Search - Henryk Gorecki, Veljo Tormis, Igor Stravinsky :: Sermons and Devotions

Unusual and distinctive

Mark Swinton | 02/26/2000

(4 out of 5 stars)

"I have heard a good many snippets of this unusual CD. One thing is clear- the King's Singers are not to sneered at: the range they cover given their limited size is almost frightening, particularly given the justice they can do to such weighty material as recorded here.I am very familiar with the Tavener and Stravinsky on this disc, and it is a constant amazement that with just two counter-tenors against four lower voices, the group managed to achieve a mostly successful balance in them- especially in Tavener's "Funeral Ikos" to which they bring a remarkable shine. It is a pity they tackled the Gorecki "Totus Tuus"; they really could have done with augmentation (just as the Tallis Scholars were augmented to cover the forty parts needed in their recording of Tallis' motet "Spem in alium") and the work does lose something in being scaled down to six parts. That said, the group still manages to capture an intensity in the piece that listeners familiar with it will recognise. Meanwhile, the other works on this disc were written for the group, and in that respect they are easier to listen to. I have performed some Richard Rodney Bennett music in my time and find it to be on the approachable end of the modern music spectrum. He is a thoughtful composer and uses his forces well, as this recording shows.Not the best showcase of the more familiar works perhaps, but undoubtedly a triumph for the King's Singers."

This will summarize all other reviews.

campus-used-media-king | Savoy, IL United States | 04/24/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The King's Singers showcase their incredibly broad talent. But if you thought "Good Vibrations" was their best CD, beware; this is for head-banger King's Singers fans only. This will not be popular among pop music lovers---only artiste-types."

Impressive works, excellent performance quality

Mark Swinton | 01/12/1999

(5 out of 5 stars)

"The King's Singers are well-known for the breadth of their repertoire - anything from pop classics to traditional Western folk songs to Renaissance madrigals. The album "Sermons and Devotions" demonstrates that they are willing to try on music that can be demanding for themselves as well as more challenging (well, somewhat) to listeners.On the CD, they cover Stravinsky's "Pater noster" and "Ave Maria". Though I still prefer the latter as done by a mixed ensemble, they certainly do them both justice.The album opens with Gorecki's "Totus tuus," perhaps a surprising choice for a small ensemble, because of the big sound the work demands.The works which most caught my attention were the "Wymondham Chants" and the title work, "Sermons and Devotions". The former, by Geoffrey Poole, makes bold use of non-traditional vocal techniques, but conveys a very striking atmosphere: as the liner notes mention, it brings forth images of processions of monks, and of the abbey which inspired the composition."Sermons and Devotions" uses as its text the prose of John Donne, including the famous line, "Ask not for whom the bell doth toll; it tolls for thee..." Bennett's setting of these sermon texts heightens, in my opinion, the sense of the words' philosophical and religious weight. The final section of the work has the singers creating bell tolling effects by accenting and then holding certain pitches, making them sound like echoes.Finally, very little can match the serene beauty of Taverner's "Funeral Ikos", based on the Greek Orthodox funeral service for a priest.Overall, this cd might seem somewhat somber compared to others released by the King's Singers, e.g. their folk songs and madrigal albums. Nevertheless, I was impressed by the excellence of the music, all written in the twentieth century, and also by the vigor the group displays in the recording of it. (Two of the works on the cd were commissioned by the King's Singers)."