RECORDINGS

LABEL: SONY MUSIC SPECIAL PRODUCTS
CATALOG NUMBER: 23060
UPC NUMBER: 079892306026
NUMBER OF DISCS: 1
RUNNING TIME: 46:04
YEAR RECORDED: 1992
CD RELEASE DATE: SEPTEMBER 1, 1995
CONDUCTOR: DON JACKSON
ORCHESTRA: THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA
CHOIR: THE ROYAL PHILHARMONIC CHORUS?
SOPRANO: JULIE KENNARD
ALTO: SHIRLEY MINTY
TENOR: WYNFORD EVANS
BASS: MICHAEL GEORGE
AUDIO SAMPLES HIGHLIGHTS OTHER RELEASES

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DISC ONE

1. Comfort Ye My People     03:15
2. Ev'ry Valley Shall Be Exalted     03:52
3. And the Glory of the Lord     03:14
4. And He Shall Purify     02:47
5. For Unto Us a Child Is Born     04:24
6. Pastoral Symphony     02:54
7. Rejoice Greatly, O Daughter of Zion     04:33
8. He Shall Feed His Flock     05:24
9. Behold the Lamb of God     02:16
10. He Was Despised     04:52
11. The Trumpet Shall Sound     04:31
12. Hallelujah     04:02
SITE RATING:  1/10
SITE REVIEW:  Conductor Don Jackson has been responsible for several of the slag-heap recordings Sony Music Special Products has dumped on the market over the years - this "highlights" disc of Messiah being only one of the two which Don Jackson is responsible for.  If this disc is any indication of Jackson's talent, he is a hack.  Everything here is conducted with all the grace of a lead-footed ballerina, with lurching tempos, harsh, strident sound, and the "chorus" (and I use that term in its coarsest sense) sounding like nothing more than the same four voices dubbed over each other.  The soloists all sound as if they could have been pulled from the chorus of a local opera house, with bass Michael George a blustery presence, soprano Julie Kennard loose on her melismas and shrill on her upper notes, and  tenor Wynford Evans is amateurish on his arias.  Everything here is a waste of time and effort, and buyers should beware this tepid, cynical "budget" release in all its various forms.
The Compleat Messiah All Content Copyright © 2009 Bret D. Wheadon
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