Search - King's College Choir, Ledger, Trotter :: Music for Holy Week

King's College Choir Proves Its Mastery Again

Matrina Lesko | 03/19/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"I have been extremely hungry to hear English Tudor composers lately and came across this CD. Since it contained works by Tallis, Morley, Gibbons, Taverner and Sheppard, was sung by my favorite choir, and was very reasonably priced, I figured I had nothing to lose. Everything else on the disc was frosting on the cake.I am especially delighted with the attention to program on this CD. From following Tallis's lavishly dense "Lamentations" with his thrillingly sparse "O Nata Lux" (full of tasty cross relations), to following Taverner's "Dum transisset Sabbatum I" with the well known Easter hymn, "Jesus Christ is risen today," careful attention is given to pacing and contrast over the generous 73 min 18 sec of the recording.If I were to select two items worthy of special note, I'd point you to Lotti's "Crucifixus" and Kenneth Leighton's "Let all the world in every corner sing." The first is certainly the most exquisite use of dissonance I've ever heard in a Baroque choral work. Burney records in his 1770 diaries that the Italian choir brought him to tears when it nailed the entries on dissonant suspensions, and this recording shows you exactly what he was talking about. In the context of this program, Leighton's anthem is also a thrilling piece of work. Though decidedly modern, it uses modern organ and choral writing to the service of the text. Never do I pull back and think, "Is this weirdness for weirdness' sake?" -- as I do when listening to the works of many moderns, and Gesualdo, for that matter. It is a thrilling ride on the crest of a wave of sound that brings the entire program of King's College Choir's "Music for Holy Week" to an exhilarating conclusion. (I don't know any other work by him. Surely this isn't unique in his catalog.)"

Vintage King's!

sblake8 | 10/30/2001

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Superb ensemble singing from simply one of the finest choirs in the world. Philip Ledger's tenure at king's was relatively short but he produced a sublime sound from the choir. Then are many jewels on this disc from Lotti's 'Crucifixus' to the simply beautiful interpretation of Orlando Gibbon's 'Drop, drop slow tears'
Highly recommended."

Beautifully Performed

Jay Young | Austin, TX USA | 01/17/2008

(5 out of 5 stars)

"If you're looking for Lenten music, you can't do much better than "Music for Holy Week." It was released in 1995, though everything was recorded in the early 80s, when Philip Ledger was the conductor of the King's College Choir, Cambridge. Sir Philip's artistry and the choir's top-notch musicianship make this a pleasure to listen to.



The first 7 tracks are Tallis's "Lamentations of Jeremiah," a haunting work from the scripture of the same name. "Music for Holy Week" heavily features music from English renaissance composers, such as Thomas Tallis, Thomas Morley, Orlando Gibbons, and others. Some classic Anglican hymns are included, however, including "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross" and the inimitable "Jesus Christ is Risen Today." The first 19 tracks are all music for the Lenten period or the period of Holy Week before Holy Saturday; as one would expect, they evoke a sad, penitential mood, and are in minor keys. Starting with Taverner's "Dum Transisset Sabbatum I," the music is for Easter, and as such is quite uplifting. The overall result is that the album musically expresses the aim of the paschal season- a journey from sadness to hope. The only glitch in the album is the last track; it's quite jarring and does not fit with the rest of the album, at least not to my ears. Overall, however, "Music for Holy Week" is an excellent recording, and one I would recommend without hesitation."