The King's Singers Original Debut Recording

Simon Carrington (Performer), Anthony Holt (Performer), Moises Simons (Composer), American Traditional (Composer), English Traditional (Composer), George Gershwin (Composer), Miguel Prado (Composer), Pyotr Il'yich Tchaikovsky (Composer), Anonymous (Composer), Burt Bacharach (Composer), Dimitri Tiomkin (Composer), Ron Goodwin (Composer), Nigel Perrin (Performer), Gordon Langford Trio (Performer), Alastair Thompson (Performer), Alastair Hume (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Simon Carrington, Anthony Holt, Nigel Perrin, Gordon Langford Trio, Alastair Thompson, et al.
• Composer: Moises Simons, American Traditional, English Traditional, George Gershwin, Miguel Prado, et al.
• Audio CD (May 10, 1994)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: Chandos
• ASIN: B000000A9F
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #168,944 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars This is vintage King's Singers!, June 9, 2001

By 

Bron Mitchell "bronm" (Melbourne, Australia) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The King's Singers Original Debut Recording (Audio CD)

In the thirty or more years that the King's Singers have been going, they've released dozens of CDs. And as much as I adore some of their recent recordings, I still regard this first album as some of their best work.

This performance is both of a very high quality and is also a magnificent showcase of the variety of things the King's Singers sing. I doubt you would find many other recordings which contain works by Tchaikovsky, Gershwin, Bacharach as well as traditional folksongs from the British Isles and America - especially not recordings that are of such a high standard. The vocal harmonies are just delicious, and the Gordon Langford Trio also provides a brilliant accompaniment and gives songs like The Peanut Vendor, Shenandoah and Summertime a delightful relaxed feeling. Then there is also the lighthearted and whimsical What Kind of Things - a song all about what sort of music the King's Singers sing!

I was going to give this CD four stars rather than five (mainly because I hesitate to give top marks to anything ever - I know, I'm picky), but in the end I honestly couldn't think of anything which would justify taking a star away. It's worth all five!

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Thirty years old: still terrific, February 2, 2003

By 

Gontroppo "Music and Theology Lover" (Bathurst, NSW Australia) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)   

This review is from: The King's Singers Original Debut Recording (Audio CD)

We have loved this album for 30 years. We are so pleased it has been released on CD. It was originally part of a very small collection of gramophone records, and is now one of hundreds of CDs, but it is one we keep playing and playing.

The singing is flawless, the songs are wonderful and the arrangements are very clever. What more could you want?

It includes The Kings' Singers theme song, "What Kind of Things (do the Kings' Singers sing?)" which is a humorous description of the variety in their music and in their vocal ranges.

Other highlights are:
Summertime, which is quite close to the orignal sheet music, carefully arranged for 6 voices.

The folk song Scarborough Fair adheres quite closely to the Simon and Garfunkel arrangement, whereas The Oak and the Ash and Blow Away the Morning Dew are special creations for the group by Gordon Langford.

Time Was and The Green Leaves of Summer show the group's ability to create a wonderful mood through slow, soulful singing.

Highly recommended. Timeless music.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars King's Singers Debut, January 11, 2007

By 

Barry Lauritzen (Colorado Springs, CO) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The King's Singers Original Debut Recording (Audio CD)

I am a real fan of the King's Singers, and this album was very well received. I loved it. Recommend it to anyone.