Critical Praise
Sabrosa | Los Angeles, CA | 09/04/2008
(5 out of 5 stars)
"FOUR STARS
"The liturgical drama still carries a punch. Daniel deciphering the writing on the wall, Daniel in the lion's den: marvellous stuff."
- Geoff Brown, THE TIMES (September 4, 2008)
FOUR STARS
"Pick it up and give it a place among your Anonymous 4 and Chanticleer Christmas albums. It is that beautiful -- plus, you can enjoy it all year. The Dufay Collective is good at capturing early styles of singing and playing without being flat or static. Processionals, accompanied by harp and handbells, are sweet as carols. The whole performance has a luminous, timeless feeling."
- Mary Kunz Goldman, BUFFALO NEWS (August 26, 2008)
"In this vibrant recording, the Dufay Collective excavates `The Play of Daniel,' a liturgical music drama that dates to the 13th century. Vocal solos, both dramatically stark and floridly mellifluous, are played off against fervent choruses and colorful orchestration brimming over with brightly clamorous bells. The music pours forth in a variety of styles and moods. Some passages have the rigid solemnity of the medieval era. Others seem to leap centuries ahead, to the expressive exuberance of Monteverdi and the melodic suppleness of Handel. In a lucid liner note, director William Lyons explains the guiding principles behind this performing version. His most persuasive argument comes in the wonderfully strange and exultant music itself."
- Steven Winn, SAN FRANCISCO CHRONICLE (August 17, 2008)
"The singing and instrumental playing are first rate, as we expect from these forces, and I have to
say that the way instruments are used here (including the interludes and introductory passages) really helps move the action along and also helps to create a sense of occasion that, combined with the excellent recorded sound, enlivens and enriches the drama. A must for early music fans!"
- David Vernier, CLASSICSTODAY.COM (August 2008)
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Fabulous Medieval music
S. Crouch | Tuggeranong, A.C.T. Australia | 06/26/2009
(5 out of 5 stars)
"People tend to either love medieval music or hate it. If you love it as I do then I can thoroughly recommend the Play of Daniel performed by the Dufay collective. We know that the play was performed in the early thirteenth century but parts of it might date back even earlier. Our knowledge of how Medieval music was performed or even what it sounded like is still somewhat sketchy but the Dufay collective has done a fantastic job with this work. Joyful singing is combined with catchy instrumental pieces to create a thoroughly authentic Medieval atmosphere. I found the whole thing fascinating and this CD will almost certainly become the "most played" in my early music collection. Five stars."
Track Listings (34) - Disc #1