For Britten fans who loved Blest Cecilia -- Britten Choral Works, Vol. 1, featuring "Rejoice in the Lamb" and "Hymn to the Virgin" and fans who loved A Ceremony of Carols -- Britten Choral Works, Vol. 2, featuring "A Boy was Born" and "A Shepherd's Carol," Fen and Meadow -- Britten Choral Works, Vol. 3, will be as inevitable as death and taxes, albeit it much more enjoyable than either. Featuring the sweet and saucy "Choral Dances" from his opera Gloriana, the fey and fragrant "Five Flower Songs" and the sublime and ...
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For Britten fans who loved Blest Cecilia -- Britten Choral Works, Vol. 1, featuring "Rejoice in the Lamb" and "Hymn to the Virgin" and fans who loved A Ceremony of Carols -- Britten Choral Works, Vol. 2, featuring "A Boy was Born" and "A Shepherd's Carol," Fen and Meadow -- Britten Choral Works, Vol. 3, will be as inevitable as death and taxes, albeit it much more enjoyable than either. Featuring the sweet and saucy "Choral Dances" from his opera Gloriana, the fey and fragrant "Five Flower Songs" and the sublime and salacious "Sacred and Profane," Choral Works, Vol. 3, has far fewer of Britten's hits than Vol. 1 or Vol. 2, but the composer's characteristic blend of the ironic with the earnest and the personal with the public proves just as appealing in these less familiar works. The Sixteen sings with a robust tone, a secure intonation, and a flawless sense of rhythm, plus the group possesses the rare ability of being able to find the emotional heart of Britten's scores. Harry Christophers, the...
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