Wake Ev'ry Breath - Music of William Billings

William Billings (Performer), William Appling Singers & Orchestra (Performer, Composer, Orchestra), conductor William Appling (Performer) | Format: Audio CD

Product Details

• Performer: William Billings, William Appling Singers & Orchestra, conductor William Appling
• Orchestra: William Appling Singers & Orchestra
• Composer: William Appling Singers & Orchestra
• Audio CD (February 24, 1998)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: New World Records
• ASIN: B0000063CH
• In-Print Editions: MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #71,719 in Music (See Top 100 in Music)

Editorial Reviews

American Record Guide, September/October, 1998

The performances are excellent . . . a combination of polish and spirit that Billings probably would have envied but rarely heard.

Wilfred Mellers, Musical Times, Summer, 1998

For those who don’t know this music, Appling’s CD would be a fine starting point.

See all Editorial Reviews

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Extraordinary, January 25, 2000

By A Customer

This review is from: Wake Ev'ry Breath - Music of William Billings (Audio CD)

I have performed many of these works with professional and amateur groups, and this is simply the best Billings I have ever heard. It strikes the perfect balance between the raw energy and directness of this wonderful early American music and the skill and refinement of great choral singing. There are real adventures here as well, with several pieces, I believe, being given their premiere recording, like the unusual New Boston/Hingham and the simply beautiful Mourn, Mourn in Billings's final version. Appling is a tremendous conductor, and what is really remarkable is that this is a live performance. Most groups need many studio takes to do what this group did in one.

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Simply beautiful, December 14, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Wake Ev'ry Breath - Music of William Billings (Audio CD)

William Billings has always been so underrated, but this recording should help rectify that. Though it was released a few years ago I just discovered it and am thoroughly impressed by the repertoire, the recording and especially the beautiful performances. I can only imagine how gratified Billings himself would have been to hear this. And it was recorded on his 250th birthday!

8 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Exceptionally Good, September 22, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Wake Ev'ry Breath - Music of William Billings (Audio CD)

I have not enjoyed a choral recording this much is a long time. Billings is such a fine composer and the performances here are wonderful. Unlike most recordings of this kind, it was not done in either a huge church or a studio but in a smaller, chapel-like setting, the kind of place I imagine people would have been singing Billing when he was writing. This gives it a wonderful quality. It's nice to know there is now another excellent Billings CD along with Paul Hillier's. I also read that this is a concert recording; this may give it a certain lack of "perfection" in terms of the singing always being "just so" and some extraneous sounds, but being live also gives the performances a real immediacy and presence.