As rich a recording of the repertoire as has ever been made, this disc of part songs by Gustav Holst should appeal to as wide a choral music audience as possible. Known primarily for The Planets, Holst is occasionally written off as a one-hit wonder, but his effervescent St. Paul Suite, his bleak and fatalistic Egon Heath, and his glorious Hymn to Jesus -- which made his friend Vaughan Williams declare after the premiere that he wanted to go out and drink until he was drunk -- always argue for deeper exploration. The part ...
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As rich a recording of the repertoire as has ever been made, this disc of part songs by Gustav Holst should appeal to as wide a choral music audience as possible. Known primarily for The Planets, Holst is occasionally written off as a one-hit wonder, but his effervescent St. Paul Suite, his bleak and fatalistic Egon Heath, and his glorious Hymn to Jesus -- which made his friend Vaughan Williams declare after the premiere that he wanted to go out and drink until he was drunk -- always argue for deeper exploration. The part songs on this recording by Stephen Layton leading the aptly named Holst Singers bolster that argument nicely. They are sweet-toned, strong-limbed, heart-on-the-sleeve works rendered with a deft touch. As with much of the English choral repertory, they have a sumptuous, layered quality that rewards a warm acoustic and embeds considerable complexity within an overtly simple sound. ~ James Leonard, Rovi
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