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Epicurus.com - The Promise of Ages : A Christmas Collection

The Promise of Ages : A Christmas Collection
List Price: $9.98
Our Price: $9.98
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Sony
Average Customer Rating: Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5Average rating of 4.5/5

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Binding: Audio CD
EAN: 0074646071328
Label: Sony
Manufacturer: Sony
Number Of Discs: 1
Publisher: Sony
Release Date: 1998-10-20
Studio: Sony

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Editorial Reviews:

No one has recorded more innovative Christmas anthologies than Andrew Parrott--and this disc is no exception. The Promise of Ages presents a collection of wonderful seasonal music arranged for women's voices (all arrangements were either made or sanctioned by the composers). The selection includes 15th-century English works such as "There is no rose of swych vertu"; traditional tunes both genuine ("Deck the Halls" in an 18th-century Welsh arrangement for harp) and fake (J. J. Niles's "I Wonder as I Wander" and "Lullay, thou little tiny child"); rollicking Irish dance tunes; and 20th-century works by such composers as Britten, Holst, and Judith Weir on traditional Christmas texts. One ingenious and effective suite combines Peter Maxwell Davies's "O magnum mysterium" and "The Fader of Heven" with the 14th-century "Song of the Nuns of Chester." All of the performances are exemplary, but Emily van Evera deserves special praise for her beautifully simple rendition of the Niles tunes. This collection can stand alongside Parrott's The Carol Album as the thinking person's Christmas albums. --Matthew Westphal


Spotlight customer reviews:

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: Wonderful music--but look at Parrott's other Christmas discs too
Comment: "Sing We the Virgin Mary" by itself makes this disc a must-buy--what a simple, gorgeous tune, perfectly done. But there are a few too many dreary Peter Maxwell Davies pieces and other less enjoyable works on this disc to make it my favorite Christmas album. Check out Parrott's two Carol Albums and A Christmas Album (vol.1) for more Christmas music delights (as well as the Boston Camerata's Christmas discs).

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Superb Choral Christmas Music
Comment: Andrew Parrott, and the Taverner Concert and Choir have done it again !

This is a superb collection of traditional music from the past, some of it familiar, some not so well known, all performed so very well.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5Average rating of 4/5
Summary: Unique and special
Comment: Loved this album the entire thing. An English flavour.
Especially loved the Lo He Comes With Clouds Descending..
heart stirring. A great way to get into the Christmas
spirit and lift your heart.

Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: Beautiful Harmonies and Vocalizations
Comment: Like another reviewer, I am thrilled at Lo! He Comes, as well as with the unfamiliar setting for Hark the Herald Angels Sing and the beautiful Sing We the Virgin Mary.

If you love beautiful vocalizations, especially rare soprano-alto harmonizations, this is the album for you.


Customer Rating: Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5Average rating of 5/5
Summary: A "top ten" Christmas album
Comment: If this album contained nothing but it's splendid rendition of Madan's Lo! He Comes, with Clouds Descending, the album would be worth owning. Fortunately, the entire album is a brillant mix of voices, instrumentals and performance styles; the resulting album can be played several times in successiion without becoming repetative - no small feat for a Christmas album.

The album ranges from the 13th century Nuns of Chester to contemporary composers - Judith Weir - or nearly comtemporary - Britten, Holst ... with excellent sequencing so that no piece seems out of place.

The instrumentation varies from the traditional organ with SATB choir to fiddle, flute, concertina and cello. This provides the variety that makes the album so listenable.

For traditional Christmas music this album is a must.



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