Customer Reviews

Hymns Through the Centuries with Organ, Carillon, and Peal Bells

5 star:		(7)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

The title "Hymns through the Centuries" is easy to use, but this recording actually does a wonderful job of representing hymns from several time periods, including music from the late twentieth century that deserves to be in such a collection. The choir's performance is very good, as is the work of the organist, which unfortunately is balanced poorly with the choir in the recording (the organ is at too quiet a level behind the choir, a condition I am sure did not exist in live performance). I am a choral music fan, but I truly love the organ, so that problem keeps me from rating it higher. The fantastic selection of hymns, as well as the well-though treatments thereof, still make this a wonderful CD for church music fans to own.

These hymns are splendidly performed by the Cathedral Choral Society.

The choir deftly moves from plaintive whispers of sound to magnificent block-chords -- complete with soaring descants -- without a sense of whiplash.

This disc represents a top-notch set of inspirational hymns performed exquisitely by a well-rehearsed choir backed by a magnificent pipe organ. It is fabulous.

I purchased this CD just based on the titles and am very glad I did. There are only two downsides to the album. First is the fact that there isn't a companion CD with 26 more hymns! Second is picky, but I do agree with another rater that the organ could have been a little louder related to the singing. Hope you enjoy listening!

The organ, choir, and occasional bells blend together here in the sonorities of the Washington National Cathedral. This disc is a must-hear if you enjoy choral music at all.

The bells and subtle accompaniment in "Let all mortal flesh keep silence" is marvelous. Some of these hymns, like "Abide with me" are quiet and reflective. Others, like "Praise, my soul, the King of Heaven" have a wonderful organ intro; the first verse is sung unison, the second verse is sung in parts and the third verse is sung unison with celestial descants that are superb.

You will hear "Amazing Grace" like you have probably never heard it before. It's done acapella, and it's powerful!

There are moments of tenderness and grandeur spread liberally throughout this disc; it is one of the best discs I have ever purchased.

The huge size and reverberating acoustics of Washington National Cathedral make it difficult to hear any kind of live choral performance clearly, even if you're sitting in the front rows in the nave. The Cathedral Choral Society is handicapped by having to record in this acoustically mushy space, and it shows in this CD, often creating an uneven balance between the organ and the chorus as noted by other reviewers. The repertoire is well-chosen, but the quality of the arrangements is uneven. Too often, the chorus seems to be singing in unison right out of the Hymnal, like any parish church choir at an ordinary Sunday service. Certain pieces do suggest the heights which the Society is capable of attaining. But the group never achieves the splendor that the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys displays every Sunday morning. Just when the Society seems to be getting there, the conductor pulls them back. And the shrill folk arrangement of "Amazing Grace" will have you covering your ears as the sopranos shriek clumsily, confusing volume with fervor.

Most everything on this CD is very well done. The recording environment might have been less than perfect, but that shouldn't dimish one's enjoyment very much. Most of the arrangements are very traditional, with the notable exception of Amazing Grace, which though it isn't terrible, it isn't very good either. Some songs had verses removed, which is understandable, though it was poorly done in Eternal Father, Strong to Save -- they did verse 1 ("Eternal Father"), then they skipped(!!!) verse 2 ("O Christ, the Lord") and went on to the final verses ("Holy Spirit" and "O Trinity") -- which is skipping Someone important! However, outside of that, it was excellent.

If you like sacred music, or hymns, then you'll thoroughly enjoy this CD. If you're a Christian, you should enjoy this as well, no matter your taste in music (and you might just learn to like hymns as well!). It is a well-chosen set of some of the most magnificent, God-honoring music of all time, done is a mostly very traditional manner, and it was done well.

Short & simple, this is a beautiful recording of choral hymns, decently arranged, definitely a 'Keeper'!

While the singing sounds good (hence the second star), the organist has a tendency to try to steal the show. A note in the booklet indicates that the organist occasionally improvises, and you can hear it: on tunes such as "Abide With Me" the familiar chords are replaced with a runaway organ. I would recommend either "Be Still My Soul: The Ultimate Hymns Collection" or "Abide With Me: 50 Favorite Hymns", both from DECCA Records, over this CD. "Abide With Me: 50 Favorite Hymns" has many of the same hymns sung by top-notch English choirs.

Outstanding choral recording! I have it on all day! Bought an extra for a gift.

Not to harp on anyone here, but it's obvious that none of you grew up in a church or environment that had a good choir. I know, a Hymn is a genre of music, but a recording of a hymn isn't one if it doesn't contain HARMONY. If they're a "choir," then why don't the tenors sing a different note than the sopranos, altos, and basses? The organist is quite good, I'll admit, but you're wasting your time if you're looking for a good recording of these beautiful songs that were COMPOSED with harmony, not unison. If they want to sing in unison like this, they need to be stripped of their "choir" status and simply be called a "group."