Customer Reviews

The Passion of St. Thomas More (Music and Libretto by Garrett Fisher)

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The Passion of St. Thomas More transported me to a timeless place of love, joy, integrity, life and death. The music is atmospheric and great story telling. I felt touched by another's life and more connected to my own. Enjoy!

This is one of the most beautiful pieces I have ever heard. Fisher employs small forces - three singers (each playing a character in the More tragedy and also doubling as a Dark Angel), together with a guitar, cor anglais, an indian harmonium drone and a small amount of tabla-like percussion - to create a slow-moving ritual that depicts and comments on the issue of Thomas More's integrity. Should he agree to sign a statement of support for Henry VIII and compromise his principles, or should he "hold his pen" and sacrifice himself?

The music is slow-moving, tonal and austerely beautiful. The performances are flawless, and the recorded sound is spacious and atmospheric. This CD has all the makings of a cult hit.

In a field cluttered with releases that are derivative and mundane, The Passion of Saint Tomas More is astonishingly and provocatively original. Fisher has left his score free of ostentation, allowing his music to be the unaffected narrative voice of the drama. This remarkable reserve perfectly communicates the protagonist's resignation to the inevitable while reinforcing the philosophical maxim that there can be no such thing as a Christian tragedy. If you find yourself inured to the usual musical offering and want something to truly cleanse your palate, The Passion of Saint Tomas More is a must buy.

The music is gorgeous, mystical and beautifully
performed. The subject is timely, all about integrity,
and movingly portrayed - simplicity itself. I recently
attended a semi-staged performance of the work at Saint
Mark's Cathedral in Seattle, the Episcopal Cathedral (I
couldn't help thinking we were trampling on Henry's grave!),
directed by the composer with his wife as choreographer. I
was immediatly sold on this work, bought the disc and am
thrilled with it. I highly recommend this disc!!!!! If you
ever find that a live performance is being presented in your
area, go!!!!

I saw this production on a whim, in New York City and bought the CD, not sure if the audio alone would be evocative. But the in-person version is stark enough in itself that it does not detract from the music, if you look at it the other way around. I was worried that the voices on the recording would be like gossamer butterflies you've just seen live pinned to the backing, but no, the voices are as energetic and lovely as they in person.