The King's Singers: English Renaissance

Thomas Tallis (Composer), William Byrd (Composer), Bruce Russell (Performer), Philip Lawson (Performer), Stephen Connolly (Performer), David Hurley (Performer), Nigel Short (Performer), Bob Chilcott (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Bruce Russell, Philip Lawson, Stephen Connolly, David Hurley, Nigel Short, et al.
• Composer: Thomas Tallis, William Byrd
• Audio CD (February 14, 1995)
• SPARS Code: ADD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B000003FSO
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #149,018 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

18 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Not to be missed!, January 21, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: The King's Singers: English Renaissance (Audio CD)

This CD is absolutely essential. These guys know their music inside and out, and the dynamic levels they are able to achieve should be the envy of any ensemble.

The album contains an exceptional recording of Tallis's "The Lamentations of Jeremiah" which are virtually unperformed in the music world, but are exquisite pieces of vocal polyphony. I highly recommend this album for that reason alone.

Listen to it as an activity in and of itself, with no background noise if possible. You will be rewarded! Also, it is a great album to help you fall asleep, if you use music to relax.

If you like Early music, you MUST acquire this CD! End of story!

11 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful and Flawless, December 8, 2000

By 

Gracejoy "gracejoy7" (New York, NY United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King's Singers: English Renaissance (Audio CD)

The King's Singers are one of the best small vocal ensembles in the world today. With beautiful, strong, clear voices, they sing new life into some of the loveliest melodies of the two wonderful English composers. Their voices seem perfectly suited to this music, and indeed their performance itself is essentially perfect--I cannot find a single significant fault with anything on this recording. The quality of singing is absolutely first-rate. In particular, the sound of the male contralto is wonderfully pure. If you like Byrd and Tallis, then you are in for a wonderful treat with a purchase of this CD. If you are not very familiar with the composers, or the Singers, then I am sure this CD will make you quite a fan of both! This is very, very lovely music.

6 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Absolutely Outstanding!!!, February 11, 2005

By 

Russell J. Franks (Norman, OK United States) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King's Singers: English Renaissance (Audio CD)

I own several other King's Singer CDs, but this one is definitely my favorite. Every track is a gem! It is amazing that only six vocalists are able to produce such beautiful harmonies. My favorite tracks are:
-"Te Lucis Ante Terminum (I)" This begins with Gregorian chant done in the way that God intended for it to be sung. When I am listening to this, I imagine it being performed in an English cathedral, and I imagine the entire building resonating with the music. After the opening unison Gregorian chant, the music changes into a polyphonic and harmonic style that is a very interesting textural contrast. Wonderful!
-"The Lamentations of the Prophet Jeremiah" This is a wonderful example of the highest form of English polyphony. I have a CD that has the Choir of King's College performing the "Lamentations", however, the King's Singers' version on this CD is much clearer and richer.

If you like this type of music, then this album is for you. Even if you are not sure if you like this kind of music, I would still recommend purchasing this recording. You won't regret it.