The Priests

The Priests (Artist)

Product Details

• Audio CD (November 18, 2008)
• Number of Discs: 1
• Label: RCA
• ASIN: B001DAYA6Q
• Also Available in: Audio CD  |  MP3 Download
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (131 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #142 in Music (See Bestsellers in Music)

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  #1 in	Music > Classical > Sacred & Religious > Hymns
  #1 in	Music > Opera & Vocal > Vocal Non-Opera
  #1 in	Music > Classical > Forms & Genres > Oratorios

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Fathers Eugene (aged 48) and Martin O'Hagan (aged 45), who are brothers, and David Delargy (aged 44) has each achieved the ambitions nurtured when they were at school together of having their own parishes in the Northern Ireland diocese of Down and Connor where they tend to the spiritual needs of thousands of devout parishioners. Today they formally begin their work as The Priests, their music will be religious and spiritually inspired classics including Ave Maria and Panis Angelicus. The Priests have recorded all the tracks from the album with the Philharmonic Academy of Rome Choir from St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The album will be stickered to higlight the Philharmonic Academy of Rome's involvement as well.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

117 of 117 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Quite simply...the very best, November 29, 2008

By	Julian Kerrell-Vaughan (Hong Kong) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I was first aware that three priests would be bringing out a CD of music when I saw and read an article on them in 'Time' Magazine. That article promised great things.
I was given the CD earlier this week by a friend here in Hong Kong. I have been listening to it constantly since.
This is so utterly different to anything with which it might be compared - 'Il Divo' and even 'The Three Tenors', although here we have two tenors and a baritone. The most marvellous thing here is that the music is given pride of place - there is absolutely no ego...no bellowed high Cs...no playing to any audience. And, as a result, even the better known offerings of the Schubert 'Ave Maria', the Franck 'Panis Angelicus' and LLoyd-Webber's 'Pie Jesu' are so fresh that they sparkle like early morning light on a stream. Fathers Eugene and Martin (who are brothers) and Father David have voices that we all dream of having, but the voices are there for the music and, I suspect, for God even before that. This is sung prayer, nothing else. The discretion of the insert in the CD points to this too, it seems to me.
I thought the arrangement of Haydn's 'Mit Würt und Hoheit angetan' splendid, and as with everything here done with such extreme good taste and refinement. I cannot advise the fathers' rivals to listen and to learn because they have no rivals.
This is the singing of three seminally musical and intelligent men, and, I feel, it is music of three men in love - in love with their vocation and in love with He who gave it to them.

87 of 87 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful music done beautifully., November 19, 2008

By	Beverley J. Moultrie (The Colony, Tx) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I heard a few selections from the album on NPR and had to have it. I ordered the CD then decided I couln't wait and got the MP3 download, too. I've been listening ever since.
Every segment is thrilling in it's simplicity and elegance. The songs are the classics that we all know and love and frequently hear but almost never can listen without listening around the quality and wishing for a little "more of this and less of that" and having to "forgive the production" and enjoy the old songs anyway... but none of that in this album. This is as good as it gets. Every selection was pure joy to experience!

Listening to this album was the most thrilling and satisfying musical experience I've ever had.

28 of 28 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars I sang along through my tears, December 3, 2008

By	D. Sullivan (Dallas, TX USA) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

When I was growing up in Northern Michigan we had a magnificent choir at our church. My father had a wonderful baritone voice, Mrs. Dix played the huge pipe organ, her husband could have been a concert violinist. Frank Toriano had a tenor voice that certainly could have made him a part of the New York Met, had he so chosen. All of this to tell you readers of this review that many of these songs on this CD were sung regularly in our church. These priests do such a beautiful rendition of each of them that I could not help but think that the Dixes, Frank, the other members of the choir and my dad were singing along with me as I sung along with "The Priests". In these so troubled days throughout the world and in our own country, it is so great to witness pure, beautiful, God given talent, used for His greater glory and honor. David A. Sullivan