Notes and Editorial Reviews
King's Singers fans who particularly appreciate the group's smoothly polished, impeccably balanced interpretations of English, French, and German partsong repertoire will be delighted with this nearly 70-minute program. Unlike the processed sound and unusually close listening perspective we heard on the sextet's recent studio "pop" album, Simple Gifts (which just won a 2009 Grammy for best Classical Crossover recording), here is the familiar, precisely enunciated, more naturally vibrant ensemble quality that's characterized the King's Singers' sound for most of the past 40 years.
The variety of repertoire and the programming also are typical of these musicians' interest in works both old and new, obscure and
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well-known. For instance, Saint-Saëns' rarely-heard gem Calme des Nuits appears next to the Bairstow (not the more familiar Parry) setting of Music, when soft voices die; but later we hear the well-loved Draw on sweet night (Wilbye) and Brahms' Waldesnacht. There's relatively obscure Schubert (Liebe) and Schumann (Ritornelle), along with Elgar (Love; O happy eyes), Strauss (Traumlicht), and Arthur Sullivan's classic and very affecting partsong The long day closes. Libby Larsen's A Lover's Journey (four settings of texts by Shakespeare and James Joyce, written for the King's Singers in 2001) is consistently engaging and smartly written--especially the opening song, In the still garden ("O bella bionda...").
I guess you could say that this program and its performances represent classic King's Singers, who never fail to entertain, and whose vocal style always manages to enliven even the most melancholy piece. My only reservation concerns the somewhat odd French pronunciation in the Saint-Saëns selections. The sound (engineered by choral recording veteran Mike Hatch) is first rate, reveling in every detail of this group's acclaimed technical precision and expressive nuance. Highly recommended.
--David Vernier, ClassicsToday.com
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Works on This Recording
1.
Toutes les nuitz by Orlando de Lassus
Performer:
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Stephen Connolly (Bass)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: by 1563; Munich, Germany
2.
Music, when soft voices die by Edward Bairstow
Performer:
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
David Hurley (Countertenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: 20th Century
Written: England
3.
Partsongs (3), Op. 18: no 1, O Happy Eyes by Sir Edward Elgar
Performer:
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
David Hurley (Countertenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1890; England
4.
Liebe, D 983a/Op. 17 no 2 by Franz Schubert
Performer:
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: ?1822; Vienna, Austria
5.
Partsongs (3), Op. 18: no 2, Love by Sir Edward Elgar
Performer:
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1890; England
6.
Draw on sweet night by John Wilbye
Performer:
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: 1609; England
7.
Songs (7), Op. 62: no 3, Waldesnacht by Johannes Brahms
Performer:
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: ?1874; Austria
8.
Deux choeurs, Op. 68: no 1, Calme des nuits by Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer:
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1882; France
9.
Sérénade d'hiver by Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer:
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
David Hurley (Countertenor)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1867
10.
Ach Elslein, liebes Elselein by Ludwig Senfl
Performer:
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: 16th Century; Germany
11.
Ritornelle (8) in canonische Weisen, Op. 65: no 1, Die Rose stand im Tau by Robert Schumann
Performer:
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Stephen Connolly (Bass)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
12.
Weepe, mine eyes by John Wilbye
Performer:
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
Philip Lawson (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Renaissance
Written: by 1609; England
13.
Choruses (3) for male voices, AV 123: no 2, Traumlicht by Richard Strauss
Performer:
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1935; Germany
14.
A Lover's Journey by Libby Larsen
Performer:
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: 20th Century
15.
Romance du soir, Op. 118 by Camille Saint-Saëns
Performer:
Stephen Connolly (Bass),
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1902; France
16.
Partsongs (7): no 6, The long day closes by Arthur Sullivan
Performer:
Christopher Gabbitas (Baritone),
David Hurley (Countertenor),
Philip Lawson (Baritone),
Paul Phoenix (Tenor),
Robin Tyson (Countertenor),
Stephen Connolly (Bass)
Orchestra/Ensemble:
King's Singers
Period: Romantic
Written: 1868; England
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