Best Loved Hymns

Choir of King's College Cambridge (Artist), Stephen Cleobury (Conductor) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Conductor: Stephen Cleobury
• Audio CD (March 27, 2001)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B000058BGQ
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,636 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #1 in Music > Miscellaneous > Wedding Music
  • #2 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Hymns
  • #3 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Modern, 20th, & 21st Century > Composers > Vaughan Williams, Ralph

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

22 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The best album yet from King's College!, July 3, 2001

By 

William R. Pritchard (Rome, NY USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Best Loved Hymns (Audio CD)

A few years ago, I had the chance to go to England with my Daughter; at that time, I already owned several albums. On the last full day of our stay, I had the chance to go to Cambridge, and visit King's College. I desided to stay, and attend a Vesper Service; it was one of the best experiences of my life! The music of the Choir was all I expected, and more! The music on this album takes me back to that time and place; it is an indescribable feeling of JOY!! Buy it, you'll love it!!

12 of 12 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Buy this CD!, September 20, 2004

By 

M. Barclay "anglophile" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best Loved Hymns (Audio CD)

Having heard Kings College Choir twice, in the flesh, at Kings, this CD is a wonderful example of what you might hear. If you can't make it to Cambridge, buy this CD. It contains many of the old favorites and also some hymns that are not found on other English hymn CD's.

7 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great English Hymns, February 9, 2005

By 

T. Sparfeld (Miami, FL) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Best Loved Hymns (Audio CD)

This was one of my Christmas gifts and I really looked forward to listening to it. I had just visited King's College, Cambridge back in August and really liked it--you should try to make it out there if possible.

Anyway, this CD was great to listen to. Some hymns are scored for orchestral accompaniment, choir and organ, while the majority of tracks are just for choir and organ.

Recorded in the King's College Chapel (the front cover has a great shot of the ceiling's trademark "fan" stone carving), the hymns are pure English sound--boys' treble voices along with men's changed voices singing with a pure, clean, straight tone. It's very sweet-sounding.

The hymns chosen are also great; "Be Thou My Vision," an Irish classic, appears along with "When I Survey the Wondrous Cross," "All People That on Earth Do Dwell," and "Morning Has Broken" (later recorded by Cat Stevens).

The singing isn't especially elaborate--they're just simple hymns. They're orchestrated very well, however, and they sound great.

Religious people may prefer these recordings more in general--these are Christian hymns after all--but I think it's a great recording and is worth listening too, especially if you enjoy that English sound!