Customer Reviews

Choose Something Like a Star

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This brand-new recording by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, under the direction of Dr. Craig Jessop is a labor of love.

A heart-felt tribute to renowned American composer Randall Thompson, "Choose Something Like A Star" gathers together some of his most beloved works, including "Frostiana" "The Peaceable Kingdom" "Alleluia" and "The Last Words Of David" and gives them richly sympathetic readings. Dr. Jessop was priviledged to meet Mr. Thompson many years ago, and has maintained a profound respect and admiration for the composer's music throughout his career.

If you are not familiar with Randall Thompson's works, you are in for a treat - his music is both subtle and profound, from the grand declamatory opening "The Last Words Of David" to the cool, peaceful "The Paper Reeds by the brooks;" from the idiomatic Americana of the "Frostiana" song cycle, to the shimmering eloquence of "Alleluia," Mr. Thompson was a master at matching musical phrases with the lyrics he was writing for. Listen to the playful give-and-take of "The Telephone" or the slow walking rhythm of "The Road Not Taken" and you'll understand. The more you listen to this CD, the more it grows on the listener.

The Tabernacle Choir sounds grand here, and no one else would be able to fully convey the power of "The Last Words Of David" or sustain the shimmering, smooth "Ye Shall Have A Song" like they can. Recorded in the Tabernacle (before it closed for extensive renovation) the sound is rich and full, matched note for note with the Orchestra at Temple Square.

I gave this CD to a friend who sang for years with the Utah Symphony Chorus, and he absolutely loves it. I recommend it for those who have sung or otherwise enjoyed the music of Randall Thompson, and for those who haven't, what are you waiting for?

I bought this CD because I wanted a decent recording of Randall Thompson's Frostiana. It surpassed all my hopes. I was somewhat suspicious about whether the MTC could carry off the mystical, secular music of "Choose Something Like a Star," "Come In" and "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening." I shouldn't have worried. The MTC is staffed, directed and conducted by true musicians, and its use of orchestration added even more to the performance. Initially, I was bothered by the flautist's rhythmic interpretation of the wood thrush in "Come In" -- it seemed like the flute wasn't coming in on cue -- but then I realized that this was probably a deliberate artistic interpretation. Of course one wouldn't expect a bird to sing on cue. Sheer genius.

I'm a recently born again fan of the MTC, so I had to pick this one up when it came out. I'm familiar with many of the pieces on the CD, so I was rather surprised with the orchestral arrangements that were included. (Frostiana was originally written for piano!) My surprise quickly turned into a wonderful listening experience as Craig Jessop sensitively led the choir through these beautiful standards of choral literature.

There were several places when the sheer size of the choir got in the way of me understanding the text, and there were balance issues with the orchestra and men/women in a few places. I imagine it's to be expected with a group this size, but it was distracting at times.

However, I was delighted to hear some pieces on this CD that I've never heard before. Craig Jessop and the MTC provide us with a wonderful 'greatest hits' of Randall Thompson with this recording. Bravo to the MTC for having the guts to take on such well-loved music. It's sad to me how little it is performed these days. I hope this CD brings all of these works back into high school and college performances.

In the past, I have often been critical of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. It seemed to me that, regardless what type of music they performed, it all sounded the same. When Craig Jessop took over the podium five or six years ago, it was obvious that the choir's musicality and technique began to change for the better.

In my opinion, this recording is the culmination of that change. The choir's transformation to a Robert Shaw-like sound is marvelous. The soprano section has shed its vibrato and is now capable of proucing that elusive "white" sound that all modern choir directors seek to emulate from Robert Shaw. And the tenor section is now all that it can be. Wow!

With a superb collection of Randall Thompson's mystical and melodic choral music, this recording has become my all-time favorite. Along with The Los Angeles Master Chorale's "Lux Aeterna, this music is other-worldly. It is a huge landmark in choral singing and you should run, not walk, to get this recording.

It is simply fabulous!

There have been a number of recordings of Randall Thompson's beautiful choral music of late, but this one is really sublime.
Beautiful, refined choral singing from one of the nation's premiere choirs.

Perhaps the most important thing, however, is as far as I know, this is the only recording of Thompson's orchestral version of The Last Words of David. For a work less than 4 minutes long, it packs an incredible wallop in this version. The performance here is worth the price of ten CDs!!!

Grab this before it disappears!

This is the Mormon Tabernacle Choir disc that audiophiles have waited for. Until now, most of the Tablernacle's full-scale productions have lacked recorded depth, having been rendered nearly monophonic by the sheer size of the choir and room. This time, the engineers have truly captured the dynamics of the event, complete with symphony orchestra. The results are stunning in clarity, three-dimensional, and shimmering with natural reverb. The Choir is magnificent as always, and this particular songbook is an interesting, historically-valuable choice, complete with lyrics and informative notes. But this time, everything sounds wonderful. Close your eyes, and you're there.

The MOTAB(Mormon Tabernacle Choir) is simply the best church choir out there. They are uplifting and powerful.

Recently visited Temple Square in Salt Lake City. Had the pleasure of attending a free Thursday evening "rehearsal" concert by the Mormon Taberbacle Choir...in the actual Mormon Tabernacle. Although it was truly a rehearsal and not a concert, it was a very special experience. Heard one selection that was not at all recognizable. At the end of the evening, I asked one of the numerous friendly & helpful personnel if he could identify the song. He immediately went to the stage and advised that the piece was entitled "The Last Words of David" by Randall Thompson. Upon returning from the trip, I simply searched Amazon and discovered the album which contained this beautiful music. The really good news is that the rest of the album is equally superb and listenable over and over. Very highly recommended.

American composer Randall Thompson (1899-1984) is something of a forgotten figure these days. The recording we have here is of some of his choral works.

The CD opens with an energetic performance of "The Last Words of David," with the choir accompanied by the Tabernacle organ, then moves on to the utterly delightful Frostiana, which comprises seven poems by Robert Frost (yes, including that old favorite that nearly all schoolchildren of my generation were enjoined to commit to memory, "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening") that Thompson chose and set to music, performed here in arrangements for chorus and orchestra. The net result is utterly beautiful, and few will fail to be moved.

The next items on the program are four songs from "The Peaceable Kingdom," with texts taken from the Book of Isaiah. This too is a gorgeous musical experience, followed by the joyful sounds of "Two Alleluias" to bring this remarkable program to a close.

The performances are committed, the sound is excellent, the liner notes are useful, and the cover artwork is simply stellar. In all way, this is a most recommendable recording that has brought me great joy to hear and great enthusiasm to recommend.

The selection of Randall Thompson choral work is inspiring. The title selection from Thompson's Frostiana works is inspiring.