Customer Reviews

The King's Singers: From Byrd to the Beatles

5 star:		(8)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

I've always enjoyed King's Singers concerts better than their albums. Their studio recordings, while always interesting, are sometimes so highly thematic that listening to them from beginning to end can be a real challenge. Their concerts, on the other hand, feature varied programs like the one on this dvd. The range of music, all sung acappella, allows the talent of the singers to dominate the dvd, and make no mistake - these are six great singers who make a great ensemble. A highlight is Billy Joel's "Goodnight My Angel" with a Philip Lawson arrangment that makes this THE iconic version of the song. The segments on the making of Spem in Alium show interesting behind the scenes interviews and recording sessions on the creation of this 40-part, 8-minute work from 6 singers. The final work (Spem...) and the encore, "Masterpiece" fill out the DVD. A highly recommended purchase.

I bought this DVD to use in a general music class. Our music books featured a recording of the Kings singing "I'm a Train," and my 3rd and 4th grade students loved the song. They wanted to hear more King's Singers music, so I bought the DVD to share with them. What a treat this has been! The second half of the performance is lighter music that appeals to children as well as adults, especially songs like "Blackbird," where the singers mimic the sounds of the musical instruments used in the original Beatles recording. Every song on this DVD is a gift! Clips of the "Spem in Alium" recording sessions are interspersed among the songs, along with the singers' commentaries on the project. Besides enjoying this dvd at home, this was the best classroom purchase I've made in years. It is so great to see students turned on by something other than country music.

These guys are simply the best cappella singers ever.

The DVD is great, structured into pieces that go from the older madrigals, to the most recent Beatles. The introductions for each song is done by the members of the group themselves and they actually explain a lot of the contents in the lyrics and their writers, which considering that many of them are in french or german, is very enlightening.

The King's Singers embody choral perfection. As a self-proclaimed "King Head," I've been to many concerts and own nearly every recording they've ever made. I was even at their 25th anniversary celebration in Ann Arbor, Michigan. If anything, they are even better than they were then when I considered them to be at the top of their game.

The blend is excellent and the repetoire is an varied as ever. The encore of Masterpiece is marvelous. (It was one of the first things I heard them perform on the PBS show Wolftrap as a teenager.)

I must mention that there is a distraction on the DVD. It is "the tooth." One of the members of the ensemble has a tooth which sticks out and is actually distracting from the music. My fellow King Heads and I were watching the DVD and kept looking for it once we saw it.

All in all, this is an excellent opportunity for everyone to see the King's Singers doing what they do best-making marvelous music and being master performers.

This DVD gives you "another look" at the King Singers if, as it was with me, all you were acquainted with was their CDs. I have been a fan for years but I have never seen them in person. It was interesting to "get to know them" a bit through this DVD. My TV system presently does not have any sound other than that of the Wide Screen LCD that I use. It's not bad but the music definitely suffers in comparison to the Bose system in my car which is where I do most of my listening - so - depending on the sound quality of your system, the DVD might be a bit disappointing compared to your CD's.

It was interesting listening to the intervening explanations about their recording session and it does add a dimension to the music at the end, but quite frankly I would have preferred another couple of songs. I also was a bit disappointed in the selections, hence the four stars. The songs they sing are good but the range of their music is not as well represented on this DVD as I would have enjoyed. However, that said, what they do is great and it is very enjoyable to watch them as they sing. "Queen" never sounded this good.

It's a good DVD to add to your collection if you are a fan. If you are not a fan, or are looking to be introduced to the Singers, then buy a few of their CD's and then decide if you want to add this also. If you are not really into early, baroque and renaissance madrigal type music then you will probably be better off spending the money on their other works which are not as heavily vested in that genre.

Superb voices-the reason this group has been around for so long! The recording of Billy Joel's Lullaby will bring tears to your eyes!

The best in capella vocal group. Very british. Delicius humour. Versatile repertoire. A sophisticated program! Their first DVD.

A wonderful concert in your own home. This DVD showcases the wonderful talents of this great group. Very enjoyable.

No one can sing like them, and in so many varieties of styles! They're fun to look at, too!

After seeing The King's Singers in concert 2 months ago, I was anxious to purchase the DVD. I was not dissapointed. The 5.1 surround live performance is just like being there. Also, the making of "Spem in Alium" is very interesting. The final studio recording is incredible. I highly recommend this DVD.

Kurt VanLeeuwen
Santa Clara, Utah