RECORDINGS

LABEL: SWELK RECORDS
CATALOG NUMBER: N/A
UPC NUMBER: 884502843330
NUMBER OF DISCS: 2
RUNNING TIME: 2:18:43
DATE RECORDED: MAY 2010
CD RELEASE DATE: NOVEMBER 30, 2010
CONDUCTOR: WOODROW BYNUM
ORCHESTRA: THE CATHEDRAL OF ALL SAINTS ORCHESTRA
CHOIR: THE CATHEDRAL CHOIR OF MEN AND BOYS
SOPRANO: JENNIFER AYLMER
CONTRALTO: KIRSTEN SOLLECK
TENOR: ROBERT BREAULT
BARITONE: NATHANIEL WEBSTER
AUDIO SAMPLES HIGHLIGHTS OTHER RELEASES

NONE
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DISC ONE

1. Messiah: Part 1 - Sinfonia 3:07
2. Messiah: Part 1 - Comfort Ye My People 2:59
3. Messiah: Part 1 - Every Valley Shall Be Exalted 3:28
4. Messiah: Part 1 - And The Glory Of The Lord Shall Be Revealed 2:4
5. Messiah: Part 1: Thus Saith The Lord Of Hosts 1:29
6. Messiah: Part 1: But Who May Abide The Day Of His Coming? 4:13
7. Messiah: Part 1: And He Shall Purify The Sons Of Levi 2:40
8. Messiah: Part 1: Behold, A Virgin Shall Conceive, And Bear A Son 0:22
9. Messiah: Part 1: O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings To Zion 5:11
10. Messiah: Part 1: For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover The Earth 2:11
11. Messiah: Part 1: The People That Walked In Darkness Have Seen A Great Light 3:24
12. Messiah: Part 1: For Unto Us A Child Is Born 4:17
13. Messiah: Part 1: Pifa (pastoral Symphony) 1:03
14. Messiah: Part 1: There Were Shepherds, Abiding In The Field 0:14
15. Messiah: Part 1: And Lo, The Angel Of The Lord Came Upon Them 0:18 
16. Messiah: Part 1: And The Angel Said Unto Them, Fear Not 0:35
17. Messiah: Part 1: And Suddenly There Was With The Angel A Multitude 0:18
18. Messiah: Part 1: Glory To God In The Highest 2:03
19. Messiah: Part 1: Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter Of Zion 4:34
20. Messiah: Part 1: Then Shall The Eyes Of The Blind Be Opened 0:26
21. Messiah: Part 1: He Shall Feed His Flock Like A Shepherd 5:33
22. Messiah: Part 1: His Yoke Is Easy And His Burthen Is Light 2:26
23. Messiah: Part 2: Behold The Lamb Of God 2:38
24. Messiah: Part 2: He Was Despised And Rejected Of Men 9:06
 		DISC TWO

25. Messiah: Part 2: Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs 1:37
26. Messiah: Part 2: And With His Stripes We Are Healed 1:49
27. Messiah: Part 2: All We Like Sheep Have Gone Astray 3:53
28. Messiah: Part 2: All They That See Him Laugh Him To Scorn 0:39
29. Messiah: Part 2: He Trusted In God That He Would Deliver Him 2:19 
30. Messiah: Part 2: Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart 1:52
31. Messiah: Part 2: Behold And See If There Be Any Sorrow Like Unto His Sorrow 1:23
32. Messiah: Part 2: He Was Cut Off Out Of The Land Of The Living 0:14
33. Messiah: Part 2: But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul In Hell 2:03 
34. Messiah: Part 2: Lift Up Your Heads, O Ye Gates 3:08 
35. Messiah: Part 2: Unto Which Of The Angels Said He At Any Time? 0:13
36. Messiah: Part 2: Let All The Angels Of God Worship Him 1:29
37. Messiah: Part 2: Thou Art Gone Up On High 3:04 
38. Messiah: Part 2: The Lord Gave The Word 1:08 
39. Messiah: Part 2: How Beautiful Are The Feet Of Them That Preach 2:41
40. Messiah: Part 2: Their Sound Is Gone Out Into All Lands 1:37 
41. Messiah: Part 2: Why Do The Nations So Furiously Rage Together? 2:48
42. Messiah: Part 2: Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder 1:43
43. Messiah: Part 2: He That Dwelleth In Heaven Shall Laugh Them To Scorn 0:11
44. Messiah: Part 2: Thou Shalt Break Them With A Rod Of Iron 2:04
45. Messiah: Part 2: Hallelujah, For The Lord God Omnipotent Reigheth 3:52
46. Messiah: Part 3: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth 6:04
47. Messiah: Part 3: Since By Man Came Death 2:02
48. Messiah: Part 3: Behold, I Tell You A Mystery 0:34
49. Messiah: Part 3: The Trumpet Shall Sound 9:06
50. Messiah: Part 3: Then Shall Be Brought To Pass 0:15
51. Messiah: Part 3: O Death, Where Is Thy Sting? 1:01
52. Messiah: Part 3: But Thanks Be To God Who Giveth Us The Victory 2:01
53. Messiah: Part 3: If God Be For Us, Who Can Be Against Us? 4:26
54. Messiah: Part 3: Worthy Is The Lamb That Was Slain 3:20 
55. Messiah: Part 3: Amen 4:45
SITE RATING:  6/10
SITE REVIEW:  This 2009 live recording of Messiah under the baton of Woodrow Bynum, leading the Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys has many strong points; the chamber orchestra, playing on period instruments, is excellent, playing with fire and precision.  Among the soloists, tenor Robert Breault has an edge to his voice that I found a little too piercing; baritone Nathaniel Webster has a fine tone and dramatic delivery, but lacks fluidity on his melismas.  Contralto Kirsten Solleck is fine, but giving a cold, hard-edged tone to her arias, and soprano Jennifer Aylmer sings with a ringing, brightness to her tone, and unfortunately sounds as if her mic is a little "hot" - giving a shrill quality to her sound. Also, her melismas are thisclose to spinning out of control, sounding somewhat manic and forced.  The Cathedral Choir of Men and Boys sings with exactness and dedication, but, as is problematic with many choirs of this arrangement, the basses tend to overpower the trebles, and again, the recorded sound is very close and dry, so that individual voices "pop" out of the blend.  Bynum's tempos are bright, light, and energetic, and he keeps the program moving along at a wonderful clip.  While there are some elements to recommend this recording, the close, intrusive recorded ambiance and small performance faults throughout keep this from rising into the upper echelons of recorded Messiahs.
The Compleat Messiah All Content Copyright © 2010 Bret D. Wheadon
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