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4.0 out of 5 stars
Time to arise...., April 25, 2000
This review is from: Britten: Choral Edition, Vol. 3 (Audio CD)
This is a slightly more recherche release than the previous two in the Britten Choral Edition, but it is of no less quality. The above words are a quotation from the short piece "Advance Democracy" which is surely the most unusual of all Britten's choral works. An epitome of the 1930s political climate, it is given a taught rendition here by the Finzi Singers which would not seem completely out of place as the background music to one of the old "Movietone News" bulletins (played in cinemas, especially during the Second World War).
Also on this disc are the captivating "Flower Songs," the compelling and unusual "Sacred and Profane" (in which the singers capture the melancholy atmosphere of Britten's final years - this piece was written merely months before he died) and, for contrast, the celebrated experimental work "A Boy Was Born," in which Andrew Lumsden's choristers of Lichfield Cathedral make a welcome appearance.
As I have said before, this set of recordings is an ample tribute to Britten's choral legacy, and the Finzi Singers under Paul Spicer really have done him justice with their performances.
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