The John Rutter Christmas Album brings together most of the composer's Christmas songs and carols as well as several of his festive choral arrangements, including a rousing "Joy to the World" and the energetic "I saw three ships". Most of the 23 tracks have been taken from extant discs on Rutter's Collegium label although two, "Dormi, Jesu" and "Sans Day carol", were recorded especially for this release.

Rutter's first two published compositions, written while he was still a teenager, were Christmas pieces for choir, namely the glorious "Nativity Carol" and the infectious "Shepherd's Pipe Carol". Although very different in character, these two carols (for which Rutter also wrote the test) display the composer's sense of joy and wonder at the Christmas story. More than 30 years later, those sentiments are still there in pieces such as the melting "Dormi, Jesu", commissioned by King's College, Cambridge for the 1999 Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols.

Under the direction of the composer, the youthful voices of the Cambridge Singers are on sparkling form, as are the City of London Sinfonia and vocal soloists Gerald Finley and Stephen Varcoe. This album deserves to be played over and over--and not just at Christmas. --Rebecca Agnew

Christmas Magic, 06 Dec 2008
This is the first time I have submitted a review, but those loving John Rutter's own carols and arrangements should know that this is a superb, almost certainly the best, compilation. It includes the beautiful and ever popular Nativity Carol and Shepherd's Pipe Carol which he wrote in his teens and after that most of the carols he has composed. The accompanying notes include all the words, which is such a help, and give information about when and for whom or what occasion each carol came to be written. And most importantly they were recorded when John Rutter had put together a superb singing group, The Cambridge Singers. It doesn't get any better than this.

Christmas Joy, 07 Mar 2008
I thought this CD had got lost in our recent house move and was delighted when it turned up in one the last boxes to be opened. I immediately rushed to listen again even though it is early March and am once again entranced by the warmth and beauty of the music and the singing. You really can play this CD anytime in the year and that is what I am doing now! If you buy it you will not be disappointed!

WOW - A 'must have' for Christmas, 22 Dec 2007
This CD is just fantastic - be blown away by The Cambridge Singers renditions of John Rutter's Christmas album - the definative version of some of the prettiest and most lyrical Christmas choral music you will ever hear. I just keep playing it over and over again.

Choir members will be inspired to get out their music to re-visit any of these beautiful carols they have sung in the past.

This would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone who appreciates choral singing from a choirboy to your grandmother - or just indulge yourself.

Beautiful CD., 20 Nov 2007
The more technical merits have already been pointed out. I have this on in the background now as its very relaxing. I recommend this as a Christmas treat to yourself, it is like being at an upmarket Carol concert (in a good way!) and when the music stops you find yourself putting it on again and again.

John Rutter's Box of Delights, 26 Dec 2002
This compilation of some of John Rutter's work should be in everyone's Christmas stocking. With sixteen of his own original creations he has added seven arrangements he has made of traditional Christmas music and that written by other composers. What is useful is the grouping of the music into parts - Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas Reflections, Christmas Joy and Epilogue - which allows the listener to select a long or short programme if required.
The performances, drawn from sources spanning the years 1985 to 2002, are sheer delight from beginning to end. The Cambridge Singers, with soloists Ruth Holton, Gerald Finlay and Stephen Varcoe, excel with the various moods and rhythms throughout, and the City of London Sinfonia adds stylish and colourful support. The direction of this wonderful festival of music for Christmas is in the capable hands of John Rutter himself who inspires his singers and players.
If I were to single out any items from the programme, who could possibly resist the lilting rhythms of `Jesus child' and the `Donkey Carol', and the jaunty bounce of `We wish you a merry Christmas'? On the reflective side, the various lullabies all receive sensitive performances.
If you are looking for the perfect combination of joy and reverence, not only at Christmas but at any time of year, you could not possibly rival this CD.

Christmas Magic, 06 Dec 2008
This is the first time I have submitted a review, but those loving John Rutter's own carols and arrangements should know that this is a superb, almost certainly the best, compilation. It includes the beautiful and ever popular Nativity Carol and Shepherd's Pipe Carol which he wrote in his teens and after that most of the carols he has composed. The accompanying notes include all the words, which is such a help, and give information about when and for whom or what occasion each carol came to be written. And most importantly they were recorded when John Rutter had put together a superb singing group, The Cambridge Singers. It doesn't get any better than this.

Christmas Joy, 07 Mar 2008
I thought this CD had got lost in our recent house move and was delighted when it turned up in one the last boxes to be opened. I immediately rushed to listen again even though it is early March and am once again entranced by the warmth and beauty of the music and the singing. You really can play this CD anytime in the year and that is what I am doing now! If you buy it you will not be disappointed!

WOW - A 'must have' for Christmas, 22 Dec 2007
This CD is just fantastic - be blown away by The Cambridge Singers renditions of John Rutter's Christmas album - the definative version of some of the prettiest and most lyrical Christmas choral music you will ever hear. I just keep playing it over and over again.

Choir members will be inspired to get out their music to re-visit any of these beautiful carols they have sung in the past.

This would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone who appreciates choral singing from a choirboy to your grandmother - or just indulge yourself.

Beautiful CD., 20 Nov 2007
The more technical merits have already been pointed out. I have this on in the background now as its very relaxing. I recommend this as a Christmas treat to yourself, it is like being at an upmarket Carol concert (in a good way!) and when the music stops you find yourself putting it on again and again.

John Rutter's Box of Delights, 26 Dec 2002
This compilation of some of John Rutter's work should be in everyone's Christmas stocking. With sixteen of his own original creations he has added seven arrangements he has made of traditional Christmas music and that written by other composers. What is useful is the grouping of the music into parts - Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas Reflections, Christmas Joy and Epilogue - which allows the listener to select a long or short programme if required.
The performances, drawn from sources spanning the years 1985 to 2002, are sheer delight from beginning to end. The Cambridge Singers, with soloists Ruth Holton, Gerald Finlay and Stephen Varcoe, excel with the various moods and rhythms throughout, and the City of London Sinfonia adds stylish and colourful support. The direction of this wonderful festival of music for Christmas is in the capable hands of John Rutter himself who inspires his singers and players.
If I were to single out any items from the programme, who could possibly resist the lilting rhythms of `Jesus child' and the `Donkey Carol', and the jaunty bounce of `We wish you a merry Christmas'? On the reflective side, the various lullabies all receive sensitive performances.
If you are looking for the perfect combination of joy and reverence, not only at Christmas but at any time of year, you could not possibly rival this CD.

Spanish but not Flamenco, 12 Apr 2008
This is a clasical guitar album recorded by John Williams in his style of ultimate perfection. Don't confuse this with Flamenco Spanish guitar.

Brilliant in many ways, 04 Jan 2006
'The guitar is a genuinely Spanish instrument,' writes Uwe Kraemer, and it (along with the classical music for it) is one of the great gifts of Spanish culture to the world. The period of composition for guitar in Spanish culture began in the 1500s, and has never really faded. Guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with the composer of the Star Wars themes) is a master of this instrument, and has selected a repertoire of pieces spanning all four centuries of the instrument.

This is a solo album - all of the pieces here are arranged for single guitar. Some of the music is distinctively Spanish, while others bear a Catalan and Portuguese influence. Few of the composers on this album are well-known names in the Northern-European culture, but in the Latin culture, these are names that are known, and the music even more so.

From the earliest century of guitar music, composers such as Gaspar Sanz and Alonso Mudarra show the origins of this kind of work, which includes dissonances that occasionally sound like modern composition. There are pieces with lively spirit and power, inspiring dance in a more popular mode.

Mateo Albeniz has only one surviving composition; a church organist in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century, he was influenced by Scarlatti and wrote for the harpischord - Williams has transcribed the piece for guitar here.

From the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, many composers were productive: Isaac Albeniz, Julio Sagreras, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Joaquin Turina. Some like de Falla were very influenced by traditional Spanish stories and musical themes, whereas others like Granados drew inspiration from the broader aspects of European musical tradition. Villa-Lobos shows the transportation of Spanish music into the new world, becoming a noted name in Brazilian music (which, ironically, is the only major South American country without Spanish as its primary language).

Joaquin Rodrigo and Frederico Moreno Torroba represent composers in this grand style up to the present day.

John Williams' playing is technically sound and has flashes of emotional power and inspiration. Many pieces here are wonderful, but 'The Miller's Dance', the 'Fandango' and the Villa-Lobos 'Prelude No. 4 in E minor' stand out as the greatest of tracks here, being nothing short of brilliant.

classical gems, 05 Aug 2003
A treat for the solo guitar enthusiast, this is a sparkling collection of Spanish classics, full of drama and passion, played to perfection by John Williams. His technique is dazzling, with a purity and clarity even in the fast and fiery parts, and never a squishy note to be heard.
The music takes us back to the mid 16th century with Alonso Mudarra's "Fantasia", which is short and charming, as well as another early composer, Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710), with his "Canarios", up to many 20th century masters like de Falla, Torroba, and the only non-Spaniard represented, the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Favorites include Albeniz' "Cordoba", which has a marvelous "rasqueado", and the familiar but exciting "The Miller's Dance" by de Falla, but every track is impressive on this CD, as well as entertaining, something solo guitar music occasionally fails to be.

Having been reared by a mother who loved her guitar almost as much as her children, I have heard these pieces played often and by many great artists, but never better, or more enjoyably. This is a compilation that consists of previously released material, some from the 70's and 80's, and the sound throughout is excellent.

Christmas Magic, 06 Dec 2008
This is the first time I have submitted a review, but those loving John Rutter's own carols and arrangements should know that this is a superb, almost certainly the best, compilation. It includes the beautiful and ever popular Nativity Carol and Shepherd's Pipe Carol which he wrote in his teens and after that most of the carols he has composed. The accompanying notes include all the words, which is such a help, and give information about when and for whom or what occasion each carol came to be written. And most importantly they were recorded when John Rutter had put together a superb singing group, The Cambridge Singers. It doesn't get any better than this.

Christmas Joy, 07 Mar 2008
I thought this CD had got lost in our recent house move and was delighted when it turned up in one the last boxes to be opened. I immediately rushed to listen again even though it is early March and am once again entranced by the warmth and beauty of the music and the singing. You really can play this CD anytime in the year and that is what I am doing now! If you buy it you will not be disappointed!

WOW - A 'must have' for Christmas, 22 Dec 2007
This CD is just fantastic - be blown away by The Cambridge Singers renditions of John Rutter's Christmas album - the definative version of some of the prettiest and most lyrical Christmas choral music you will ever hear. I just keep playing it over and over again.

Choir members will be inspired to get out their music to re-visit any of these beautiful carols they have sung in the past.

This would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone who appreciates choral singing from a choirboy to your grandmother - or just indulge yourself.

Beautiful CD., 20 Nov 2007
The more technical merits have already been pointed out. I have this on in the background now as its very relaxing. I recommend this as a Christmas treat to yourself, it is like being at an upmarket Carol concert (in a good way!) and when the music stops you find yourself putting it on again and again.

John Rutter's Box of Delights, 26 Dec 2002
This compilation of some of John Rutter's work should be in everyone's Christmas stocking. With sixteen of his own original creations he has added seven arrangements he has made of traditional Christmas music and that written by other composers. What is useful is the grouping of the music into parts - Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas Reflections, Christmas Joy and Epilogue - which allows the listener to select a long or short programme if required.
The performances, drawn from sources spanning the years 1985 to 2002, are sheer delight from beginning to end. The Cambridge Singers, with soloists Ruth Holton, Gerald Finlay and Stephen Varcoe, excel with the various moods and rhythms throughout, and the City of London Sinfonia adds stylish and colourful support. The direction of this wonderful festival of music for Christmas is in the capable hands of John Rutter himself who inspires his singers and players.
If I were to single out any items from the programme, who could possibly resist the lilting rhythms of `Jesus child' and the `Donkey Carol', and the jaunty bounce of `We wish you a merry Christmas'? On the reflective side, the various lullabies all receive sensitive performances.
If you are looking for the perfect combination of joy and reverence, not only at Christmas but at any time of year, you could not possibly rival this CD.

Spanish but not Flamenco, 12 Apr 2008
This is a clasical guitar album recorded by John Williams in his style of ultimate perfection. Don't confuse this with Flamenco Spanish guitar.

Brilliant in many ways, 04 Jan 2006
'The guitar is a genuinely Spanish instrument,' writes Uwe Kraemer, and it (along with the classical music for it) is one of the great gifts of Spanish culture to the world. The period of composition for guitar in Spanish culture began in the 1500s, and has never really faded. Guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with the composer of the Star Wars themes) is a master of this instrument, and has selected a repertoire of pieces spanning all four centuries of the instrument.

This is a solo album - all of the pieces here are arranged for single guitar. Some of the music is distinctively Spanish, while others bear a Catalan and Portuguese influence. Few of the composers on this album are well-known names in the Northern-European culture, but in the Latin culture, these are names that are known, and the music even more so.

From the earliest century of guitar music, composers such as Gaspar Sanz and Alonso Mudarra show the origins of this kind of work, which includes dissonances that occasionally sound like modern composition. There are pieces with lively spirit and power, inspiring dance in a more popular mode.

Mateo Albeniz has only one surviving composition; a church organist in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century, he was influenced by Scarlatti and wrote for the harpischord - Williams has transcribed the piece for guitar here.

From the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, many composers were productive: Isaac Albeniz, Julio Sagreras, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Joaquin Turina. Some like de Falla were very influenced by traditional Spanish stories and musical themes, whereas others like Granados drew inspiration from the broader aspects of European musical tradition. Villa-Lobos shows the transportation of Spanish music into the new world, becoming a noted name in Brazilian music (which, ironically, is the only major South American country without Spanish as its primary language).

Joaquin Rodrigo and Frederico Moreno Torroba represent composers in this grand style up to the present day.

John Williams' playing is technically sound and has flashes of emotional power and inspiration. Many pieces here are wonderful, but 'The Miller's Dance', the 'Fandango' and the Villa-Lobos 'Prelude No. 4 in E minor' stand out as the greatest of tracks here, being nothing short of brilliant.

classical gems, 05 Aug 2003
A treat for the solo guitar enthusiast, this is a sparkling collection of Spanish classics, full of drama and passion, played to perfection by John Williams. His technique is dazzling, with a purity and clarity even in the fast and fiery parts, and never a squishy note to be heard.
The music takes us back to the mid 16th century with Alonso Mudarra's "Fantasia", which is short and charming, as well as another early composer, Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710), with his "Canarios", up to many 20th century masters like de Falla, Torroba, and the only non-Spaniard represented, the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Favorites include Albeniz' "Cordoba", which has a marvelous "rasqueado", and the familiar but exciting "The Miller's Dance" by de Falla, but every track is impressive on this CD, as well as entertaining, something solo guitar music occasionally fails to be.

Having been reared by a mother who loved her guitar almost as much as her children, I have heard these pieces played often and by many great artists, but never better, or more enjoyably. This is a compilation that consists of previously released material, some from the 70's and 80's, and the sound throughout is excellent.

THESHOLD OF PARADISE, 03 Sep 2008
Allegri's Miserere is given the top billing on this disc, perhaps because of some celebrated special effects, explained in the liner notes, that it contains. The first track is devoted to a sombre and beautiful Crucifixus (from the Nicene Creed) by one Lotti, an older contemporary of Bach. Admirable and compelling, both of these, but what I bought this disc for was the two items by Palestrina, his Stabat Mater and the celestial Missa Papae Marcelli.

It is not just the quality of the early music specialists these days but the sheer profusion of them that continues to astonish me. I looked through the list of singers (18, not 16) and while I did not recognise most of the names offhand that may simply be because I did not investigate my large record collection, and I certainly did spot the name of a certain Mark Padmore among the tenors. The top parts are taken by sopranos, not trebles, all the altos are male, and the four soloists in the Allegri are also members of the choir.

To me, the 16th century polyphonists are not some recondite category of music that I have come to know in a spirit of antiquarianism. My early education made me familiar with Palestrina, Victoria and others of the period before I knew Bach Beethoven and Brahms, and that surely has to be the right sequence simply because it is the chronological and historical sequence. I have no mental reconfiguring to do before I listen to Palestrina because I have long known, and indeed sung in, the two works here. If they need `selling' to anyone, the best I can do is to state baldly that these performances are magnificent and the music itself is sublime beyond sublimity. This performance of the Mass in particular even ousts my treasured account from Willcocks in being at least as well sung and benefiting from more modern recording. Everything here is `quality'. To compliment a choir on its infallible intonation is not like congratulating an author on his spelling, it is a higher sort of achievement and one that cannot be taken for granted even nowadays and even from the most distinguished performers. Here it is utterly beyond question, and I was overawed by the breath-control that these vocalists, to a man and a woman, exhibited in the long final notes of the various pieces. All this is at the service of a musical sense that is instinct with belief and commitment as well as being stylistically impeccable. Nothing is exaggerated, but I sense a fervour in this singing that would not be out of place in the most `expressive' later music. The recording is just about ideal too, clear without either dryness or excessive resonance, reproducing with fidelity the superb vocal tone.

Nothing Allegri can do matches the heavenly serenity of the Missa Papae Marcelli, but the performance, as you might expect, is to the same standard, and so is that of Lotti's very fine Crucifixus. Harry Christophers contributes a short preface, and the main liner note, by Ivan Moody, provides some informative background. It may be that a little comment of my own on the texts respectively of the Stabat Mater and the Miserere will be helpful, because these are not the brightest jewels of the production.

The text of the Stabat Mater that Palestrina used is not the one I am most familiar with, the text set by Verdi for one. Details of the divergences need not concern us now, but for the odd fact that in two instances the Sixteen sing the other version and not what you will find printed here. I shall point these out at the places where they occur, in the course of correcting misprints in the Latin

. `Contristantem': read `contristatam'
. `Per tansivit': read `pertransivit'
. `Quis Christi': delete `Quis'
. `Me sentire vim doloris,': the comma should either be removed or come after `fac' in the next line
. `Fac me vere tecum flere': the other version `Fac me tecum pie flere' meaning `Make me weep devoutly with you' is what is sung
. `con dolore': read `condolere'
. `Ob amorem Filii': the other version `Et cruore Filii' meaning `And with the blood of your Son' is what is sung
. `custodire': read `custodiri'

There are a few misprints in the Latin of the Miserere as well, and more seriously there is a fair little sprinkling of mistranslations in the English. I shall mention only the outright errors and not those cases where the translation allows itself some latitude

. `miserationem': read `miserationum'
. `Ecce enim...manifestasti mihi': the translation is completely wrong. Read `For lo, thou hast loved truth: thou hast revealed to me those things in thy wisdom that are uncertain and hidden.'
. `mudabor': read `mundabor'
. `the bones which thou hast broken': read `my bones that were cast down'
. `invisceribus': read `in visceribus'
. `proiecias': read `proicias'
. `free spirit': read `lordly spirit'
. `sanquinibus': read `sanguinibus'
. `dedessem': read `dedissem'
. `build thou the walls of Jerusalem': read `so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built'
. `imponenet': read `imponent'

It is worth understanding what we are listening to, especially when what we are listening to is as transcendentally good as we find it here.

Sublime!, 26 Jun 2008
What more praise can be added to that of the previous two reviews? They have said it all! If I could I would give it much more than 5 stars! This is one of my all-time favourite CDs - this particular interpretation of Allegri's "Miserere", for me, is simply the best! I cannot find words to describe its effect on me - it is truly inspiring, sublime and uplifting! The Sixteen are extremely accomplished artists who bring great musicality and depth to all of their performances - they will never disappoint!

A Touch of Heaven, 12 Nov 2007
If there is one classical vocal album you need to have in your collection, this is it. It is sublime and will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. You've heard of classical chill - this is the real deal. This is a magnificent collection and the Miserere in particular is something really special. The Sixteen are a wonderfully talented group of people and they can be justly proud of their achievement with this recording. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough - it is simply magnificent.

Best version since 1963 Kings College, Cambridge edition , 26 Sep 2006
This is the greatest version of the Misere since The King`s College Version in 1963 by Willcocks. The high notes here not by the boys choirs and not in English but in Latin soar to such heights they are goosebump inducing. This entire recording is authentic, and quality and beautiful from start to finish. You go straight in from the first notes and it builds wonderfully and is consistent throughout. Harry Christophers seems to have a natural feel for this kind of music. I have also been very impressed with his Byrd.
This disc is a real pleasure. It is sung with care and control and yet invisably flawless in the fautlines with a sense of the beauty of the artistic or religious vision. The quality of the Sixteen here is suberb. One of their best ever recordings.

I could not believe this had no reviews so thought I would just help people along to make an informed choice here being the first reviewer.I would be interested to hear what others think. I have quite a number of Palestrina cds and other contemporary polyphonic composers and this is one of my most treasured recordings...It has a real grace to it and flow and clarity to the voices . And it is all the better to be sung in Latin musically than some of the English translations. It makes it more abstract and pure a musical experience for me. My Latin is far too rusty to make out much at all. The voices do overlap well and are very well timed. I cannot make out a single flaw in the timing but I am sure they may be some. The entire recording hangs well from start to finish like a great work of art should. This cd is also very well balanced and flows as it ought like an entire experience. I have bought a few of the cheaper Palestrina cds but I was glad to pay the extra for this cd. It really is that beautiful. It sounds authentic as as I imagine the age to sing..It has a sincerity about it if that is at all possible. It seems sung out of enjoyment and love out of a genuine passion and love for beauty, art and/or God...It is evident alot of thought has gone into the arranging and the choir really know their conductor and their notes, really quite a treasure this. One of the greatest Palestrina cds I know of. An ideal straight there to the Renaissance experience. Not sure who I am writing this review too actually.... But whatever your level of understanding of polyphonic music. This really is a beautiful disc. And it becomes more beautiful...as it goes on..with the modulating changes and soaring notes of the Misere. I am yet to know of another recording of the Misere that has such high sustained ear piercing high notes or such extended beauty. For this alone the cd is a masterpiece but the entire recording is very pure. Out of all the recordings I know of this I can imagine was sung in the Vatican in the 16th under Palestrina `s watchful eyes and ears. Track 3 is astounding...It really goes right through me with the high notes. Beautiful. Highly recommened version or a great piece of music. The sound quality of the recording is also excellent. Being the latest version of this recording of any note it is of a very high quality. I was very impressed with when I first heard this cd and it never fails to uplift and inspire me every time I play it. Which is my and most peoples acid test for quality. This cd should be out in the library a long time. Very hard to beat this version. And in my view the best one. An absolutely perfect start to Palestrina if you do not know him already. The condusting is precision but with a creative flow to it. The singers obviously know every note and have worked on every part of this as a thought out work of art. A very faithful rendition. No wonder the first Pope on hearing this music was so impressed. I would be. I quite think the singers and the conductor had this in mind when they recorded this. Beauty is upper most and grace. It also sounds good low and loud. It never fails to move. A very emotional and beautifully sung Palestrina version. Highly recommended.

Christmas Magic, 06 Dec 2008
This is the first time I have submitted a review, but those loving John Rutter's own carols and arrangements should know that this is a superb, almost certainly the best, compilation. It includes the beautiful and ever popular Nativity Carol and Shepherd's Pipe Carol which he wrote in his teens and after that most of the carols he has composed. The accompanying notes include all the words, which is such a help, and give information about when and for whom or what occasion each carol came to be written. And most importantly they were recorded when John Rutter had put together a superb singing group, The Cambridge Singers. It doesn't get any better than this.

Christmas Joy, 07 Mar 2008
I thought this CD had got lost in our recent house move and was delighted when it turned up in one the last boxes to be opened. I immediately rushed to listen again even though it is early March and am once again entranced by the warmth and beauty of the music and the singing. You really can play this CD anytime in the year and that is what I am doing now! If you buy it you will not be disappointed!

WOW - A 'must have' for Christmas, 22 Dec 2007
This CD is just fantastic - be blown away by The Cambridge Singers renditions of John Rutter's Christmas album - the definative version of some of the prettiest and most lyrical Christmas choral music you will ever hear. I just keep playing it over and over again.

Choir members will be inspired to get out their music to re-visit any of these beautiful carols they have sung in the past.

This would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone who appreciates choral singing from a choirboy to your grandmother - or just indulge yourself.

Beautiful CD., 20 Nov 2007
The more technical merits have already been pointed out. I have this on in the background now as its very relaxing. I recommend this as a Christmas treat to yourself, it is like being at an upmarket Carol concert (in a good way!) and when the music stops you find yourself putting it on again and again.

John Rutter's Box of Delights, 26 Dec 2002
This compilation of some of John Rutter's work should be in everyone's Christmas stocking. With sixteen of his own original creations he has added seven arrangements he has made of traditional Christmas music and that written by other composers. What is useful is the grouping of the music into parts - Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas Reflections, Christmas Joy and Epilogue - which allows the listener to select a long or short programme if required.
The performances, drawn from sources spanning the years 1985 to 2002, are sheer delight from beginning to end. The Cambridge Singers, with soloists Ruth Holton, Gerald Finlay and Stephen Varcoe, excel with the various moods and rhythms throughout, and the City of London Sinfonia adds stylish and colourful support. The direction of this wonderful festival of music for Christmas is in the capable hands of John Rutter himself who inspires his singers and players.
If I were to single out any items from the programme, who could possibly resist the lilting rhythms of `Jesus child' and the `Donkey Carol', and the jaunty bounce of `We wish you a merry Christmas'? On the reflective side, the various lullabies all receive sensitive performances.
If you are looking for the perfect combination of joy and reverence, not only at Christmas but at any time of year, you could not possibly rival this CD.

Spanish but not Flamenco, 12 Apr 2008
This is a clasical guitar album recorded by John Williams in his style of ultimate perfection. Don't confuse this with Flamenco Spanish guitar.

Brilliant in many ways, 04 Jan 2006
'The guitar is a genuinely Spanish instrument,' writes Uwe Kraemer, and it (along with the classical music for it) is one of the great gifts of Spanish culture to the world. The period of composition for guitar in Spanish culture began in the 1500s, and has never really faded. Guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with the composer of the Star Wars themes) is a master of this instrument, and has selected a repertoire of pieces spanning all four centuries of the instrument.

This is a solo album - all of the pieces here are arranged for single guitar. Some of the music is distinctively Spanish, while others bear a Catalan and Portuguese influence. Few of the composers on this album are well-known names in the Northern-European culture, but in the Latin culture, these are names that are known, and the music even more so.

From the earliest century of guitar music, composers such as Gaspar Sanz and Alonso Mudarra show the origins of this kind of work, which includes dissonances that occasionally sound like modern composition. There are pieces with lively spirit and power, inspiring dance in a more popular mode.

Mateo Albeniz has only one surviving composition; a church organist in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century, he was influenced by Scarlatti and wrote for the harpischord - Williams has transcribed the piece for guitar here.

From the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, many composers were productive: Isaac Albeniz, Julio Sagreras, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Joaquin Turina. Some like de Falla were very influenced by traditional Spanish stories and musical themes, whereas others like Granados drew inspiration from the broader aspects of European musical tradition. Villa-Lobos shows the transportation of Spanish music into the new world, becoming a noted name in Brazilian music (which, ironically, is the only major South American country without Spanish as its primary language).

Joaquin Rodrigo and Frederico Moreno Torroba represent composers in this grand style up to the present day.

John Williams' playing is technically sound and has flashes of emotional power and inspiration. Many pieces here are wonderful, but 'The Miller's Dance', the 'Fandango' and the Villa-Lobos 'Prelude No. 4 in E minor' stand out as the greatest of tracks here, being nothing short of brilliant.

classical gems, 05 Aug 2003
A treat for the solo guitar enthusiast, this is a sparkling collection of Spanish classics, full of drama and passion, played to perfection by John Williams. His technique is dazzling, with a purity and clarity even in the fast and fiery parts, and never a squishy note to be heard.
The music takes us back to the mid 16th century with Alonso Mudarra's "Fantasia", which is short and charming, as well as another early composer, Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710), with his "Canarios", up to many 20th century masters like de Falla, Torroba, and the only non-Spaniard represented, the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Favorites include Albeniz' "Cordoba", which has a marvelous "rasqueado", and the familiar but exciting "The Miller's Dance" by de Falla, but every track is impressive on this CD, as well as entertaining, something solo guitar music occasionally fails to be.

Having been reared by a mother who loved her guitar almost as much as her children, I have heard these pieces played often and by many great artists, but never better, or more enjoyably. This is a compilation that consists of previously released material, some from the 70's and 80's, and the sound throughout is excellent.

THESHOLD OF PARADISE, 03 Sep 2008
Allegri's Miserere is given the top billing on this disc, perhaps because of some celebrated special effects, explained in the liner notes, that it contains. The first track is devoted to a sombre and beautiful Crucifixus (from the Nicene Creed) by one Lotti, an older contemporary of Bach. Admirable and compelling, both of these, but what I bought this disc for was the two items by Palestrina, his Stabat Mater and the celestial Missa Papae Marcelli.

It is not just the quality of the early music specialists these days but the sheer profusion of them that continues to astonish me. I looked through the list of singers (18, not 16) and while I did not recognise most of the names offhand that may simply be because I did not investigate my large record collection, and I certainly did spot the name of a certain Mark Padmore among the tenors. The top parts are taken by sopranos, not trebles, all the altos are male, and the four soloists in the Allegri are also members of the choir.

To me, the 16th century polyphonists are not some recondite category of music that I have come to know in a spirit of antiquarianism. My early education made me familiar with Palestrina, Victoria and others of the period before I knew Bach Beethoven and Brahms, and that surely has to be the right sequence simply because it is the chronological and historical sequence. I have no mental reconfiguring to do before I listen to Palestrina because I have long known, and indeed sung in, the two works here. If they need `selling' to anyone, the best I can do is to state baldly that these performances are magnificent and the music itself is sublime beyond sublimity. This performance of the Mass in particular even ousts my treasured account from Willcocks in being at least as well sung and benefiting from more modern recording. Everything here is `quality'. To compliment a choir on its infallible intonation is not like congratulating an author on his spelling, it is a higher sort of achievement and one that cannot be taken for granted even nowadays and even from the most distinguished performers. Here it is utterly beyond question, and I was overawed by the breath-control that these vocalists, to a man and a woman, exhibited in the long final notes of the various pieces. All this is at the service of a musical sense that is instinct with belief and commitment as well as being stylistically impeccable. Nothing is exaggerated, but I sense a fervour in this singing that would not be out of place in the most `expressive' later music. The recording is just about ideal too, clear without either dryness or excessive resonance, reproducing with fidelity the superb vocal tone.

Nothing Allegri can do matches the heavenly serenity of the Missa Papae Marcelli, but the performance, as you might expect, is to the same standard, and so is that of Lotti's very fine Crucifixus. Harry Christophers contributes a short preface, and the main liner note, by Ivan Moody, provides some informative background. It may be that a little comment of my own on the texts respectively of the Stabat Mater and the Miserere will be helpful, because these are not the brightest jewels of the production.

The text of the Stabat Mater that Palestrina used is not the one I am most familiar with, the text set by Verdi for one. Details of the divergences need not concern us now, but for the odd fact that in two instances the Sixteen sing the other version and not what you will find printed here. I shall point these out at the places where they occur, in the course of correcting misprints in the Latin

. `Contristantem': read `contristatam'
. `Per tansivit': read `pertransivit'
. `Quis Christi': delete `Quis'
. `Me sentire vim doloris,': the comma should either be removed or come after `fac' in the next line
. `Fac me vere tecum flere': the other version `Fac me tecum pie flere' meaning `Make me weep devoutly with you' is what is sung
. `con dolore': read `condolere'
. `Ob amorem Filii': the other version `Et cruore Filii' meaning `And with the blood of your Son' is what is sung
. `custodire': read `custodiri'

There are a few misprints in the Latin of the Miserere as well, and more seriously there is a fair little sprinkling of mistranslations in the English. I shall mention only the outright errors and not those cases where the translation allows itself some latitude

. `miserationem': read `miserationum'
. `Ecce enim...manifestasti mihi': the translation is completely wrong. Read `For lo, thou hast loved truth: thou hast revealed to me those things in thy wisdom that are uncertain and hidden.'
. `mudabor': read `mundabor'
. `the bones which thou hast broken': read `my bones that were cast down'
. `invisceribus': read `in visceribus'
. `proiecias': read `proicias'
. `free spirit': read `lordly spirit'
. `sanquinibus': read `sanguinibus'
. `dedessem': read `dedissem'
. `build thou the walls of Jerusalem': read `so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built'
. `imponenet': read `imponent'

It is worth understanding what we are listening to, especially when what we are listening to is as transcendentally good as we find it here.

Sublime!, 26 Jun 2008
What more praise can be added to that of the previous two reviews? They have said it all! If I could I would give it much more than 5 stars! This is one of my all-time favourite CDs - this particular interpretation of Allegri's "Miserere", for me, is simply the best! I cannot find words to describe its effect on me - it is truly inspiring, sublime and uplifting! The Sixteen are extremely accomplished artists who bring great musicality and depth to all of their performances - they will never disappoint!

A Touch of Heaven, 12 Nov 2007
If there is one classical vocal album you need to have in your collection, this is it. It is sublime and will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. You've heard of classical chill - this is the real deal. This is a magnificent collection and the Miserere in particular is something really special. The Sixteen are a wonderfully talented group of people and they can be justly proud of their achievement with this recording. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough - it is simply magnificent.

Best version since 1963 Kings College, Cambridge edition , 26 Sep 2006
This is the greatest version of the Misere since The King`s College Version in 1963 by Willcocks. The high notes here not by the boys choirs and not in English but in Latin soar to such heights they are goosebump inducing. This entire recording is authentic, and quality and beautiful from start to finish. You go straight in from the first notes and it builds wonderfully and is consistent throughout. Harry Christophers seems to have a natural feel for this kind of music. I have also been very impressed with his Byrd.
This disc is a real pleasure. It is sung with care and control and yet invisably flawless in the fautlines with a sense of the beauty of the artistic or religious vision. The quality of the Sixteen here is suberb. One of their best ever recordings.

I could not believe this had no reviews so thought I would just help people along to make an informed choice here being the first reviewer.I would be interested to hear what others think. I have quite a number of Palestrina cds and other contemporary polyphonic composers and this is one of my most treasured recordings...It has a real grace to it and flow and clarity to the voices . And it is all the better to be sung in Latin musically than some of the English translations. It makes it more abstract and pure a musical experience for me. My Latin is far too rusty to make out much at all. The voices do overlap well and are very well timed. I cannot make out a single flaw in the timing but I am sure they may be some. The entire recording hangs well from start to finish like a great work of art should. This cd is also very well balanced and flows as it ought like an entire experience. I have bought a few of the cheaper Palestrina cds but I was glad to pay the extra for this cd. It really is that beautiful. It sounds authentic as as I imagine the age to sing..It has a sincerity about it if that is at all possible. It seems sung out of enjoyment and love out of a genuine passion and love for beauty, art and/or God...It is evident alot of thought has gone into the arranging and the choir really know their conductor and their notes, really quite a treasure this. One of the greatest Palestrina cds I know of. An ideal straight there to the Renaissance experience. Not sure who I am writing this review too actually.... But whatever your level of understanding of polyphonic music. This really is a beautiful disc. And it becomes more beautiful...as it goes on..with the modulating changes and soaring notes of the Misere. I am yet to know of another recording of the Misere that has such high sustained ear piercing high notes or such extended beauty. For this alone the cd is a masterpiece but the entire recording is very pure. Out of all the recordings I know of this I can imagine was sung in the Vatican in the 16th under Palestrina `s watchful eyes and ears. Track 3 is astounding...It really goes right through me with the high notes. Beautiful. Highly recommened version or a great piece of music. The sound quality of the recording is also excellent. Being the latest version of this recording of any note it is of a very high quality. I was very impressed with when I first heard this cd and it never fails to uplift and inspire me every time I play it. Which is my and most peoples acid test for quality. This cd should be out in the library a long time. Very hard to beat this version. And in my view the best one. An absolutely perfect start to Palestrina if you do not know him already. The condusting is precision but with a creative flow to it. The singers obviously know every note and have worked on every part of this as a thought out work of art. A very faithful rendition. No wonder the first Pope on hearing this music was so impressed. I would be. I quite think the singers and the conductor had this in mind when they recorded this. Beauty is upper most and grace. It also sounds good low and loud. It never fails to move. A very emotional and beautifully sung Palestrina version. Highly recommended.

Very professional, 13 Dec 2008
Lovely singing and a great price make this a very good buy.

But, for me, the singing is too professional and clinical - somehow lacks the joy of a parish church, packed with school-kids and slightly tipsy parents, hammering through the carols.

Christmas Magic, 06 Dec 2008
This is the first time I have submitted a review, but those loving John Rutter's own carols and arrangements should know that this is a superb, almost certainly the best, compilation. It includes the beautiful and ever popular Nativity Carol and Shepherd's Pipe Carol which he wrote in his teens and after that most of the carols he has composed. The accompanying notes include all the words, which is such a help, and give information about when and for whom or what occasion each carol came to be written. And most importantly they were recorded when John Rutter had put together a superb singing group, The Cambridge Singers. It doesn't get any better than this.

Christmas Joy, 07 Mar 2008
I thought this CD had got lost in our recent house move and was delighted when it turned up in one the last boxes to be opened. I immediately rushed to listen again even though it is early March and am once again entranced by the warmth and beauty of the music and the singing. You really can play this CD anytime in the year and that is what I am doing now! If you buy it you will not be disappointed!

WOW - A 'must have' for Christmas, 22 Dec 2007
This CD is just fantastic - be blown away by The Cambridge Singers renditions of John Rutter's Christmas album - the definative version of some of the prettiest and most lyrical Christmas choral music you will ever hear. I just keep playing it over and over again.

Choir members will be inspired to get out their music to re-visit any of these beautiful carols they have sung in the past.

This would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone who appreciates choral singing from a choirboy to your grandmother - or just indulge yourself.

Beautiful CD., 20 Nov 2007
The more technical merits have already been pointed out. I have this on in the background now as its very relaxing. I recommend this as a Christmas treat to yourself, it is like being at an upmarket Carol concert (in a good way!) and when the music stops you find yourself putting it on again and again.

John Rutter's Box of Delights, 26 Dec 2002
This compilation of some of John Rutter's work should be in everyone's Christmas stocking. With sixteen of his own original creations he has added seven arrangements he has made of traditional Christmas music and that written by other composers. What is useful is the grouping of the music into parts - Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas Reflections, Christmas Joy and Epilogue - which allows the listener to select a long or short programme if required.
The performances, drawn from sources spanning the years 1985 to 2002, are sheer delight from beginning to end. The Cambridge Singers, with soloists Ruth Holton, Gerald Finlay and Stephen Varcoe, excel with the various moods and rhythms throughout, and the City of London Sinfonia adds stylish and colourful support. The direction of this wonderful festival of music for Christmas is in the capable hands of John Rutter himself who inspires his singers and players.
If I were to single out any items from the programme, who could possibly resist the lilting rhythms of `Jesus child' and the `Donkey Carol', and the jaunty bounce of `We wish you a merry Christmas'? On the reflective side, the various lullabies all receive sensitive performances.
If you are looking for the perfect combination of joy and reverence, not only at Christmas but at any time of year, you could not possibly rival this CD.

Spanish but not Flamenco, 12 Apr 2008
This is a clasical guitar album recorded by John Williams in his style of ultimate perfection. Don't confuse this with Flamenco Spanish guitar.

Brilliant in many ways, 04 Jan 2006
'The guitar is a genuinely Spanish instrument,' writes Uwe Kraemer, and it (along with the classical music for it) is one of the great gifts of Spanish culture to the world. The period of composition for guitar in Spanish culture began in the 1500s, and has never really faded. Guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with the composer of the Star Wars themes) is a master of this instrument, and has selected a repertoire of pieces spanning all four centuries of the instrument.

This is a solo album - all of the pieces here are arranged for single guitar. Some of the music is distinctively Spanish, while others bear a Catalan and Portuguese influence. Few of the composers on this album are well-known names in the Northern-European culture, but in the Latin culture, these are names that are known, and the music even more so.

From the earliest century of guitar music, composers such as Gaspar Sanz and Alonso Mudarra show the origins of this kind of work, which includes dissonances that occasionally sound like modern composition. There are pieces with lively spirit and power, inspiring dance in a more popular mode.

Mateo Albeniz has only one surviving composition; a church organist in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century, he was influenced by Scarlatti and wrote for the harpischord - Williams has transcribed the piece for guitar here.

From the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, many composers were productive: Isaac Albeniz, Julio Sagreras, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Joaquin Turina. Some like de Falla were very influenced by traditional Spanish stories and musical themes, whereas others like Granados drew inspiration from the broader aspects of European musical tradition. Villa-Lobos shows the transportation of Spanish music into the new world, becoming a noted name in Brazilian music (which, ironically, is the only major South American country without Spanish as its primary language).

Joaquin Rodrigo and Frederico Moreno Torroba represent composers in this grand style up to the present day.

John Williams' playing is technically sound and has flashes of emotional power and inspiration. Many pieces here are wonderful, but 'The Miller's Dance', the 'Fandango' and the Villa-Lobos 'Prelude No. 4 in E minor' stand out as the greatest of tracks here, being nothing short of brilliant.

classical gems, 05 Aug 2003
A treat for the solo guitar enthusiast, this is a sparkling collection of Spanish classics, full of drama and passion, played to perfection by John Williams. His technique is dazzling, with a purity and clarity even in the fast and fiery parts, and never a squishy note to be heard.
The music takes us back to the mid 16th century with Alonso Mudarra's "Fantasia", which is short and charming, as well as another early composer, Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710), with his "Canarios", up to many 20th century masters like de Falla, Torroba, and the only non-Spaniard represented, the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Favorites include Albeniz' "Cordoba", which has a marvelous "rasqueado", and the familiar but exciting "The Miller's Dance" by de Falla, but every track is impressive on this CD, as well as entertaining, something solo guitar music occasionally fails to be.

Having been reared by a mother who loved her guitar almost as much as her children, I have heard these pieces played often and by many great artists, but never better, or more enjoyably. This is a compilation that consists of previously released material, some from the 70's and 80's, and the sound throughout is excellent.

THESHOLD OF PARADISE, 03 Sep 2008
Allegri's Miserere is given the top billing on this disc, perhaps because of some celebrated special effects, explained in the liner notes, that it contains. The first track is devoted to a sombre and beautiful Crucifixus (from the Nicene Creed) by one Lotti, an older contemporary of Bach. Admirable and compelling, both of these, but what I bought this disc for was the two items by Palestrina, his Stabat Mater and the celestial Missa Papae Marcelli.

It is not just the quality of the early music specialists these days but the sheer profusion of them that continues to astonish me. I looked through the list of singers (18, not 16) and while I did not recognise most of the names offhand that may simply be because I did not investigate my large record collection, and I certainly did spot the name of a certain Mark Padmore among the tenors. The top parts are taken by sopranos, not trebles, all the altos are male, and the four soloists in the Allegri are also members of the choir.

To me, the 16th century polyphonists are not some recondite category of music that I have come to know in a spirit of antiquarianism. My early education made me familiar with Palestrina, Victoria and others of the period before I knew Bach Beethoven and Brahms, and that surely has to be the right sequence simply because it is the chronological and historical sequence. I have no mental reconfiguring to do before I listen to Palestrina because I have long known, and indeed sung in, the two works here. If they need `selling' to anyone, the best I can do is to state baldly that these performances are magnificent and the music itself is sublime beyond sublimity. This performance of the Mass in particular even ousts my treasured account from Willcocks in being at least as well sung and benefiting from more modern recording. Everything here is `quality'. To compliment a choir on its infallible intonation is not like congratulating an author on his spelling, it is a higher sort of achievement and one that cannot be taken for granted even nowadays and even from the most distinguished performers. Here it is utterly beyond question, and I was overawed by the breath-control that these vocalists, to a man and a woman, exhibited in the long final notes of the various pieces. All this is at the service of a musical sense that is instinct with belief and commitment as well as being stylistically impeccable. Nothing is exaggerated, but I sense a fervour in this singing that would not be out of place in the most `expressive' later music. The recording is just about ideal too, clear without either dryness or excessive resonance, reproducing with fidelity the superb vocal tone.

Nothing Allegri can do matches the heavenly serenity of the Missa Papae Marcelli, but the performance, as you might expect, is to the same standard, and so is that of Lotti's very fine Crucifixus. Harry Christophers contributes a short preface, and the main liner note, by Ivan Moody, provides some informative background. It may be that a little comment of my own on the texts respectively of the Stabat Mater and the Miserere will be helpful, because these are not the brightest jewels of the production.

The text of the Stabat Mater that Palestrina used is not the one I am most familiar with, the text set by Verdi for one. Details of the divergences need not concern us now, but for the odd fact that in two instances the Sixteen sing the other version and not what you will find printed here. I shall point these out at the places where they occur, in the course of correcting misprints in the Latin

. `Contristantem': read `contristatam'
. `Per tansivit': read `pertransivit'
. `Quis Christi': delete `Quis'
. `Me sentire vim doloris,': the comma should either be removed or come after `fac' in the next line
. `Fac me vere tecum flere': the other version `Fac me tecum pie flere' meaning `Make me weep devoutly with you' is what is sung
. `con dolore': read `condolere'
. `Ob amorem Filii': the other version `Et cruore Filii' meaning `And with the blood of your Son' is what is sung
. `custodire': read `custodiri'

There are a few misprints in the Latin of the Miserere as well, and more seriously there is a fair little sprinkling of mistranslations in the English. I shall mention only the outright errors and not those cases where the translation allows itself some latitude

. `miserationem': read `miserationum'
. `Ecce enim...manifestasti mihi': the translation is completely wrong. Read `For lo, thou hast loved truth: thou hast revealed to me those things in thy wisdom that are uncertain and hidden.'
. `mudabor': read `mundabor'
. `the bones which thou hast broken': read `my bones that were cast down'
. `invisceribus': read `in visceribus'
. `proiecias': read `proicias'
. `free spirit': read `lordly spirit'
. `sanquinibus': read `sanguinibus'
. `dedessem': read `dedissem'
. `build thou the walls of Jerusalem': read `so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built'
. `imponenet': read `imponent'

It is worth understanding what we are listening to, especially when what we are listening to is as transcendentally good as we find it here.

Sublime!, 26 Jun 2008
What more praise can be added to that of the previous two reviews? They have said it all! If I could I would give it much more than 5 stars! This is one of my all-time favourite CDs - this particular interpretation of Allegri's "Miserere", for me, is simply the best! I cannot find words to describe its effect on me - it is truly inspiring, sublime and uplifting! The Sixteen are extremely accomplished artists who bring great musicality and depth to all of their performances - they will never disappoint!

A Touch of Heaven, 12 Nov 2007
If there is one classical vocal album you need to have in your collection, this is it. It is sublime and will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. You've heard of classical chill - this is the real deal. This is a magnificent collection and the Miserere in particular is something really special. The Sixteen are a wonderfully talented group of people and they can be justly proud of their achievement with this recording. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough - it is simply magnificent.

Best version since 1963 Kings College, Cambridge edition , 26 Sep 2006
This is the greatest version of the Misere since The King`s College Version in 1963 by Willcocks. The high notes here not by the boys choirs and not in English but in Latin soar to such heights they are goosebump inducing. This entire recording is authentic, and quality and beautiful from start to finish. You go straight in from the first notes and it builds wonderfully and is consistent throughout. Harry Christophers seems to have a natural feel for this kind of music. I have also been very impressed with his Byrd.
This disc is a real pleasure. It is sung with care and control and yet invisably flawless in the fautlines with a sense of the beauty of the artistic or religious vision. The quality of the Sixteen here is suberb. One of their best ever recordings.

I could not believe this had no reviews so thought I would just help people along to make an informed choice here being the first reviewer.I would be interested to hear what others think. I have quite a number of Palestrina cds and other contemporary polyphonic composers and this is one of my most treasured recordings...It has a real grace to it and flow and clarity to the voices . And it is all the better to be sung in Latin musically than some of the English translations. It makes it more abstract and pure a musical experience for me. My Latin is far too rusty to make out much at all. The voices do overlap well and are very well timed. I cannot make out a single flaw in the timing but I am sure they may be some. The entire recording hangs well from start to finish like a great work of art should. This cd is also very well balanced and flows as it ought like an entire experience. I have bought a few of the cheaper Palestrina cds but I was glad to pay the extra for this cd. It really is that beautiful. It sounds authentic as as I imagine the age to sing..It has a sincerity about it if that is at all possible. It seems sung out of enjoyment and love out of a genuine passion and love for beauty, art and/or God...It is evident alot of thought has gone into the arranging and the choir really know their conductor and their notes, really quite a treasure this. One of the greatest Palestrina cds I know of. An ideal straight there to the Renaissance experience. Not sure who I am writing this review too actually.... But whatever your level of understanding of polyphonic music. This really is a beautiful disc. And it becomes more beautiful...as it goes on..with the modulating changes and soaring notes of the Misere. I am yet to know of another recording of the Misere that has such high sustained ear piercing high notes or such extended beauty. For this alone the cd is a masterpiece but the entire recording is very pure. Out of all the recordings I know of this I can imagine was sung in the Vatican in the 16th under Palestrina `s watchful eyes and ears. Track 3 is astounding...It really goes right through me with the high notes. Beautiful. Highly recommened version or a great piece of music. The sound quality of the recording is also excellent. Being the latest version of this recording of any note it is of a very high quality. I was very impressed with when I first heard this cd and it never fails to uplift and inspire me every time I play it. Which is my and most peoples acid test for quality. This cd should be out in the library a long time. Very hard to beat this version. And in my view the best one. An absolutely perfect start to Palestrina if you do not know him already. The condusting is precision but with a creative flow to it. The singers obviously know every note and have worked on every part of this as a thought out work of art. A very faithful rendition. No wonder the first Pope on hearing this music was so impressed. I would be. I quite think the singers and the conductor had this in mind when they recorded this. Beauty is upper most and grace. It also sounds good low and loud. It never fails to move. A very emotional and beautifully sung Palestrina version. Highly recommended.

Very professional, 13 Dec 2008
Lovely singing and a great price make this a very good buy.

But, for me, the singing is too professional and clinical - somehow lacks the joy of a parish church, packed with school-kids and slightly tipsy parents, hammering through the carols.

Yes, Yes, Yes!, 21 Oct 2008
This is more like it. I bought the Harry Christopher/Sixteen version and was left unmoved by it. This however, was sublime - fantastic soloists, an orchestra and chorus that sounded as if they meant it, a wonderful range of emotion beautifully realised. To me this is what a performance of the Messiah should sound like. The other reviewers got this one spot-on. I can only 'rejoice greatly' for such a recording.

vigorously dramatic, and a typical recording, but not clear, 01 Jun 2008
In the same way that Naxos' New College Oxford recording of "Messiah" is an example of the English Cathedral tradition, this recording is a great sample of the choral society tradition. Although the recording includes some huge names from the world of classical music, I was not over-enthralled by the recording as a whole. The age of the recording (1966) is made obvious in the quality of sound, and the entire ensemble is too big to hear the words properly, and of course this is reflected in the acoustic. The presentation is acceptable, but there are few programme notes and no copy of the text. However, what this recording does have is drama and vigour in abundance.

Both the choir and orchestra sing well and accurately enough, and the soloists are OK too - it is probably Helen Watts who gives the best performance on this disc, especially in the aria "But who may abide", when the rich sonorities of her voice are fully demonstrated.

In many ways whichever Messiah recording one buys rests on what one is looking for. If you would like to hear a performance in the true choral society tradition - like one might hear every year in Huddersfield - then look no further, as this is the finest recording in that tradition. But if you would prefer a recording in the Cathedral tradition, look for Naxos' New College Oxford recording - a superbly accurate and precise recording with the Academy of Ancient Music, outstanding soloists, perfect acoustic, and a truly authentic Baroque performance (note, however, that this recording varies slightly from the score we know so well, as it is the composer's 1751 edition, although I found it to be even more enjoyable!)

To correct previous reviews, 07 Dec 2007
This recording was made in 1966, so is all the more remarkable, considering the plethera of recordings to date. John Wakefield is an unsual choice, with a suitable heroic ring to the voice. John Shirley-Quirk, as ever, brilliant, with Helen Watts a smooth and sonorous Contralto. The final soloist, Heather Harper is fresh and brilliant of sound. The whole direction by Sir Colin Davis, with the LSO is captivating. Do not miss this chance to own.

The best recording to date, 30 Oct 2007
Don't be put off by the fact that the original recording was made in the 1980s. It's been re-engineered and is simply top notch! This is by far the best recording I've ever come across. The fact that it's on a Phillips label doesn't hurt either. The orchestra (LSO)is just right--not too heavy, not too light, and the interpretations are superb. Can't go wrong with the label, the orchestra, or the composer.

Golden oldie, 10 Dec 2004
This is a CD version of an 80's recording which is so good I've stuck with it rather than going for a newer one. The LSO chorus are excellent, light-footed and accurate; Colin Davis takes them through some of the numbers at high speed but they make it sound easy (it isn't, as anyone who's sung Messiah will know). Helen Watts is a beautiful and moving alto soloist and John Shirley-Quirk is also outstanding.

Christmas Magic, 06 Dec 2008
This is the first time I have submitted a review, but those loving John Rutter's own carols and arrangements should know that this is a superb, almost certainly the best, compilation. It includes the beautiful and ever popular Nativity Carol and Shepherd's Pipe Carol which he wrote in his teens and after that most of the carols he has composed. The accompanying notes include all the words, which is such a help, and give information about when and for whom or what occasion each carol came to be written. And most importantly they were recorded when John Rutter had put together a superb singing group, The Cambridge Singers. It doesn't get any better than this.

Christmas Joy, 07 Mar 2008
I thought this CD had got lost in our recent house move and was delighted when it turned up in one the last boxes to be opened. I immediately rushed to listen again even though it is early March and am once again entranced by the warmth and beauty of the music and the singing. You really can play this CD anytime in the year and that is what I am doing now! If you buy it you will not be disappointed!

WOW - A 'must have' for Christmas, 22 Dec 2007
This CD is just fantastic - be blown away by The Cambridge Singers renditions of John Rutter's Christmas album - the definative version of some of the prettiest and most lyrical Christmas choral music you will ever hear. I just keep playing it over and over again.

Choir members will be inspired to get out their music to re-visit any of these beautiful carols they have sung in the past.

This would make the perfect stocking filler for anyone who appreciates choral singing from a choirboy to your grandmother - or just indulge yourself.

Beautiful CD., 20 Nov 2007
The more technical merits have already been pointed out. I have this on in the background now as its very relaxing. I recommend this as a Christmas treat to yourself, it is like being at an upmarket Carol concert (in a good way!) and when the music stops you find yourself putting it on again and again.

John Rutter's Box of Delights, 26 Dec 2002
This compilation of some of John Rutter's work should be in everyone's Christmas stocking. With sixteen of his own original creations he has added seven arrangements he has made of traditional Christmas music and that written by other composers. What is useful is the grouping of the music into parts - Prologue, The Christmas Story, Christmas Night, Christmas Reflections, Christmas Joy and Epilogue - which allows the listener to select a long or short programme if required.
The performances, drawn from sources spanning the years 1985 to 2002, are sheer delight from beginning to end. The Cambridge Singers, with soloists Ruth Holton, Gerald Finlay and Stephen Varcoe, excel with the various moods and rhythms throughout, and the City of London Sinfonia adds stylish and colourful support. The direction of this wonderful festival of music for Christmas is in the capable hands of John Rutter himself who inspires his singers and players.
If I were to single out any items from the programme, who could possibly resist the lilting rhythms of `Jesus child' and the `Donkey Carol', and the jaunty bounce of `We wish you a merry Christmas'? On the reflective side, the various lullabies all receive sensitive performances.
If you are looking for the perfect combination of joy and reverence, not only at Christmas but at any time of year, you could not possibly rival this CD.

Spanish but not Flamenco, 12 Apr 2008
This is a clasical guitar album recorded by John Williams in his style of ultimate perfection. Don't confuse this with Flamenco Spanish guitar.

Brilliant in many ways, 04 Jan 2006
'The guitar is a genuinely Spanish instrument,' writes Uwe Kraemer, and it (along with the classical music for it) is one of the great gifts of Spanish culture to the world. The period of composition for guitar in Spanish culture began in the 1500s, and has never really faded. Guitarist John Williams (not to be confused with the composer of the Star Wars themes) is a master of this instrument, and has selected a repertoire of pieces spanning all four centuries of the instrument.

This is a solo album - all of the pieces here are arranged for single guitar. Some of the music is distinctively Spanish, while others bear a Catalan and Portuguese influence. Few of the composers on this album are well-known names in the Northern-European culture, but in the Latin culture, these are names that are known, and the music even more so.

From the earliest century of guitar music, composers such as Gaspar Sanz and Alonso Mudarra show the origins of this kind of work, which includes dissonances that occasionally sound like modern composition. There are pieces with lively spirit and power, inspiring dance in a more popular mode.

Mateo Albeniz has only one surviving composition; a church organist in the late eighteenth/early nineteenth century, he was influenced by Scarlatti and wrote for the harpischord - Williams has transcribed the piece for guitar here.

From the nineteenth to early twentieth centuries, many composers were productive: Isaac Albeniz, Julio Sagreras, Manuel de Falla, Enrique Granados, Francisco Tarrega, Heitor Villa-Lobos, and Joaquin Turina. Some like de Falla were very influenced by traditional Spanish stories and musical themes, whereas others like Granados drew inspiration from the broader aspects of European musical tradition. Villa-Lobos shows the transportation of Spanish music into the new world, becoming a noted name in Brazilian music (which, ironically, is the only major South American country without Spanish as its primary language).

Joaquin Rodrigo and Frederico Moreno Torroba represent composers in this grand style up to the present day.

John Williams' playing is technically sound and has flashes of emotional power and inspiration. Many pieces here are wonderful, but 'The Miller's Dance', the 'Fandango' and the Villa-Lobos 'Prelude No. 4 in E minor' stand out as the greatest of tracks here, being nothing short of brilliant.

classical gems, 05 Aug 2003
A treat for the solo guitar enthusiast, this is a sparkling collection of Spanish classics, full of drama and passion, played to perfection by John Williams. His technique is dazzling, with a purity and clarity even in the fast and fiery parts, and never a squishy note to be heard.
The music takes us back to the mid 16th century with Alonso Mudarra's "Fantasia", which is short and charming, as well as another early composer, Gaspar Sanz (1640-1710), with his "Canarios", up to many 20th century masters like de Falla, Torroba, and the only non-Spaniard represented, the Brazilian Heitor Villa-Lobos.
Favorites include Albeniz' "Cordoba", which has a marvelous "rasqueado", and the familiar but exciting "The Miller's Dance" by de Falla, but every track is impressive on this CD, as well as entertaining, something solo guitar music occasionally fails to be.

Having been reared by a mother who loved her guitar almost as much as her children, I have heard these pieces played often and by many great artists, but never better, or more enjoyably. This is a compilation that consists of previously released material, some from the 70's and 80's, and the sound throughout is excellent.

THESHOLD OF PARADISE, 03 Sep 2008
Allegri's Miserere is given the top billing on this disc, perhaps because of some celebrated special effects, explained in the liner notes, that it contains. The first track is devoted to a sombre and beautiful Crucifixus (from the Nicene Creed) by one Lotti, an older contemporary of Bach. Admirable and compelling, both of these, but what I bought this disc for was the two items by Palestrina, his Stabat Mater and the celestial Missa Papae Marcelli.

It is not just the quality of the early music specialists these days but the sheer profusion of them that continues to astonish me. I looked through the list of singers (18, not 16) and while I did not recognise most of the names offhand that may simply be because I did not investigate my large record collection, and I certainly did spot the name of a certain Mark Padmore among the tenors. The top parts are taken by sopranos, not trebles, all the altos are male, and the four soloists in the Allegri are also members of the choir.

To me, the 16th century polyphonists are not some recondite category of music that I have come to know in a spirit of antiquarianism. My early education made me familiar with Palestrina, Victoria and others of the period before I knew Bach Beethoven and Brahms, and that surely has to be the right sequence simply because it is the chronological and historical sequence. I have no mental reconfiguring to do before I listen to Palestrina because I have long known, and indeed sung in, the two works here. If they need `selling' to anyone, the best I can do is to state baldly that these performances are magnificent and the music itself is sublime beyond sublimity. This performance of the Mass in particular even ousts my treasured account from Willcocks in being at least as well sung and benefiting from more modern recording. Everything here is `quality'. To compliment a choir on its infallible intonation is not like congratulating an author on his spelling, it is a higher sort of achievement and one that cannot be taken for granted even nowadays and even from the most distinguished performers. Here it is utterly beyond question, and I was overawed by the breath-control that these vocalists, to a man and a woman, exhibited in the long final notes of the various pieces. All this is at the service of a musical sense that is instinct with belief and commitment as well as being stylistically impeccable. Nothing is exaggerated, but I sense a fervour in this singing that would not be out of place in the most `expressive' later music. The recording is just about ideal too, clear without either dryness or excessive resonance, reproducing with fidelity the superb vocal tone.

Nothing Allegri can do matches the heavenly serenity of the Missa Papae Marcelli, but the performance, as you might expect, is to the same standard, and so is that of Lotti's very fine Crucifixus. Harry Christophers contributes a short preface, and the main liner note, by Ivan Moody, provides some informative background. It may be that a little comment of my own on the texts respectively of the Stabat Mater and the Miserere will be helpful, because these are not the brightest jewels of the production.

The text of the Stabat Mater that Palestrina used is not the one I am most familiar with, the text set by Verdi for one. Details of the divergences need not concern us now, but for the odd fact that in two instances the Sixteen sing the other version and not what you will find printed here. I shall point these out at the places where they occur, in the course of correcting misprints in the Latin

. `Contristantem': read `contristatam'
. `Per tansivit': read `pertransivit'
. `Quis Christi': delete `Quis'
. `Me sentire vim doloris,': the comma should either be removed or come after `fac' in the next line
. `Fac me vere tecum flere': the other version `Fac me tecum pie flere' meaning `Make me weep devoutly with you' is what is sung
. `con dolore': read `condolere'
. `Ob amorem Filii': the other version `Et cruore Filii' meaning `And with the blood of your Son' is what is sung
. `custodire': read `custodiri'

There are a few misprints in the Latin of the Miserere as well, and more seriously there is a fair little sprinkling of mistranslations in the English. I shall mention only the outright errors and not those cases where the translation allows itself some latitude

. `miserationem': read `miserationum'
. `Ecce enim...manifestasti mihi': the translation is completely wrong. Read `For lo, thou hast loved truth: thou hast revealed to me those things in thy wisdom that are uncertain and hidden.'
. `mudabor': read `mundabor'
. `the bones which thou hast broken': read `my bones that were cast down'
. `invisceribus': read `in visceribus'
. `proiecias': read `proicias'
. `free spirit': read `lordly spirit'
. `sanquinibus': read `sanguinibus'
. `dedessem': read `dedissem'
. `build thou the walls of Jerusalem': read `so that the walls of Jerusalem may be built'
. `imponenet': read `imponent'

It is worth understanding what we are listening to, especially when what we are listening to is as transcendentally good as we find it here.

Sublime!, 26 Jun 2008
What more praise can be added to that of the previous two reviews? They have said it all! If I could I would give it much more than 5 stars! This is one of my all-time favourite CDs - this particular interpretation of Allegri's "Miserere", for me, is simply the best! I cannot find words to describe its effect on me - it is truly inspiring, sublime and uplifting! The Sixteen are extremely accomplished artists who bring great musicality and depth to all of their performances - they will never disappoint!

A Touch of Heaven, 12 Nov 2007
If there is one classical vocal album you need to have in your collection, this is it. It is sublime and will make the hairs stand up on the back of your neck. You've heard of classical chill - this is the real deal. This is a magnificent collection and the Miserere in particular is something really special. The Sixteen are a wonderfully talented group of people and they can be justly proud of their achievement with this recording. I cannot recommend this CD highly enough - it is simply magnificent.

Best version since 1963 Kings College, Cambridge edition , 26 Sep 2006
This is the greatest version of the Misere since The King`s College Version in 1963 by Willcocks. The high notes here not by the boys choirs and not in English but in Latin soar to such heights they are goosebump inducing. This entire recording is authentic, and quality and beautiful from start to finish. You go straight in from the first notes and it builds wonderfully and is consistent throughout. Harry Christophers seems to have a natural feel for this kind of music. I have also been very impressed with his Byrd.
This disc is a real pleasure. It is sung with care and control and yet invisably flawless in the fautlines with a sense of the beauty of the artistic or religious vision. The quality of the Sixteen here is suberb. One of their best ever recordings.

I could not believe this had no reviews so thought I would just help people along to make an informed choice here being the first reviewer.I would be interested to hear what others think. I have quite a number of Palestrina cds and other contemporary polyphonic composers and this is one of my most treasured recordings...It has a real grace to it and flow and clarity to the voices . And it is all the better to be sung in Latin musically than some of the English translations. It makes it more abstract and pure a musical experience for me. My Latin is far too rusty to make out much at all. The voices do overlap well and are very well timed. I cannot make out a single flaw in the timing but I am sure they may be some. The entire recording hangs well from start to finish like a great work of art should. This cd is also very well balanced and flows as it ought like an entire experience. I have bought a few of the cheaper Palestrina cds but I was glad to pay the extra for this cd. It really is that beautiful. It sounds authentic as as I imagine the age to sing..It has a sincerity about it if that is at all possible. It seems sung out of enjoyment and love out of a genuine passion and love for beauty, art and/or God...It is evident alot of thought has gone into the arranging and the choir really know their conductor and their notes, really quite a treasure this. One of the greatest Palestrina cds I know of. An ideal straight there to the Renaissance experience. Not sure who I am writing this review too actually.... But whatever your level of understanding of polyphonic music. This really is a beautiful disc. And it becomes more beautiful...as it goes on..with the modulating changes and soaring notes of the Misere. I am yet to know of another recording of the Misere that has such high sustained ear piercing high notes or such extended beauty. For this alone the cd is a masterpiece but the entire recording is very pure. Out of all the recordings I know of this I can imagine was sung in the Vatican in the 16th under Palestrina `s watchful eyes and ears. Track 3 is astounding...It really goes right through me with the high notes. Beautiful. Highly recommened version or a great piece of music. The sound quality of the recording is also excellent. Being the latest version of this recording of any note it is of a very high quality. I was very impressed with when I first heard this cd and it never fails to uplift and inspire me every time I play it. Which is my and most peoples acid test for quality. This cd should be out in the library a long time. Very hard to beat this version. And in my view the best one. An absolutely perfect start to Palestrina if you do not know him already. The condusting is precision but with a creative flow to it. The singers obviously know every note and have worked on every part of this as a thought out work of art. A very faithful rendition. No wonder the first Pope on hearing this music was so impressed. I would be. I quite think the singers and the conductor had this in mind when they recorded this. Beauty is upper most and grace. It also sounds good low and loud. It never fails to move. A very emotional and beautifully sung Palestrina version. Highly recommended.

Very professional, 13 Dec 2008
Lovely singing and a great price make this a very good buy.

But, for me, the singing is too professional and clinical - somehow lacks the joy of a parish church, packed with school-kids and slightly tipsy parents, hammering through the carols.

Yes, Yes, Yes!, 21 Oct 2008
This is more like it. I bought the Harry Christopher/Sixteen version and was left unmoved by it. This however, was sublime - fantastic soloists, an orchestra and chorus that sounded as if they meant it, a wonderful range of emotion beautifully realised. To me this is what a performance of the Messiah should sound like. The other reviewers got this one spot-on. I can only 'rejoice greatly' for such a recording.

vigorously dramatic, and a typical recording, but not clear, 01 Jun 2008
In the same way that Naxos' New College Oxford recording of "Messiah" is an example of the English Cathedral tradition, this recording is a great sample of the choral society tradition. Although the recording includes some huge names from the world of classical music, I was not over-enthralled by the recording as a whole. The age of the recording (1966) is made obvious in the quality of sound, and the entire ensemble is too big to hear the words properly, and of course this is reflected in the acoustic. The presentation is acceptable, but there are few programme notes and no copy of the text. However, what this recording does have is drama and vigour in abundance.

Both the choir and orchestra sing well and accurately enough, and the soloists are OK too - it is probably Helen Watts who gives the best performance on this disc, especially in the aria "But who may abide", when the rich sonorities of her voice are fully demonstrated.

In many ways whichever Messiah recording one buys rests on what one is looking for. If you would like to hear a performance in the true choral society tradition - like one might hear every year in Huddersfield - then look no further, as this is the finest recording in that tradition. But if you would prefer a recording in the Cathedral tradition, look for Naxos' New College Oxford recording - a superbly accurate and precise recording with the Academy of Ancient Music, outstanding soloists, perfect acoustic, and a truly authentic Baroque performance (note, however, that this recording varies slightly from the score we know so well, as it is the composer's 1751 edition, although I found it to be even more enjoyable!)

To correct previous reviews, 07 Dec 2007
This recording was made in 1966, so is all the more remarkable, considering the plethera of recordings to date. John Wakefield is an unsual choice, with a suitable heroic ring to the voice. John Shirley-Quirk, as ever, brilliant, with Helen Watts a smooth and sonorous Contralto. The final soloist, Heather Harper is fresh and brilliant of sound. The whole direction by Sir Colin Davis, with the LSO is captivating. Do not miss this chance to own.

The best recording to date, 30 Oct 2007
Don't be put off by the fact that the original recording was made in the 1980s. It's been re-engineered and is simply top notch! This is by far the best recording I've ever come across. The fact that it's on a Phillips label doesn't hurt either. The orchestra (LSO)is just right--not too heavy, not too light, and the interpretations are superb. Can't go wrong with the label, the orchestra, or the composer.

Golden oldie, 10 Dec 2004
This is a CD version of an 80's recording which is so good I've stuck with it rather than going for a newer one. The LSO chorus are excellent, light-footed and accurate; Colin Davis takes them through some of the numbers at high speed but they make it sound easy (it isn't, as anyone who's sung Messiah will know). Helen Watts is a beautiful and moving alto soloist and John Shirley-Quirk is also outstanding.

CRACKING RECORDING, 23 Oct 2008
yes it didn't win a Gramophone award but surely it's a fantastic recording. crystal clear, well directed by Sir Charles Mackerras. Listening to them is pure joy. Dont know where to start? this is the recording that you can start with absolutely! 5 star!

Benchmark Mozart, 07 Sep 2008
It is the mark of a fine conductor that s/he treat Mozart and Haydn symphonies with he same reverence as, say, Beethoven or Bruckner. In his last four symphonies Mozart establishes a standard for symphonic writing that later composers, Beethoven included, were to respond to and build on. Mackerras has long been a Mozartian par excellence, although his earlier recordings of these symphonies are not, in this reviewer's opinion, of the best. These new recordings with the SCO certainly are.

Mackerras adopts a modern approach to these works that is informed by 'period instrument' performances, while still allowing the sort of spaciousness one tends to find in the performances of more 'old school' conductors - Bohm and Bernstein, for example, are both worth hearing in this repertoire, but Mackerras has the edge on both; he is somehow that bit more 'Mozartian'. The SCO is outstanding as always, responding stylishly and gracefully to Mackerras's meticulous detail.

I've been looking for some time for a modern instrument recording of these works that can stand repeated listening and I found it in these; in fact, for me, Mackerras offers the most rounded and consistently pleasing account of these great works and I would recommend them whole-heartedly.

One for us all, 21 May 2008
I have given this record full marks, but this is clearly a 6 out of 5 record. It gets 4 stars just for the content, the performance clearly merits at least 2 extra!

There is a lot of elitist bull**** surrounding classical music, but this is a record for us all. As long as you like 'music' and you have got a reasonably open mind spend the £8 and buy this CD. Listen to track 1 CD 1 3 or 4 times (it deserves that much patience!) at the end of it if you are not a convert then go and speak to the devil to buy back your soul.

You can almost reach out and touch the genius in this music, the changes of pace, the change of key...this is an artist operating beyond the ordinary.

Buy it you will never regret it.



A Mozart Must!, 12 Apr 2008
I have been searching for the definitive recording of these the most famous of all of his symphonies and I think I've found it in this offering from Linn, the performance by the Scottish chamber orchestra it has to be said is absolutely superb under Sir Charles' baton, every instrument is clearly heard individually, up until now all I've heard of these symphonies are some hissy 1960's recordings on bargain CD offerings, and a recording of an ECO / Jeffrey Tate performance from 1985 as part of a Mozart 50 cd collector's edition which I made the mistake of purchasing which I'm now going to ditch. If Mackerras can come up with the goods by recording the earlier symphonies I will gladly part with plastic to purchase these as well, Mozart will change your life. 10/10.

Enrich your life, 15 Mar 2008
I really can't add anything more to these reviews except to say that - if you are new to classical music and don't know what to listen to first - then these symphonies, crammed with sublime tunes and melodies, and beautifully played make the ideal place to start. Transform your life and listen to Mozart.