Search - John Barrow, Victor Hely-Hutchinson, Ralph Vaughan Williams :: Hely-Hutchinson: Carol Symphony; Warlock, et al /Rose, et al

The Vaughan-Williams Fantasia is heavenly

Classic Music Lover | Maryland, USA | 06/23/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"This recording is a bit strange, in that the core music surrounding the Christmas season is followed by some selections totally unrelated to the holiday. I guess the producers wanted to fill out the CD rather than have a short-timing (this music program was first released on LP). Still, most people will be buying the disk for the holiday-inspired music. I know I always edit out the last numbers when I play this CD.



The Hely-Hutchinson work is nice enough, but the real treat here is the absolutely best performance of the Vaughan-Williams "Fantasia on Christmas Carols" you will find on disk. The singers and the orchestra are perfection personified, and the overall atmosphere is amazing. Of course, it's all over way too soon, which is why the additional Warlock and other carols sung by the Guildford Cathedral Choir are so welcome. They are also done perfectly. I believe you'll never hear another rendition of the Wassail Song as good as the one on this disk.



In short, you can't go wrong with this CD for the holidays ... just be sure to skip over the last 25 minutes -- who needs the Children's Overture and the Suite of English Folk Dances on a program like this, anyway?"