Treasures of English Church Music

John Amner (Composer), English Anonymous (Composer), Edward Bairstow (Composer), Benjamin Britten (Composer), William [Composer] Byrd (Composer), Richard (Deering) Dering (Composer), Edward Elgar (Composer), Richard Farrant (Composer), Orlando Gibbons (Composer), John [Composer] Goss (Composer), William H. Harris (Composer), Herbert Howells (Composer), Thomas Morley (Composer), Robert Parsons (Composer), Peter [composer] Philips (Composer), Elizabeth Poston (Composer), Henry Purcell (Composer), John Rutter (Composer), John [Composer] Sheppard (Composer), Charles Villiers Stanford (Composer)

Product Details

• Composer: John Amner, English Anonymous, Edward Bairstow, Benjamin Britten, William [Composer] Byrd, et al.
• Audio CD (December 12, 1995)
• SPARS Code: DDD
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Collegium
• ASIN: B0000031I6
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #107,103 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #3 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( D ) > Dering, Richard
  #12 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( T ) > Taverner, John
  #12 in	Music > Classical > Featured Composers, A-Z > ( S ) > Sheppard, John

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exquisite, August 17, 2000

By A Customer

This pair of CDs is a beautifully-recorded collection of songs and hymns -- unaccompanied choral music of Howells, Tallis, Vaughan Williams, Purcell, and several other composers. The material will be particularly familiar to Anglican and Episcopal churchgoers and is a peaceful, well-presented demonstration of the choral composition skills of these English composers. The liner notes accompanying the set are extremely thorough and include translations from the Latin as needed.

Highly recommended.

13 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars My favorite album. English church music at its finest., October 5, 2005

By	Kevin Davis (Charlotte, NC United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

Whether you have a couple dozen albums of English choral music or whether you're looking for an introduction to English choral music, this two CD collection is a must. Here you will find a wide selection of sacred favorites, from Gregorian chant to Ralph Vaughan Williams. It's a misnomer to call it "Anglican," since this would exclude (in addition to, of course, the pre-Reformation Latin hymns) the likes of Thomas Tallis and William Byrd -- both Catholics that kept to the ancient faith despite Elizabeth's (albeit relatively mild) persecutions. Tallis and Byrd set the standard in the 16th century for the distinctive "Englishness" (as opposed to Continental European) style of English choral music, with its soaring majesty yet somehow coupled with a subtle and sustained beauty (as opposed to the Continental ups and downs and often tiresome exaggerations). For those of us in the English-speaking world, this is our heritage. Let's treasure it. As for the recording itself, the mixing is superb. While listening, it's quite easy to imagine yourself in the beautiful King's College Chapel or perhaps heaven itself.

16 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Glory of Anglican Church Music, May 14, 2003

By	Steven Eldredge (New York, NY USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This has become one of my most-played albums since I bought it several months back. The performances are absolutely stunning, and the acoustics of the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral provide a lovely bloom.

There are so very many highlights on these two CDs. I suggest if you want an example of how ravishing this music can be, listen to Sir Edward Bairstow's "I Sat Down Under His Shadow" and see if you can keep a tear from your eye.

It's like a vacation in the English cathedrals listening to this divine music. Highly recommended!