Choral Music [Import]

As someone so accustomed to the Robert Shaw choruses and the standard of excellence they acquired and established for future choral ensembles, it is difficult to accept anything less. However, I must say that the American Repertory Singers do an adequate if not excellent job of taking Randall Thompson's works, some more popular than others, and performing them well. Four pieces stick out for me: The Paper Reeds by the Brooks, Ye Shall Have a Song, Alleluia, and Felices Ter. The Peaceable Kingdom has never been a favorite of mine, either listening or performing, but these first two mentioned pieces, performed the way they were by the American Repertory Singers, make it a worthwhile experience. The tempo chosen for both as well as the blend and tonality of the singers does an exceptional job of conveyiing the emotions I think Randall Thompson intended from this set. Alleliua is obviously Thompson's most well-known work on this CD and most certainly one of his best ever composed. I've heard this piece performed at various tempi with various blends and dynamics and have come to determine that it depends on the music it is surrounded by that establishes a particular performance as being necessarily "correct." As heard on this CD, the performance is very good but it is hard to acknowledge it as "great" since the beauty is really in the ear of the beholder and we all personalize what we hear and judge it that way. My first experience with the Medieval-based Felices Ter from the Odes to Horace was at the Los Angeles Master Chorale High School Choral Festival hosted by Paul Salumonovich. I much prefer the performance this group gave on the CD. The tenderness is wonderfully expressed and emotions build to a peak as the piece builds in depth of range and volume toward the close of the piece. It is one I love listening to over and over again. I lost my original copy of this CD but fully intend to repurchase it. As with just about any CD one might purchase, there are moments I would prefer not to be present on this recording. On the whole, though, the CD is a worthy buy by a worthy group deserving of credit for their performance.

Like the other reviewer, I enjoyed the title piece, Ye Shall Have a Song, Alleluia, Felices Ter, and also The Last Invocation. I think it's a worthwhile cd to buy, simply because Thompson is unique in his composition and this group can sing it better than most. While not possessing the weight of the aforementioned Robert Shaw Chorale, they do have great clarity without sacrificing vowel purity. Think of an American version of The Cambridge Singers only one step below in regards to overall quality.

The Peaceable Kingdom is a hard set to get through, but it does have some fantastic moments, the best being at the end of Ye Shall Have a Song. Some people think that piece and the overall recording has too much reverb (they sang it in some huge church), but I disagree. It's the kind of sound that gives you a rush when you hear the power and quality behind the sound! The bases are above average, tenors wonderful on Felices Ter and The Last Invocation - and the men blend wonderfully within the group. The same is true for the women. The altos are lovely, and the sopranos perform admirably, finding the balance between heavy screaming and too light singing. Thompson's layers are clearly delineated by each section and each sings its line so that you know where it's going and how it fits with the other three.

The group handles the pieces well and they're written by one of the premier 20th century American composers. For a Randall Thompson fan or a choral music nerd, this cd's a must.