Customer Reviews

A Waverly Consort Christmas: From East Anglia to Appalachia

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

"A Waverly Consort Christmas" is an outstanding mix of Christmas music "from East Anglia to Appalachia." Fans of early music will love th CD, , as well as those who enjoy Celtic and early American. There are familiar and traditional Christmas songs-- enough to keep it cozy. But I believe it is the new and perhaps unfamiliar selections that will draw and keep your attention. The Gregorian chant is absolutely heavenly and the early American pieces could make a persike dancing! My favorite selection is an early American piece called "Exultation." I never get tired of listening to this CD-- and in fact I play it all year long. I believe you will not be disappointed .

I Adore this CD! If CDs wore out I would have replaced it twice already!

Although it's a Christmas album I listen to it all year round. The arrangements, voices and songs have a beauty that is incredible. I love especially that some songs are solos and some sung by the group. Some have singing and some not. There is a slightly different feel to each song so I never get bored.

The sound bites offered really don't show how great this album is. Track 1 is great, 5 & 11 hauntingly beautiful, 6 is a Gregorian chant with bells in the back ground, 9 (with a baritone solo) is so soothing but track 8 is my favorite. The old hymn is lovely and the 2 different soprano harmonies breathtaking!

I can't recommend this CD enough! If you like old carols, period music, chants and rich harmonies-buy it!

Altho' this a purportedly Christmas album, it's charm extends to the entire year. The voices are are a revelation, and the harmonies are exquisite. One overlooked item in the other reviews are the interesting instrumentations on early instruments. Like the others, I am particularly taken with "Exultation", but there are so many other gems here, it is hard to pick a favorite. "Bethlehem" and "Shiloh" are great examples of 18th century New England puritan carols (if you thought the puritans were a grim and dour lot, wait till you hear this!), "Campanis cum Cymbalis" very consciously emulates English change-note bell ringing, and "The Darkest night in December" is a rare example of an Irish carol, wild and uplifting at the same time. The whole is bracketed with familiar carols: the Gloucester, Leeds and Yorkshire Wassails. This is a must-have album, not only for fans of early music, but for all who want something to relieve their "Rudolf the Red-nosed Reindeer" burn-out.

I bought this several years ago as I love the 1st track, it has joined the ranks of my very favorite Christmas CD's. I am upset that someone who purchased it mistakenly, as the title they state is different and the contents are plainly listed, was able to damage it's review.
I would suggest if they like the other so much the should pay to have the LP transfered to cd format as I have done with several of the old Goodyear christmas recordings!

CHRISTMAS FROM EAST ANGLIA TO APPALACHIA
This is celebratory music of two worlds on the far sides of a vast ocean-old Britain and new America. It shows its origins in the ancient sonorous world of a group of northerly British isles. The music inludes a fullness of sonority produced by close-voiced, triadic chords: a strong chordal and even tonal orientation; a consonant harmonic sweetness punctuated by piquant dissonances and a close attachement to folk traditions, evidenced by tuneful, regularly phrased melodies, improvised harmony, and dance rhythms. In addition there is the ancient love of the full-throated song.

There are fifteen selections, some familiar (although somewhat alien in sound), some perhaps not known at all. Actually, I was familiar with most of them, but not in the context in which they are presented on this disc. They are: ten from England, one from Ireland, two fuguing tunes of the New England singing-master William Billings, and two shape-note folk hymns of the southern United States. Although distanced by miles and centuries they certainly share an abundant harmoniousness and the clear intent to impart joy through singing.

The singers of the Waverly Consort as well as the instrumentalists are very good at what they do, but this record lacked variety in every way: too much solo work with all manner of folk-type instruments, that after a while became incredibly monotonous. The best selections were those that included the group of singers (only three songs included the entire group). I kept comparing this recording to the very excellent recording entitled 'The Christmas Album' Festive Music from Europe and America by the Tavener Consort conducted by Andrew Parrott. That's the one to go for!!!!

I bought this CD because the Waverly Consort was performing here in Winter Park. The music is fantastic is you like choral music that is simple, but yet complex enough to sit down and listen.

Seeing them perform is even better and the Waverly Consort is my choice for music from that time period

I purchased this CD by accident several years ago - what a happy mistake! This is simply my favorite holiday CD which I look forward to pulling from my archives each December and enjoying anew! I am no authority on this genre of carols and hymns but the mix of old and new musical elements works. I find that, not only beautiful to the ear, it is engaging and draws me in. Buy it and enjoy the journey!

I've never heard anything quite like this. The music I'm enjoying takes a madrigal feel, and it's thoroughly refreshing. Add this into your traditional Christmas playlist and you'll definitely get positive feedback from others. Absolutely worth getting. I concur with the other raves I've read. Some people won't feel comfortable treading into music from this era, but just try the samples. I wish they could play longer than 30 seconds each but you'll get an idea. The voices carry the music, instead of being overrun by instruments. And the singing is terrific. Wow. I love it more and more as I listen!

Into track six ("Verbum Patris Hodie") and the music takes a bit of a benedictine-monk-turn from the all-male voices in track 5. Chime-bells ring in the background; a little heavy in bell-ringing I feel.

Track seven - "Bethlehem" - returns to madrigal singing with a little bit of male baritone solo. I enjoy the way each track switches up a little. I don't feel like I'm about to listen to a similar type of music as another selection plays. And not one tune is what I have in my Christmas playlist ~ no Silent Night, We Three Kings or Greenesleeves. I actually would venture to consider this an essential recording, for those who cherish Christmas songs that are more "traditional."

Onto track 8, "Exultation," a female solo with acoustic guitar opens for the group. And suddenly I hear a banjo solo, which leads a violin before the singers join in. Truly worth every penny, IMHO.

"Shiloh," track 9, brings all the singers back to let their voices carry the song with another refreshing and clear-sounding track with no instruments.

I'll end this review at track 10, "Star In The East," which begins with a somber violin that opens, soon to be joined by flute, and then a baritone solo begins to sing as the instruments back off some. You can understand each word these singers project. He then pauses as the musicians play for a short while, and then the solo joins to match up with the instruments.

An essential album for the Christmas music enthusiast. But I can also see playing this throughout the whole year, it's simply beautiful, beautiful music.

PS: I must add a bit more about track 11 (Ther Is No Rose Of Swych Vertu) I'm actually moved to tears by the gorgeous female solo that begins. This is the kind of album in which one may feel that one song is their favorite (like track 11 is for me), and then find some other song is the best at another time. Two thumbs up plus some happy tears to boot!

This cd is beautifully put together and exquisitely performed. Each piece is a study in perfect pitch. One is transported into the Renaissance Era, and visuals are conjured up almost involuntarily. I've been known to put it on while perusing literature surrounding the court of Henry VIII.

Saw them in concert. They were great so I wanted the CD. I wasn't disappointed.