Customer Reviews

Heavensong: Music of Contemplation & Light

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(0)
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1 star:		(1)

 

 

There is much to admire about the Mormon Tabernacle Choir's signature sound - confident, mature, stirring. And when you hear those blazing climaxes at the end of, say, "Battle Hymn of the Republic" or "Come, Thou Fount of Every Blessing," you can't help but feel certain that's what the Choir was made for. That is why this new recording has left me somewhat at a loss for words. It is an astounding performance - quiet, youthful, fresh, chamberistic, delicately nuanced, subtle, elegant, refined. In short, a revelation.

I don't know what kind of magic it takes to get 360 singers, who from what I've seen are mostly old enough to be grandparents, and transform that choral sound into something like the chamber purity of an English cathedral choir (only with better intonation!). But listening to Howard Goodall's "The Lord is My Shepherd" on this disk convinces me that Mack Wilberg is the magician that made it happen. I have never heard such sweet, innocent, and tender musical phrases coaxed out of this group, or any other large choir for that matter. And yet none of the Choir's trademark warmth or maturity is sacrificed in the process. It is innocent but not naive, rich yet pure, at once fresh and traditional. Another example... the luminous halo of sound the Choir creates around the orchestra in Faure's Pavane and Massenet's "Meditation" is spell-binding - at times I couldn't tell if they were singing or not, so perfectly was the timbre and intonation matched with the instrumental parts. The result, as with virtually everything on this disk, is astonishingly beautiful.

The repertory is something of a throwback to the Richard Condie days when the Choir dipped more often into the classics. But rather than emphasizing versatility and contrasts, as on those old LPs, this recording focuses exclusively on the quiet, sacred, and contemplative. A couple of familiar Bach cantata movements, the Faure Pavane, Franck's "Panis Angelicus," Massenet and Chesnokov constitute the "old" classics, lovingly rendered. And they're matched with some really appealing contemporary works.

Wilberg's own arrangements and compositions are a side dish here, not the main course. They are attractive without being cloying; the arrangement of "Brother James's Air" stands out as a particularly moving work. John Rutter's "I Will Lift Up Mine Eyes" is a great piece (which I can't always say of Rutter - sometimes he lapses into self-parody) and not all that easy to sing. It's given a virtually flawless rendition here. The Goodall Psalm 23 is a gem. Ralph Manuel's "Alleluia" is also a very effective piece, beautifully sung, and David Foster's "The Prayer" (a concession to popular culture, but in character with the rest of the repertory) allows the Choir to release some of that pent-up bravura that was so masterfully held in check for the rest of the recording. The Orchestra at Temple Square plays throughout with a radiance and musical assuredness that would be the envy of many professional orchestras.

The sound engineering is crisp and the sound is very forward on the recording. The microphones pick up every pianissimo whisper and subtle nuance, as well as the odd floor creak, chair squeak, and page turn. But the ambient noise is unobtrusive, a necessary byproduct of the quiet repertory, and I'll happily take it and keep the clarity rather than have it (and much of the recording's humanity and immediacy) removed through filtering and studio manipulation.

There are any number of orchestras and choirs that have fine musical technique and can give clean, polished renditions of pretty much any score you put in front of them. But too often the end result is a splendid surface and a hollow interior. I don't think there's any other team quite like the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and Orchestra at Temple Square, who are able to combine finely-honed musicality with a deep fervor, especially in quiet, sacred repertoire like this. The result is, for me, spiritually rewarding as well as musically stunning, and I'm very eager to see more of this kind of thing from the choir. Bravi, tutti!

Amazing! They do it again with another great album! I am MOVED by this beautiful CD! Very touching and almost life changing as I listen! Highly recommend to anyone and everyone!

i heard the choir sing Gabriel Faure PAVANE Op.50 in the tabernacle a few months ago, and i was in tears hearing this amazing piece of work written in the 1800's. and then for the choir to add its humm's and oooo's during the piece, was just incredible.
this was my first time i have ever heard this piece of music. never been a big fan of this genre, but i sure am now.

i bought a number of copies of the cd to hand out as gifts to people i know that have a much keener appreciation for this kind of music then i do...and hopefully, i will continue to learn this genre.

and least we forget, DAVID FOSTER'S THE PRAYER, when he stepped onto the podium to play the piano as the choir sung THE PRAYER, it was one of life's moments where one just had to be there to capture the Spirit that came over me with more tears. It was a great day, and I doubt I will forget it anytime soon. truley memorable.

and yes, I am a Mormon, a return missionary and graduated from the BYU, but I don't believe that anyone needs that background to be swept off their feet listening to this CD.

It has added to my life, I downloaded it to my computer, and the CD is in my car. I listen to this CD at least 3 times a week...

thanks
robbie

I came upon this CD quite by mistake by running into a member of the Orchestra at the Post Office. He told me that Mack Wilberg thought this CD was their best. After purchasing and listening to it, I would have to agree. I didn't know what to expect - I anticipated something similar to many of their past recordings. I have to say it is not. It truly is a spectacular collection of choral music. I am able to put it on and let it play continuously while working. It truly instills peace and is uplifting. It is the power of beautiful music at its best.
I highly recommend this CD if you are looking for music that is uplifting, peaceful and lovely. Here is another miracle production from the Mormon Tabernacle Choir.

There is no question that Mack Wilburg can create absolutely beautiful music. The rich, lush orchestral accompaniments go hand in hand with the superb sound created by the choir. With that said, by the time I finished listening to this cd, I wanted a little more variety. To me listening to the cd was like eating a meal that only consisted of chocolate souffle, rich chewy brownies and eggnog. Give me some a capella pieces or something with a chamber orchestral accompaniment. A lighter touch on some of the pieces would have worked better for my tastes. The music at times seemed over-saturated with texture and in my opinion needed a balance of less dense arrangements to compliment the rich pieces. With that said, however, I would still recommend that people buy the cd.

Este CD é maravilhoso! O coro do Tabernáculo está divino e está provando que é um dos melhores corais do mundo. Gostaria muito de ouví-lo pessoalmente. Mas, devido aos problemas financeiros infelizmente não dá.

I enjoy this CD. It is both spiritual and very soulful. Wonderful to listen to while going about the day as well as to fall asleep to. Beautiful.

The songs on this CD are special and very quieting and peaceful. The Mormon Tabernacle Choir is a favorite for me. This album has David Foster with the Choir singing one of his best songs, "Prayer."

This cd is amazingly beautiful. It's my music of choice to listen to every night.
The choir is always wonderful.

I believe this is their best album yet. The light, active arrangements we've come to expect from Wilberg, a great selection of inspirational music, and seemingly flawless performance. You will listen again and again, and be uplifted and entertained every time.