Carillon Bells of Britain [Import]

Henry Purcell (Composer), Anonymous (Composer), Jean-Philippe Rameau (Composer), Robert Burns (Composer), Lorenz Hart (Composer), Louis-Claude Daquin (Composer), George Frederick Handel (Composer), John Andrew Stevenson (Composer), W. J. G. Bates (Composer), Fernando Sor (Composer), J. de Gruytters (Composer), Ambroise Thomas (Composer), English Traditional (Composer), Leopold Mozart (Composer), Edward Hopkins (Composer), Irish Traditional (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Henry Purcell, Anonymous, Jean-Philippe Rameau, Robert Burns, Lorenz Hart, et al.
• Audio CD (April 1, 1999)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Saydisc
• ASIN: B00000IFN5
• Average Customer Review: 4.2 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #396,184 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. Abdelazer, or, the Moor's Revenge, incidental music, Z. 570: Round O'

2. Charlie Is My Darling, folk song

3. Tambourin, for harpsichord in E minor (Pièces de clavecin avec une méthode)

4. John Anderson, My Jo

5. Petite Suite: Finale

6. Le Coucou, rondeau for harpsichord in E minor (Pièces de clavecin, Suite No. 3)

7. Judas Maccabaeus, oratorio, HWV 63: Chorale

8. The Last Rose of Summer, song

9. Llanfair (Variations)

10. Variations on a Gospel Tune

11. Scotch On the Rocks

12. O Sanctissima

13. Esteritta

14. Etude(s) for guitar

15. Judas Maccabaeus, oratorio, HWV 63: See the Conquering Hero Comes

16. Rendezvous

17. Cockles and Mussels

18. La Ferlaude

19. Crimond (The Lord's my shepherd)

20. Mignon, opera in 3 acts: Entracte

See all 26 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

7 of 7 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars British Bells, November 11, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Carillon Bells of Britain (Audio CD)

A delightful carillon recording, although I think I would have enjoyed it more if I knew some of the British folk tunes played. The CD is made interesting by including five different British carillons and five carillonneurs, the best being Trevor Workman. Also included is a track of domestic clocks playing the familiar "Westminster" chimes, and the very unfamiliar "Cambridge" chimes, plus a cuckoo clock!

4.0 out of 5 stars Rare chance to hear some interesting carillons, November 24, 2009

By 

John Gouwens "Carillonneur" (Culver, IN USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Carillon Bells of Britain (Audio CD)

This recording is an interesting document. In the first place, recordings of the carillon are pretty rare, and these particular carillons are certainly "individual" instruments. There are few carillonneurs (players of the carillon) in Great Britain, so most of these people are largely self-taught. The quality of the instruments varies greatly. The playing is OK, but the instrument doesn't really come off all that well. The Bournville carillon is musically a much more successful instrument, most of the bells being mid-1930s Gillett & Johnston. By that time, G&J had truly "arrived," and though the company went out of business in the 1950s, their carillons are still highly revered by carillonneurs internationally. The Bournville carillon is in a very open tower, however, so despite the fine bells, the sound is rather "raw." Trevor Workman is the best player of the lot. The finest set of bells, without a doubt, is the carillon of Saint Nicholas Church in Aberdeen, Scotland. This was the last G&J carillon, from 1952-54. (The second-to-last, at Culver Academies in Indiana - 1951 - is represented on four CDs I have recorded, and that are sold through Amazon.) These British recordings are re-masterings of analog LPs, and the sound is nothing stellar, but as a document of the instruments, it's worth having. There are better recordings, more representative of what a carillon can do, available, though.

5.0 out of 5 stars Very interesting and very different, March 1, 2009

By 

Kurt A. Johnson (North-Central Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Carillon Bells of Britain (Audio CD)

OK, first of let me explain that a carillon is a very large musical instrument that is usually housed in a church tower or belfry, and consists of at least 23 bells. The carillon is played on a large keyboard and footboard, and makes tunes through the ringing of the bells. This interesting album is a collection of tunes played on various carillons found throughout Great Britain, including one in Aberdeen Scotland.

Overall, I found this to be a very interesting album. The bell music is quite interesting, and each of the tunes is excellently done. An excellent counterpoint to the carillon music is the track Oranges and Lemons that includes the chiming of a number of clocks, including a cuckoo clock! This is a very interesting and very different album, and I highly recommend it.