The novelty of this album of anthems, significant enough to propel it onto British classical sales charts, is the presence of female singers. The program, consisting of half-Renaissance music and half-19th/20th century works, is of a common enough type, and the music is quite familiar. But the presence of the new Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir lends an effect quite different from the usual boys' groups on the top voices. (There are choirboys at Canterbury Cathedral, but this release features only the girls and the choir ...
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The novelty of this album of anthems, significant enough to propel it onto British classical sales charts, is the presence of female singers. The program, consisting of half-Renaissance music and half-19th/20th century works, is of a common enough type, and the music is quite familiar. But the presence of the new Canterbury Cathedral Girls' Choir lends an effect quite different from the usual boys' groups on the top voices. (There are choirboys at Canterbury Cathedral, but this release features only the girls and the choir's adult male Lay Clerks.) The girls range in age from 12 to 18, and director David Newsholme shapes it intelligently: they keep the ethereality of boys but have just a bit more heft. Try one of the Three Motets, Op. 38, of Charles Villiers Stanford (1890). There are plenty of recordings of these, quite a few of which are by mixed choirs including John Rutter's Cambridge Singers. But the delicacy of this one is hard to match. Signum also does a fine job in Canterbury Cathedral, which...
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