The Songs of Robert Burns / Songs of the Hebrides [Import]

Robert Burns (Composer), Scottish Traditional (Composer), Spoken Word (Composer), Anonymous (Composer), Scottish Anonymous (Composer), Betty Roe (Composer), Kenneth McKellar (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: Kenneth McKellar
• Composer: Robert Burns, Scottish Traditional, Spoken Word, Anonymous, Scottish Anonymous, et al.
• Audio CD (May 10, 2005)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Format: Import
• Label: Dutton Labs UK
• ASIN: B0006840KC
• Average Customer Review: 4.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #63,205 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Track Listings

1. There was a lad was born in Kyle

2. Bonnie wee thing

3. Corn rigs (The rigs o' barley)

4. Afton water (Flow gently, sweet Afton)

5. On Cessnock Banks

6. Ae fond kiss

7. My heart's in the Highlands

8. The Deil's awa' wi' the exciseman

9. Mary Morison

10. Bonnie lass of Ballochmyle

11. Of a' the airts the wind can blaw

12. My love, she's but a lassie yet

13. My love is like a red, red rose

14. Sleeps the noon in the deep blue sea

15. Introduction to "The Peat-fire flame"

16. The Peat-fire flame

17. Introduction to "Land of heart's desire"

18. Land of heart's desire

19. Introduction to "The reiving ship"

20. The Reiving Ship

See all 38 tracks on this disc

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Elegance in sound, May 13, 2007

By 

DocJim (Rockville, MD United States) - See all my reviews

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This review is from: The Songs of Robert Burns / Songs of the Hebrides (Audio CD)

McKellar has one of the finest tenor voices I have heard. There is a range that is broad, while keeping a very masculine sound. I learned that he was trained classically and gave up opera after a season or two to do concert singing. These songs have lush or spare orchestral arrangements as the occasion demands. They are dramatic, even Hollywood-like, arrangements verging on schmalt, but a second hearing convinced me that he was among the finest tenors of the 20th century and the arrangements are "just right."

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply exquisite!, May 5, 2007

By 

Steven Keller (Fairview Heights, Illinois, USA) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Songs of Robert Burns / Songs of the Hebrides (Audio CD)

Who can sing like this today? Vocalion has done it again -- two of Kenneth McKellar's wonderful Decca recordings from 1961 and 1962 brought together for a wonderful vocal treat. There are things the lover of the English art song and ballad cannot be without -- Jennifer Vyvyan's lovely renditions of Michael Head's Foxgloves and Roger Quilter's Love's philosophy; Eileen Farrell's stentorian Sing to me by Sydney Homer; John Mark Ainsley's rhapsodic performance of Quilter's Go, Lovely Rose, and Kenneth McKellar singing Land of Heart's Desire, Sleeps the Noon in the Deep Blue Sky and Robert Burns' My love is like a red, red rose. Happily, these songs are preserved on this terrific release. McKellar had a wonderful, powerful and lyric tenor voice. His operatic and oratorio singing is moving on top of being very musical -- dynamics, portamento, etc., scrupulously observed and artistic; however, his singing of art songs, folk songs and ballads is exemplary and always, underscored ALWAYS moving and right on the mark. McKellar had a real affinity for this music and it simply erupts from the grooves (oops, I'm dating myself)!

The Songs of Robert Burns is lovely -- I defy anyone to listen to McKellar's rendition of My love is like a red, red rose, and come away without a tear in the eye. In my opinion, however, the true gem is the release of McKellar's Songs of the Hebrides. Vocalion includes McKellar's spoken introductions to these songs and it is incredible. One might think that it would sound trite, but McKellar is right on the mark and the introductions make the songs that much more memorable. Marjory Kennedy-Fraser is surely smiling down from heaven as this is the most beautiful and atmospheric recording of her Songs of the Hebrides. McKellar scales down his powerful voice for Land of Heart's Desire and it is ravishing. No one comes away unmoved. Again, who can sing like this today? I tried to think of any tenor or baritone singing today that could come close to this kind of a performance -- I could not think of one. Thank you Vocalion for bringing these performances back to light. Speaking of the recording, it is lush, with that beautiful early stereophonic sound preserved. For the lover's of the art song, ballad or folk song, you MUST have these performances.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Scottish Songs for a Lifetime, May 12, 2007

By 

Charles L. Teachout (Reno, NV) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: The Songs of Robert Burns / Songs of the Hebrides (Audio CD)

If I was to be only able to carry one CD with me to a desert island, this one might be my choice. The poetry of Robert Burns is entirely inspiring. The vocal performance of McKellar is adequate to Burns' work. The orchestration is rich and appropriately simple. These songs will "stick to your ribs" and leave you longing for a visit to the old sod to personaly perceive the beloved ambiance they evoke.