CD-Charts Position 101
Average Rating:

Hodie / Fantasia on Christmas Carols

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: EMI Classics

Release Date November 07, 2000
I first encountered this recording over thirty years ago on an Angel LP. I listened to it at the time the university chorus I was singing in was preparing for a performance of the whole work. (We performed it with orchestra, organ, and boys' chorus; faculty members were the soloists.) This was in the early 1970s, and the music was a revelation to me as an undergraduate music student.

This music has gotten under my skin and become part of me. I always listen to "Hodie" at least once in the run-up to Christmas, and sometimes during the twelve days after. The more I listen, the more interlinked all the sections seem--Vaughan Williams was a master of the craft of composition! I also defy anyone to listen to and absorb this whole work ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 102
Average Rating:

Bach: Greatest Hits

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: Sony

Release Date August 09, 1994
Good good CD with all Bach's greatest hits in good arrangements.
The different songs give a good impression of Bach's great works.

CD-Charts Position 103
Average Rating:

John Rutter: Requiem

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: EMI Classics

Release Date August 11, 1998
I would recommend The Rutter Requiem as performed by the choir of King's College in Cambridge, England, to anyone with an interest in that piece or in timeless religious music. The performance by both the singers and the instrumentalists is flawless and exquisitely beautiful, with an incredible range of emotions expressed as the composer meant for them to be.

CD-Charts Position 104
Average Rating:

Home for Christmas

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
by: Adolphe-Charles Adam, Alice-Charlotte Tegner, Goran Danielsson, Svante Henryson, Jakob Lindberg, Jan Bengston, Ulf Farsberg, Torbjorn Helander, Ulrika Jansson, Rondin, Mats, Jansson, Bengan

Release Date October 12, 1999
I've been in charge of holiday music for the extended family for the last decade or so, and I generally buy a half-dozen or so CDs every year from a wide range of genres. This is perhaps my favorite of them all. It manages the almost impossible feat of engaging an audiophile like me who's looking for something different while simultaneously enthralling more tradition-minded family members. The CD stands out in most of the critical areas in the holiday field. First, the selection of songs is brilliant--a few English-language standards with some foreign-language songs people may know (Il est ne, le divine enfant) and a handful of really engaging Swedish tunes. Second, the spare but warm instrumentation conveys the coziness van Otter is seeking. Last, and most important, ... Read More:

CD-Charts Position 105
Average Rating:

Yo-Yo Ma - Simply Baroque II ~ Bach & Boccherini / ABO, Koopman

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
by: Johann Sebastian Bach, Luigi Boccherini, Ton Koopman, Yo-Yo Ma, The Amsterdam Baroque Orchestra

Release Date August 15, 2000
I own both Simply Baroque and Simply Baroque II. I think both offer the listener a truly beautiful listening experience. Yo Yo Ma and Tom Koopman have created magic here. The recording is crystal clear and the music... it's just incredible. I find myself relaxed, involved, immersed - a part of the music itself. How often does this happen? If you enjoy music that moves you body and soul, you really owe it to yourself to purchase both of these Cds.

CD-Charts Position 106
Average Rating:

The Very Best of Franco Corelli

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: EMI Classics

Release Date April 22, 2003
I bought this CD as a birthday present for my father and haven't actually heard the content myself. But because I ordered it, Amazon have prompted me to write a review. Certainly the feedback I'm getting is excellent and my Dad has derived hours of listening pleasure from it.

CD-Charts Position 107
Average Rating:

Sacred Songs

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: Decca

Release Date September 27, 2005
A great CD! I feel like Susan Grahm's voice gets lost a little bit on the Humperdinck, but over all the song selection is good.

CD-Charts Position 108
Average Rating:

Classical Kids: Collection

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: Children's Book Store Distribution

Release Date January 09, 1995
I enjoyed reading the reviews of parents whose kids have recently discovered "Classical Kids." I'm about to order the boxed set for my kids, ages 21, 19 and 16 because the nineteen-year-old, who has a college radio show and loves a wide variety of music, remembers this series (then only on cassette) with great affection and wants to hear them again. Those of you wondering whether it's worth it or not to try to introduce kids to classical music this way, be assured it works. We've turned one of Mr. Bach's lines into a family "saying:" "the more you study, the more you know; the more you know, the more you appreciate; the more you appreciate, the more you love." A great series!

CD-Charts Position 109
Average Rating:

Canadian Brass: Legends

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: OPENING DAY ENT

Release Date May 13, 2008
"The compositions featured on LEGENDS are absolutely essential to appreciating the Canadian Brass legacy." That about sums up this cd.

Fans of the Canadian Brass will find no new compositions on this album but will find new recordings of old standards. I find I prefer some of the original recordings better, but that is only because they are engraved in my mind after years of playback. Even still, these new recordings bring fresh life back to old favorites. I am particularly impressed with the clarity of this album, which seems to surpass even the Canadian Brass standard.

This cd showcases the strengths of the current members of the Canadian Brass and is highly recommended to any fan of brass music.

CD-Charts Position 110
Average Rating:

Discover Early Music

CD-Charts > Music > Sacred and Religious
from: Naxos

Release Date November 01, 2005
For anyone hoping to discover new types of music, compilation CDs offer an accessible overview from which they can pursue areas which interest them. The project is always a daunting task - how should one go about it and what should be included? Inevitably, the selection of chosen material is determined by the record company's existing catalogue; thus the resulting CD says more about them (here Naxos) than the repertoire itself (here early music). Nevertheless, 'Discover Early Music' is a laudable attempt, attractively packaged and supplemented with a readable booklet.

However, there are some real anomalies here...

1. Why is Guillaume de Machaut (c.1300-77), the most important figure of the Ars Nova, unrepresented? Why is the Italian Renaissance madrigal absent? (see ... Read More: