic, he has an outstanding voice, principally the track "let the bright querubin" but in general is a great compilation, you can stop listening.