The Psalms of David - Choir of King's College, Cambridge - Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger

Richard Woodward (Composer), James Turle (Composer), William Crotch (Composer), Samuel Wesley (Composer), Joseph Barnby (Composer), Henry Walford Davies (Composer), John [Composer] Goss (Composer), Martin Luther (Composer), Hubert Parry (Composer), George Mursell Garrett (Composer), Charles Villiers Stanford (Composer), Thomas Attwood Walmisley (Composer), Thomas William Hanforth (Composer), Robert Philip Goodenough (Composer), Henry Thomas Smart (Composer), Ivor Atkins (Composer), Edward Bairstow (Composer), Anonymous (Composer), Gerald Knight (Composer), Charles Wilton (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Richard Woodward, James Turle, William Crotch, Samuel Wesley, Joseph Barnby, et al.
• Audio CD (June 6, 2006)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: EMI Classics
• ASIN: B0001RVRF4
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #8,618 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #97 in Music > Classical > Historical Periods > Classical (c.1770-1830) > General

Track Listings

Disc: 1

1. Psalm 122: I was glad

2. Psalms 42 & 43: Like as the heart - Give sentence with me

3. Psalm 104: Praise the Lord, O my soul

4. Psalm 61: Hear my crying, O God

5. Psalm 24: The earth is the Lord's

6. Psalm 121: I will lift up mine eyes

7. Psalm 23: The Lord is my shepherd

8. Psalm 46: God is our hope and strength

9. Psalm 84: O how amiable are thy dwellings

10. Psalm 15: Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle

See all 24 tracks on this disc

Disc: 2

1. Psalm 81: Sing we merrily unto God

2. Psalm 22: My God, my God, look upon me

3. Psalm 78: Hear my law, O my people

4. Psalm 93: The Lord is King

5. Psalm 49: O hear ye this, all ye people

6. Psalm 107: O give thanks unto the Lord

7. Psalm 45: My heart is inditing

8. Psalm 37: Fret not thyself

9. Psalm 53: The foolish body hath said

10. Psalm 130: Out of the deep

See all 11 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars a voice teacher and early music fan, August 8, 2008

By 

George Peabody "Ariel" (U.S.A.) - See all my reviews
(VINE VOICE)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)   

This review is from: The Psalms of David - Choir of King's College, Cambridge - Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger (Audio CD)

THE PSALMS OF DAVID: ONE, TWO AND THREE ARE ALL INCLUDED ON THESE CD'S; SO WHY SPEND YOUR MONEY IN-DI-VID-U-AL-LY????
The book of Psalms is a collection of 150 Hebrew religious poems which were sung to music in the worship of the temple of Jerusalem. The Psalms of these discs give some idea of the emotional range of these poets, for they voice joy and sorrow, thanksgiving and despair, penitence and faith, hope and love.

The structure of the psalms has influenced the manner of singing them. Broadly speaking, psalms have been sung to three types of music: (1) plainsong, (2) hymn tunes and (3) Anglican chant. These records illustrate the third method.

Since there are many collections of chants, there are differing conventions, some of which are: two sides of the choir (Descani and Cantoris) sing alternate verse or half-verses, or men alternate with boys. In some choral establishments the singing is always supported by the organ; in others some psalms are sung unaccompanied. Many of these possibilities of expressive contrast are illustrated on these discs.

Of course, we have here many varied King's College Choirs from the year 1968 - 1972 (Willcocks-director) and 1974 (Ledger). As per usual there is very little difference in sound between them. We still are graced with the clear crystalline sound of the boy sopranos, the velvet-toned male altos, the tuneful tenors and the resonant basses. The overall result is a choir with excellent balance, great emotional investment, clear diction and that 'special' unnamed something that this choir possesses. This is a truly inspiring musical treat that can be enjoyed by all choral music lovers, but especially meaningful to the believer.

13 of 15 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Book of Psalms in Harmony(To be Continued)-By Choir Of Kings College Cambridge, November 15, 2007

By 

Mark Greenidge "Mack The Knife" (Britton's Hill, Barbados) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Psalms of David - Choir of King's College, Cambridge - Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger (Audio CD)

Hey, This CD is awesome,a very great selection from the Book of Psalms.
Along with some of my favorites-Psalm 24, Psalm 114,Psalm 134.
Also very good arrangements and beautiful sung by one of the world's best-Choir of Kings College Cambridge in excellent sound quality from Capitol/EMI.
This CD of Psalms is very good for relaxiing the soul.
But Hey ,this Choir is awesome great to listen to.

10 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A MAGNIFICENT RECORDING, March 13, 2010

By 

Scott May (Atlanta, Georgia) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

Amazon Verified Purchase

This review is from: The Psalms of David - Choir of King's College, Cambridge - Sir David Willcocks, Sir Philip Ledger (Audio CD)

I am devoted to Anglican Chant and I find this recording of the Psalms of David by the Choir of King's College Cambridge absolutely fantastic. In fact hardly a day goes by that I don't listen to it. It does my spirit and outlook on life far more good than all of those pills I have to take.