English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams not only was the esteemed author of symphonies, choral masterpieces, chamber works, and songs, but he also was the major force behind the compilation of the 1906 English Hymnal, a ta... more »sk that put the composer in touch with "some of the best--and some of the worst" music in the world. His esthetic and artistic values, and his well-grounded sense of what makes a good, singable tune, led him to select the best and reject the worst--and through the process he contributed several of his own tunes and harmonizations to the collection. This outstanding recording includes five of Vaughan Williams's own tunes, 16 more that he selected and arranged for the hymnal, and his beloved Three Preludes Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes. This is a wonderful, "must-have" collection, beautifully, articulately, and reverently sung, with first-rate organ solos and accompaniments and excellent liner notes. --David Vernier« less
English composer Ralph Vaughan Williams not only was the esteemed author of symphonies, choral masterpieces, chamber works, and songs, but he also was the major force behind the compilation of the 1906 English Hymnal, a task that put the composer in touch with "some of the best--and some of the worst" music in the world. His esthetic and artistic values, and his well-grounded sense of what makes a good, singable tune, led him to select the best and reject the worst--and through the process he contributed several of his own tunes and harmonizations to the collection. This outstanding recording includes five of Vaughan Williams's own tunes, 16 more that he selected and arranged for the hymnal, and his beloved Three Preludes Founded on Welsh Hymn Tunes. This is a wonderful, "must-have" collection, beautifully, articulately, and reverently sung, with first-rate organ solos and accompaniments and excellent liner notes. --David Vernier
"As Mr. Vernier says, the venerable 1906 Hymnal was successful in large part due to Vaughan Williams, and Richard Marlow and Trinity College Choir (in superb form!) here demonstrate how valuable a contribution the composer made to the authentic maintenance of the English hymn tradition. Vaughan Williams' 'Come Down, O Love Divine', and his verily native arrangement of 'For All The Saints' alone validate this recording, and there's so much more to admire. Vaughan Williams' relationship with this tradition of hymnody weaves throughout his long composing career; and indeed his scholarship with respect to English folk melody pervades his work on these hymns as much as does his mastery of contrapuntal four-part writing. The veneration he pays Thomas Tallis in 'I Heard the Voice of Jesus Say' is a perfect example of the genius that informs Vaughan Williams' understanding of the spirit of English hymnody. Trinity College Choir is in unusually excellent form on this recording, and Marlow's understanding of the musical nuances of these hymns is at times almost startling. The entire CD is a treat, from beginning to end. One need only be a believer in the subtle art of Ralph Vaughan Williams to appreciate this remarkable offering of the most English of passions. Forthright recommendation!"
Excellent, Wonderful, Inspiring
Classical Eye | Los Angeles, CA | 10/16/2003
(5 out of 5 stars)
"This is one of a few of my desert island picks. The compositions are of incredible beauty, and they are sung excellently by the noble Trinity College Choir, and they are recorded outstandingly. I give this disc my very highest recommendation for lovers of traditional English church hymns."
Superb Performance of Superb Music
news4fan | 12/28/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"All of this music is by just one composer and it is just hymns, yet it shows both remarkable diversity and consistency. Every minute is worth listening to. Much of the credit for this is indeed due to Vaughan Williams, but some is also due to Richard Marlow, the director of Trinity College, Cambridge who compiled Vaughan Williams' best hymns, thought about how each verse would be performed and guided the choir into a careful, enthusiastic and effective performance.
Truly, very enjoyable recording---if you're going to by one CD by an English choir, excluding Christmas music, this one should be it. Track #20 "ar hyd y nos" is the definate highlight. Tracks #8, #16, and #24 are other tracks to look forward to."
My favorite hymnal CD
ChasD | Charlotte, NC United States | 10/25/2004
(5 out of 5 stars)
"I have many, many CD's of this Church hymn-choral style but this is my favorite that keeps me coming back for more, very meditative & worshipfull."
The best CD that I own
Laurence A. Bates | MI USA | 03/29/2007
(5 out of 5 stars)
"Vaughan Williams may not have believed much that he wrote but he was intelligent enough to lean on the body of truth that hymn writers have communicated down through the ages. His words ring true, not because he himself believed them, but because he allowed them to rest on the vital testimony of others and because he allowed to be framed by the exquisite tradition of lofty and Spirit-filled harmony that we call the Hymns of the Christian faith.
Since we have heard in an earlier review from a Christian who became an Atheist, it seems only fair that we should hear from an Atheist who became a Chistian. I was a confirmed Atheist until the age of 20 when I "dropped out" and went to work on a farm in Germany with mentally handicapped adults. I remember once passing a plum tree in summer and thinking that it really was a coincidence that food for my body just grows. About that time I also realized that I needed to identify for myself all of the contradictions in the Bible so that I could intelligently communicate my Atheistic beliefs. To my great surprise, I could not find the mythical "many contradictions" and instead found that Jesus Christ was even more opposed to religious pomposity and self-centered grandeur than I was and that He had dedicated his life to correcting those perversions of religion. As I continued to read a chapter a day from the New Testament, I began to realize that if Jesus Christ were alive today, I would want to stand beside Him and share his joys and struggles. I also realized that my Atheist beliefs and lifestyle had made a hopeless mess of my life and that God, if He existed could surely do a better job of being at the helm. To cut to the chase, after evaluating the claims of Jesus Christ, I did become a Christian and He did prune out a lot of deadwood from my life, but He also provided me with everything that I now look back on some 37 years later with joy and satisfaction and pleasure.
Life is not always easy and just this morning, I was saddened by some events but found that Vaughan Williams Hymnal and the Trinity College choir bathed my soul, not in emotional fluff or the misty sound of nature, but with the timeless truths expressed in both words and music and passed on to us all via the great instrument of Christian Hymns."