Search - Amy Beach, Capitol Hill Choral Society, Elizabeth McLean :: Amy Beach: Canticle of the Sun

Canticle of the Sun: Excerpts From Published Reviews

11/25/2000

(5 out of 5 stars)

""The latest recording of (Beach's) work, 'Canticle of the Sun,' has just been issued by Albany Records and features the Capitol Hill Choral Society and a fine group of Washington (DC) soloists, directed by Betty Buchanan... The performances are skilled and idiomatic throughout." The Washington Post"This sacred music collection represents an important contribution to the recorded literature of American composers... In this performance the text is presented clearly, and fine attention is given to the dynamic extremes of the (Canticle of the Sun). Unison passages highlight the choral ensemble's good blend... A particular strength of this recording is the variety of the selections it contains. Included are large accompanied choral works, unaccompanied selections, two solo songs, and (a) composition for violin and piano." The Choral Journal of the American Choral Directors AssociationThe singers perform Canticle of the Sun "with clean tone and excellent diction. The orchestra...plays with cohesion and with sensitivity to the projection of the chorus...which has just the right choral sound for this repertory. The work contains many tricky chromatic shifts,...every one of them was flawlessly intoned." Journal of the Association of Anglican Musicians"