Benjamin Britten, The Choristers Of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford - The Golden Vanity
STYLE: Orchestral RATING OUR PRODUCT CODE: 8964- LABEL: Lammas LAMM146D FORMAT: CD Album
Reviewed by Steven Whitehead
This collection gives us four challenging pieces. The title track was composed in 1966 for the Vienna Boys’ Choir and tells an exciting tale of a sea battle with Turkish pirates in which the young hero drowns. The choristers of Christ Church Cathedral are joined by those from Worcester College Chapel but still do not pack enough punch for this reviewer. Credit to Clive Driscoll-Smith on piano for keeping things moving. “The Ceremony Of Carols” from 1942 works much better. This is a collection of a dozen short pieces that are strung together like pearls in a necklace. Victoria Davies adds some lovely touches on the harp. Next we have “Missa Brevis In D” from 1959. It is brief but also remarkably powerful, foreshadowing the 'War Requiem'. We conclude with the “Children's Crusade”, written in 1968 for the Save The Children fund. It tells the grim story of a group of young Poles who starved to death in 1939. It is not an easy piece to listen to but still needs to be heard. The juxtaposition of this with the Christmas carols should make us think.
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