Britten: A Ceremony of Carols [Original recording reissued]

Benjamin Britten (Composer), David Willcocks (Conductor), Philip Ledger (Conductor), Choir of King's College Cambridge (Performer), James Bowman (Performer), Osian Ellis (Performer), Ian Hare (Performer), James Lancelot (Performer), David Corkhill (Performer), Richard Morton (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Choir of King's College Cambridge, James Bowman, Osian Ellis, Ian Hare, James Lancelot, et al.
• Conductor: David Willcocks, Philip Ledger
• Composer: Benjamin Britten
• Audio CD (March 23, 2004)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Original recording reissued
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B0001HAHHS
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #153,496 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars King's College Classic, October 10, 2004

By 

R. Poudrier "bigpaws2" (Stokesdale, NC USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Britten: A Ceremony of Carols (Audio CD)

Way back in the dark ages, before CDs roamed the earth, I purchased the LP of this recording. It remains my favorite performance of Britten's work. The voices of the choir, accompanied by one harp, weave an achingly beautiful tapestry of sound. It is a wonderful way to introduce children and friends to the English choral tradition of sacred music.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Britten Brilliance, September 28, 2004

By 

W. Parr "sissypower" (San Diego, Ca USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Britten: A Ceremony of Carols (Audio CD)

Captivating from start to finish: EMI has programmed & remastered this bounty of Britten choral work superbly. The Choir of King's College, Cambridge performs with stunning sensitivity, ethereal, heartbreaking & transcendent. A just classic disc

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Recording That Remains One of the Finest for the Season, December 22, 2010

By 

Grady Harp (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (VINE VOICE)    (TOP 50 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Britten: A Ceremony of Carols (Audio CD)

The works of Benjamin Britten on this recording were originally recorded in 1972 and 1974 and have been transferred from vinyl to CD, remastered in 1987, and still remain as fine as any recordings subsequent to these mysteriously beautiful works. In particular the 'Ceremony of Carols' for treble voices and harp recorded in King's College allows the procession and recession to 'feel' like an entry and exit - very atmospheric. The harpist for this recording is the famous Welsh harpist Osian Ellis and gives his role a more important sound than other harpists on other recordings.

The other works on this recording include the joyous 'Hymn to St. Cecilia' for unaccompanied chorus, the festival cantata 'Rejoice in the Lamb' which happens to include among the soloists the now famous James Bowman, countertenor!, the 'Te Deum in C' and 'Jubilate Deo' both with organist James Lancelot and the far too rarely heard 'Missa Brevis in D'. The choir is up to its usual high standards as are the two conductors Sir David Willocks (Ceremony of Carols, Hymn to St Cecelia, Missa Brevis) and Philip Ledger (Te Deum, Jubilate Deo and Rejoice in the Lamb). The acoustics of the chapel add greatly to the joy of this very special recording. Grady Harp, December 10