Comments on: Annie Laurie: Folksongs of the British Isles

By: Andrea K. Toven

Andrea K. Toven — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 06:05:20 +0000

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

Top of the line, June 17, 2003

Andrea K. Toven (Laramie, WY) -

This review is from: Annie Laurie: Folksongs of the British Isles (Audio CD)

This CD, along with Watching the White Wheat, is consistently a top seller on the group's US tours. Solid musicianship, great passion and emotion brought into the singing. There is some instrumental work done on this disc, but it doesn't overpower the singers.

To correct Mr. Beamer's statement in his review, the KS have indeed been doing pop and all genres of music since their founding in 1968. In fact, it was the inappropriateness of singing pop and light music with the Choir of King's College, Cambridge, that led a small group to branch off and sing all genres of music, including pop, on their own time ... this leading to the founding of the King's Singers.

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By: Anne

Anne — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 05:25:19 +0000

10 of 10 people found the following review helpful:

Absolutely beautiful!, August 24, 2000

Anne (Roanoke Rapids, NC) -

This review is from: Annie Laurie: Folksongs of the British Isles (Audio CD)

The cracked, maimed, and scuffed CD case that I am looking at right now is in itself testement to the addictive qualities of this recording. I have had this CD for almost a year and it has wandered the country with me (we just got back from No. Cal. ;) I listen to it almost every night before I go to sleep. The beautifully blended harmonies on this CD are gorgeous and I have fallen completly in love with the countertenor voices. All of the tacks are wonderful but my favorites are (#2)The Skye Boat Song (listen to this while reading Diana Gabaldon!) (#4) Annie Laurie (#6) Danny Boy and (#17) Eriskay Love Lilt. *Whew* that was hard, I can't pick my favorites easily. Buy this CD for it's gorgeous cover and fall in love with the music!

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By: David A. Beamer

David A. Beamer — Sat, 14 Jan 2012 04:26:12 +0000

16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:

The King's Singers in their element, September 27, 2001

David A. Beamer (Clawson, MI United States) -

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This review is from: Annie Laurie: Folksongs of the British Isles (Audio CD)

The King's Singers got started a few decades ago doing exclusively classical material, and most of that was pre-1700. Now, many years on, (and after several changes in the group's membership) they have long since branched out into pop and other genres.

This CD (along with another similar one, "Watching the White Wheat") really show off their UK roots, with English, Scottish, and Irish folksongs. The arrangements are mostly quite good, and all the performances are excellent. Deserving of special mention are: (on the slow, poignant side) "Annie Laurie", and "The Ash Grove". [Note: the arrangement of "Annie Laurie" heard here is different from, and I think inferior to, the arrangement they did on an old out-of-print LP called "Atlantic Bridge", where they did both Britsh and American folksongs -- that LP is Highly Recommended (if you can find it -- good luck!)]

Anyway, back to the review: on the up-tempo side, two very fun tunes are "Going to Towyn" and "Mairi's Wedding". For you singers out there, the score for the latter is available in a 3-part arrangement, and is rather easy to learn.

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