Upon his retirement from the Atlanta Symphony (actually before he retired), Robert Shaw concentrated on and did recordings of more intimate music with his Festival Singers and the Quercy Institute. Most of these are gems to be cherished (his Schubert for Male Chorus is wonderful!) And other than the Rachmaninov Vespers, I would have to highly recommend this recording simply for the Britten "Hymn to St. Cecilia". This is a truly beautiful and intimate work by Britten that has usually been best served by British choirs. But this recording has warmth, clarity, precise diction and intonation, and movement. As with many scores that Shaw interpreted, he pulls out small things that bring the score to life. The "Hymn..." breathes and moves, and the singers keep up to the demanding tempo in the 2nd movement without a hitch. This is a brilliant piece of music that Shaw and his singers bring to glorious life. I was also impressed with the music of Henk Badings, whom I had never heard of before. And the choral music of Ravel and Debussy (who knew they wrote choral music?) is given equally tender readings. Other than the Vespers and the Schubert, this is a Shaw recording to have and listen to and enjoy.

Upon his retirement from the Atlanta Symphony (actually before he retired), Robert Shaw concentrated on and did recordings of more intimate music with his Festival Singers and the Quercy Institute. Most of these are gems to be cherished (his Schubert for Male Chorus is wonderful!) And other than the Rachmaninov Vespers, I would have to highly recommend this recording simply for the Britten "Hymn to St. Cecilia". This is a truly beautiful and intimate work by Britten that has usually been best served by British choirs. But this recording has warmth, clarity, precise diction and intonation, and movement. As with many scores that Shaw interpreted, he pulls out small things that bring the score to life. The "Hymn..." breathes and moves, and the singers keep up to the demanding tempo in the 2nd movement without a hitch. This is a brilliant piece of music that Shaw and his singers bring to glorious life. I was also impressed with the music of Henk Badings, whom I had never heard of before. And the choral music of Ravel and Debussy (who knew they wrote choral music?) is given equally tender readings. Other than the Vespers and the Schubert, this is a Shaw recording to have and listen to and enjoy.

Upon his retirement from the Atlanta Symphony (actually before he retired), Robert Shaw concentrated on and did recordings of more intimate music with his Festival Singers and the Quercy Institute. Most of these are gems to be cherished (his Schubert for Male Chorus is wonderful!) And other than the Rachmaninov Vespers, I would have to highly recommend this recording simply for the Britten "Hymn to St. Cecilia". This is a truly beautiful and intimate work by Britten that has usually been best served by British choirs. But this recording has warmth, clarity, precise diction and intonation, and movement. As with many scores that Shaw interpreted, he pulls out small things that bring the score to life. The "Hymn..." breathes and moves, and the singers keep up to the demanding tempo in the 2nd movement without a hitch. This is a brilliant piece of music that Shaw and his singers bring to glorious life. I was also impressed with the music of Henk Badings, whom I had never heard of before. And the choral music of Ravel and Debussy (who knew they wrote choral music?) is given equally tender readings. Other than the Vespers and the Schubert, this is a Shaw recording to have and listen to and enjoy.

Upon his retirement from the Atlanta Symphony (actually before he retired), Robert Shaw concentrated on and did recordings of more intimate music with his Festival Singers and the Quercy Institute. Most of these are gems to be cherished (his Schubert for Male Chorus is wonderful!) And other than the Rachmaninov Vespers, I would have to highly recommend this recording simply for the Britten "Hymn to St. Cecilia". This is a truly beautiful and intimate work by Britten that has usually been best served by British choirs. But this recording has warmth, clarity, precise diction and intonation, and movement. As with many scores that Shaw interpreted, he pulls out small things that bring the score to life. The "Hymn..." breathes and moves, and the singers keep up to the demanding tempo in the 2nd movement without a hitch. This is a brilliant piece of music that Shaw and his singers bring to glorious life. I was also impressed with the music of Henk Badings, whom I had never heard of before. And the choral music of Ravel and Debussy (who knew they wrote choral music?) is given equally tender readings. Other than the Vespers and the Schubert, this is a Shaw recording to have and listen to and enjoy.

Upon his retirement from the Atlanta Symphony (actually before he retired), Robert Shaw concentrated on and did recordings of more intimate music with his Festival Singers and the Quercy Institute. Most of these are gems to be cherished (his Schubert for Male Chorus is wonderful!) And other than the Rachmaninov Vespers, I would have to highly recommend this recording simply for the Britten "Hymn to St. Cecilia". This is a truly beautiful and intimate work by Britten that has usually been best served by British choirs. But this recording has warmth, clarity, precise diction and intonation, and movement. As with many scores that Shaw interpreted, he pulls out small things that bring the score to life. The "Hymn..." breathes and moves, and the singers keep up to the demanding tempo in the 2nd movement without a hitch. This is a brilliant piece of music that Shaw and his singers bring to glorious life. I was also impressed with the music of Henk Badings, whom I had never heard of before. And the choral music of Ravel and Debussy (who knew they wrote choral music?) is given equally tender readings. Other than the Vespers and the Schubert, this is a Shaw recording to have and listen to and enjoy.

Upon his retirement from the Atlanta Symphony (actually before he retired), Robert Shaw concentrated on and did recordings of more intimate music with his Festival Singers and the Quercy Institute. Most of these are gems to be cherished (his Schubert for Male Chorus is wonderful!) And other than the Rachmaninov Vespers, I would have to highly recommend this recording simply for the Britten "Hymn to St. Cecilia". This is a truly beautiful and intimate work by Britten that has usually been best served by British choirs. But this recording has warmth, clarity, precise diction and intonation, and movement. As with many scores that Shaw interpreted, he pulls out small things that bring the score to life. The "Hymn..." breathes and moves, and the singers keep up to the demanding tempo in the 2nd movement without a hitch. This is a brilliant piece of music that Shaw and his singers bring to glorious life. I was also impressed with the music of Henk Badings, whom I had never heard of before. And the choral music of Ravel and Debussy (who knew they wrote choral music?) is given equally tender readings. Other than the Vespers and the Schubert, this is a Shaw recording to have and listen to and enjoy.

Upon his retirement from the Atlanta Symphony (actually before he retired), Robert Shaw concentrated on and did recordings of more intimate music with his Festival Singers and the Quercy Institute. Most of these are gems to be cherished (his Schubert for Male Chorus is wonderful!) And other than the Rachmaninov Vespers, I would have to highly recommend this recording simply for the Britten "Hymn to St. Cecilia". This is a truly beautiful and intimate work by Britten that has usually been best served by British choirs. But this recording has warmth, clarity, precise diction and intonation, and movement. As with many scores that Shaw interpreted, he pulls out small things that bring the score to life. The "Hymn..." breathes and moves, and the singers keep up to the demanding tempo in the 2nd movement without a hitch. This is a brilliant piece of music that Shaw and his singers bring to glorious life. I was also impressed with the music of Henk Badings, whom I had never heard of before. And the choral music of Ravel and Debussy (who knew they wrote choral music?) is given equally tender readings. Other than the Vespers and the Schubert, this is a Shaw recording to have and listen to and enjoy.

Having kids, one is greatly in debt to the vision of Walt Disney. But as I grew up and listened to the recording of "Le Sacre" by Stravinsky, I realized that Disney did a great disservice to the ballet score. Even with Stravinsky conducting, I couldn't get dinosaurs out of my mind. Then I got the Rattle recording. No more dinosaurs. Instead, primitive rythms, dances, terror and a sacrificial virgin come forth. The ballet by Diagalev is back. And the score is reborn. Rattle brings out the brutality of the score, and the Birmingham Symphony plays as the world-class orchestra that it is. I have often held that certain conductors understand certain composers: Solti understood Brahms; Kurt Masur understands Mendelssohn; and Rattle understands Stravinsky. The clarity, the phrasing, and again, the brutality is there. Thank God, no more DINOSAURS!

I first heard this recording of the Walton "Feast" on a local classical station, and rushed out the next day to purchase it. It has been one of my "4 Favorite Pieces", and I have been blessed to have performed it twice. It is horrendously difficult to perform for both choir and orchestra, which makes me appreciate the Shaw recording even more. But for the listener, this is still a thrilling recording. I like to think of Shaw's interpretation as relentless: he never lets you go from the opening horn fanfare. The diction of the chorus never suffers from tempo, and the brass is spectacular. What is even more thrilling is to realize that Shaw set up his chorus and orchestra as the score demands: 2 seperate choruses and 2 seperate brass choirs. It is loud, it is bellicose, and it is gentle. The choir whispers the section "The trumpeters and pipers" all the way to the end of that section "shall shine no more." Married with this wonderful recording is the Bernstein "Chichester Psalms", a seldom heard but worthy piece of music. It is rousing, robust, and tender.

There is that time in the cosmos when a composer, conductor or performer (or performers) are so perfectly suited for each other, that the music transcends all meaning. I was blessed to be in LA for the premier of "O Magnum Mysterium" and was moved to tears. I have sung the "O Magnum.." as well, and can do so from memory. Such works get into your soul. Such is the case with the "Lux Aeterna", along with a surreal "Ave Maria". These are beautiful works performed by the ones it was written for. And Maestro Salamonuvich (now retired) guides his singers with deft precision. You sense their passion for the music as well. You sense that THEY are singing from their very souls. Along with recordings by Robert Shaw, this is a must have for choral music lovers.