The booklet notes to the CD release of this album by the Armonico Consort not only state the project's aims concisely, but are also entertaining enough to merit quoting at length: "I first began my fascination with folk melody whilst a music scholar at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where the choir would often sing arrangements to entertain the hoards of inebriated dons after feasts," writes director Christopher Monks. "These arrangements -- often brilliant, eye opening, and sometimes little gems of genius -- were ...
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The booklet notes to the CD release of this album by the Armonico Consort not only state the project's aims concisely, but are also entertaining enough to merit quoting at length: "I first began my fascination with folk melody whilst a music scholar at Gonville and Caius College, Cambridge, where the choir would often sing arrangements to entertain the hoards of inebriated dons after feasts," writes director Christopher Monks. "These arrangements -- often brilliant, eye opening, and sometimes little gems of genius -- were written by my director of studies, Dr. Geoffrey Webber. Quite simply, he took on the work of Vaughan Williams and gave it a new harmonic language inspired by music from the late 20th century." Webber is the author of the largest number of folk song arrangements here (all are a cappella); others come from various composers including Monks himself. The title track is elegant, but a better place to start sampling to get a feel for the tonality of the music is perhaps Sweet Kitty (track...
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