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Countertenors are thick on the ground these days, but
Alfred Deller was the first to make an international impact; indeed, he's the father of the
modern countertenor revival. This delightful collection of his renditions of Elizabethan folk and minstrel songs is arguably Deller's best album, a delight from start to finish. His rarefied voice fits these beautiful songs like a glove. It combines with Desmond Dupré's gently apt accompaniments to make a memorable program, the kind you can't pick highlights from because everything's a highlight. After hearing Deller's version of the moving text of King Henry, you realize you're in the presence of great artistry, the voice perfectly reflecting every nuance of the text and each word registering with a clarity rarely heard from a high voice. Awe is confirmed with an "O Waly, Waly" to set beside Kathleen Ferrier's; artful simplicity taken to its highest degree. Dupré gets two lute solos, and you wish he'd have more, but then Deller starts singing again and you don't want him to stop. The 1955 sound comes up as fresh as yesterday's release; full texts of all the songs are included.
--Dan Davis
See all 29 tracks on this disc
