Treasures of English Church Music

Robert Parsons (Composer), Thomas [Composer] Tallis (Composer), William [Composer] Byrd (Composer), Richard Farrant (Composer), Orlando Gibbons (Composer), Henry Purcell (Composer), Charles Villiers Stanford (Composer), Dutch Traditional (Composer), Herbert Howells (Composer), William [composer] Walton (Composer), Ralph Vaughan Williams (Composer), Benjamin Britten (Composer), Elizabeth Poston (Composer), William H. Harris (Composer), English Anonymous (Composer), John Amner (Composer), Thomas Tomkins (Composer), Edward Bairstow (Composer), John [Composer] Goss (Composer), John Taverner (Composer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Composer: Robert Parsons, Thomas [Composer] Tallis, William [Composer] Byrd, Richard Farrant, Orlando Gibbons, et al.
• Audio CD (December 12, 1995)
• Number of Discs: 2
• Label: Collegium
• ASIN: B0000031I6
• Also Available in: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (9 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #169,595 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)
  • #69 in Music > Classical > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera > Choruses

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

26 of 26 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars exquisite, August 17, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Treasures of English Church Music (Audio CD)

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.

15 of 16 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
(VINE VOICE)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Treasures of English Church Music (Audio CD)

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.

17 of 19 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 review is from: Treasures of English Church Music (Audio CD)

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!