Search - Maurice Greene, Patrick Hadley, John Ireland :: Heavenly Voices

Out of the Mouths of Children...

Grady Harp | Los Angeles, CA United States | 07/29/2005

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Who can resist the incredible purity of sound garnered by a boys choir? On this beautifully recorded CD the Boy's of the King's College Cambridge Choir are conducted by Stephen Cleobury in the hall in which they perform - that otherworldly resonance of King's College Chapel. This collection separates the men from the boys in that the usual full Choir is all male with men singing the tenor and bass roles and the boys singing the soprano and alto roles.



The works performed fall into the 'old chestnut' category: Franck's 'Panis Angelicus', Faure's 'Pie Jesu' from the Requiem, Mendelssohn's 'Lift thine eyes' form Elijah, etc. There are a few works less familiar (and equally as lovely) such as the Karg-Elert 'Dritte Sinfonische Kanzone (Fuge, Kanzone und Epilog)' Op.85, No.3. The intonation and musicality of the choir is impeccable and the tone is as pure as any achieved by other groups of similar description.



This is one of those recordings for quiet contemplative moments, those times when the need to just clear the mind and be refreshed occur. Not a terribly unique recital but one of great beauty. Grady Harp, July 05"

Great performances from a great choir.

Harry F. Drabik | Northern Minnesota | 03/08/2007

(5 out of 5 stars)

"King's College is a reliably solid choir. Set to doing a mix of challenging pieces, they rise splendidly and with moving effect through a range of musical styles or types. I didn't grow up on the English choral style. Frankly, I prefer German composers and that style of arrangement, but the King's College Choir is so good and so controlled that I found it impossible to be bothered by my petty likes or dislikes. Instead, I was gladly and happily swept along by the sound of Heavenly Voices."